HR tries to convince employees that raises are bad for them and gets sharp backlash: ‘Lots of people are really, really dumb and still have jobs’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Jan 10, 2025 10:00 AM EST

Ladies and gentlemen, let us bow our heads in gratitude for the corporate prophets. Those HR sages who dare to challenge our outdated notions of financial improvement. You thought raises were good, didn't you? Foolish, naïve little worker bee. Thankfully, we have HR managers to open our eyes to the true horror of more money: it's not salvation, it's sabotage.  

Here's the logic, as generously explained by one particularly enlightened HR manager: when you get a raise, the universe notices your extra cash and retaliates. It's like some cosmic referee blows the whistle: "Hold up, this one's getting ahead!" What follows is a perfectly orchestrated ballet of doom. The rent goes up. Groceries become luxuries. Gas prices suddenly soar past reasonable comprehension. Why? Because you dared to think your labor deserved better compensation. Your raise isn't a victory—it's an invitation for the world to crush you even harder. 

So, on behalf of every worker in the world, I'd like to thank you, yes, you, so very much for ruining the perfect economy for us. 

That was the actual message delivered during a company event, where this HR oracle explained to employees that requesting a raise is basically asking to sabotage your own life. According to her, inflation doesn't happen because of, say, global economic factors or corporate monopolies, oh no sir, it happens because you selfishly wanted more than survival wages. You insatiable monster.

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  • HR and I disagree how wages and raises work

    "Mental gymnastics are what corporate life is all about"
    via Jacob Lund

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • When one bold employee, armed with nothing but sarcasm and impeccable timing tried to playfully disagree (hold on to your seats everyone, this going to be mind-blowing) the HR manager didn’t laugh. Instead, she shot him a look colder than an unheated winter office. Humor, after all, is not part of the corporate-approved script. 

  • My HR manager was going on during a company catered event how people want raises but don't understand that getting raises won't help them out because the cost of living will increase to
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  • This claim that a single raise will somehow be the villain that leads to skyrocketing living costs is pretty lame, so, on behalf of all of us:

  • NEW ELI רררר
    via Kaitlyn Baker

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  •  Dear HR,

     I hope this finds you well.

    Let’s cut the theatrics.

    Please hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

    Lukewarm regards,

    All O. Us

  • compensate for their raise. I jokingly told her "yeah I remember when I got a raise at my last job, my manager called up the grocery store and told them that my wallet was much
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  • 7 6888 BOOOO
    via Ahmet Kurt For Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • fatter now and the store immediately raised the prices of everything by 10%." She looked at me like I spit on her food.
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  • Did she really try to make me believe getting a raise is a bad thing? How stupid do you have to be to say that kind of BS to regular employees?
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  • DanausEhnon Not getting a raise to keep up with inflation is essentially a paycut.
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  • Affectionate Pie7232 OP Woah you're making too much sense. Might have to put you on a PIP until morale improves.
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  • Anais NinjaTX Morale won't improve until groceries are affordable again.
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  • pop_pop_bang HR is not your friend. I remember one year, each team had individual meetings with a person in HR to tell us that we were getting paid enough. What a waste of time to lie to us.
    via pop_pop_bang
  • Affectionate_Pie7232 OP They probably got bonuses for telling you that.
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  • pop_pop_bang Yeah, would not doubt that in the least.
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  • hkusp45css It's entirely possible she genuinely believes what she's saying. Lots of people are really, really stupid and still have jobs. HR departments across the globe would be gutted if we stopped hiring stupid people.
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  • Big-Hornet-7726 She is the Simone Biles of mental gymnastics. That level of cognitive dissonance needs to be studied.
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  • Frequent Freedom_242 Stipid people are everywhere. Like a million dollar salary isn't going to help me? Shut the front door Karen!
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  • OodlesofCanoodles Unless you are untouchable or extremely well liked, saying accurate things to HR managers is not going to help your career.
    via OodlesofCanoodles
  • McDonnell Douglas DC8 Wait until you hear how that raise is going to put you in a higher tax bracket and you'll take home less. I'm sure someone once used a poorly engineered piece of software where that was case, but it should not happen by tax code.
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  • Affectionate_Pie7232 OP Yeah it's pretty wild how dumb some high paid people really are. She also shared some articles about living well below your means and how chasing more money leads to unhappiness.
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  • mayamaya93 Wow, what an insulting thing to hear from your own company. Like it's one thing to read these headlines pushed by bulls billionaires, it's even worse for your own employer to say, "we know we don't pay you enough. be happy anyway!"
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  • YesterShill Did you suggest she tell the CEO so they can distribute some of that unhappiness (cash) to their employees?
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  • annon8595 you should suggest she give up a portion of her high pay to the lowest paid because shes so noble and doesnt want to be unhappy.
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  • 7625607 Yeah, the cost of living is going up whether this one company gives raises or not. And I'd bet the top executives aren't being told there are no raises because then their cost of living would go up.
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  • Affectionate_Pie7232 OP Mental gymnastics are what corporate life is all about.
    via Affectionate_Pie7232

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management christmas boss privacy workplace-stories hr manager private bosses work grinch PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance bad bosses
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