'My company is stealing $20,000 from me': Employee denied the same pay as coworkers with the same job by new boss, begins retaliation

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Feb 24, 2025 4:00 PM EST

There is nothing like a new boss swooping in and ruining all the things that were working at a company. It's a tale as old as time at this point, so hats off to the few new employers who actually listen to the folks who have been working there longer before implementing new policies. Sure, new managers can bring their own expertise to the table, but if the people who report to you feel like they don't have a voice from the get-go, you're in for a difficult transition.

That's what happened to this new boss, who thought he could get away with denying an employee the salary they were worth despite the fact that other folks on the team with the same responsibilities were making more.

Advertisement
  • 01
    LIKE BOSS
    via Brooke Lark

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • This is why companies try so hard to keep salaries secret and to make it taboo to not discuss your wages openly with other people within the company. Sure, the language might be to avoid talking about unprofessional subject matter that might make folks uncomfortable, but the real intent here is to cover up questionable practices. Here's what happened when this employee confronted his new boss after discovering that he deserved a $20,000 raise.

  • 02
    It's early 2023. My company, Company A, gets acquired by Company B. People from my old place slowly leave one by one, whether quitting or being I☐ off. On my team of 4, I'm the last one left of Company A. Everyone else are new incomers who applied to Company B. We do physical products, and I'm pretty sure
    via MikeyMoss
  • 03
    Company B bought us just to get our clients, because the rest of the company does digital products. When I started in 2021, my salary as a Junior employee: $48K. I was promoted in the midst of the acquisition a year later: $58K, now "mid-level." Got a raise a few months ago to $60K.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 04
    Thank God Company B has a union, because I've asked around and learned fellow "mid-level" people on my team are starting out at $80K. Company B has job listings for my exact role and experience level with starting salaries of $80K. There's no way I should be making $60K. They're shafting me. And they've probably froze my pay to get me to quit.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 05
    Last week, before my company A boss quit, I asked about a raise. She basically said no, wrote up a document of things I'm not going well enough (it's ☐ ), and said I could possibly get a merit increase in a few months. Then dipped.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 06
    Now my formerly skip-level boss (now my direct boss for the time being), knows about this document and that I asked for a raise, but doesn't know I've just learned all this $80K stuff.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 07
    We have our first 1:1 this Tuesday. How should I bring this up to her and start to put their a s on blast? ETA: I'm in the union and have already talked to my union.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 08
    Dm-me-a-gyro · 7 hr. ago I've shared this anecdote before, but here goes. I got hired as a totally entry level employee at a tech company. 2 years later I was reporting to the CEO, was part of management, had my own team. Metrics were transparent at the company. I was far and away the most productive person at the company for every single month I worked there.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 09
    HR lady comes into my office and says "hey can you review the company on Glassdoor?" I said sure, I get on Glassdoor and bang out 1,000 words honestly reviewing my time there. Then I see they have job listings for my company posted. So I check them out. They're advertising for a peer position to mine. And they're trying to find someone with my IDENTICAL skill set. A skill set that they hadn't been looking for when I was hired. So obviously they're trying to find more people like me.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 10
    The difference is the starting pay for the listing is 40,000 a year more than I'm making. So I go to HR and told her my next paycheck in two weeks better have a healthy pay raise on it or I'm done. She says "we've grown together, we took a chance on you, good things come.... Bla blah blah." I say, ok.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 11
    Two weeks later my check comes, no raise. So the following Monday I'm not there. She calls, and I tell her that I resigned as I had indicated. To her credit she said she was very sorry to see me go but understood my decision.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 12
    I was kind of freaking out, so my girlfriend booked us a vacation. While I was sitting on the beach my friend said he wanted me to talk to someone, so I take the call, it's a tech company guy for a startup. He basically pitches me a job. I say great, let's do this.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 13
    The Hr team reaches out and asks me what my previous salary was, I say "I can't discuss that because of confidentiality, but here's a link to a new hire for my same position with a salary range." They come in 20% over the top of range.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 14
    Suddenly I went from being solidly middle class to making almost 200 a year. Plus stock options! 3 years later that company IPO'd on NASDAQ. It was the largest tech ipo of the year.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 15
    My strike price was like 75 cents. Shares today are over 300. F. k them, quit. There are better things out there.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 16
    Cheezburger Image 10471481600
    via Headway

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Several folks who had been in similar situations with their employers weighed in with feedback and advice. Here's hoping that the 1:1 with his new boss went a bit better than his last meeting with his former employer. We'll kee our eyes for a future update!

  • 17
    NrM-Tuga · 8 hr. ago Why are you meeting with your boss? Cancel the meeting. If your union contract says you should be making 80k then all you need to do is file a grievance. That's it. Let them handle it.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 18
    Time-Category4939 9 hr. ago This is relatively standard in a lot of companies. Over time, your salary increases but it is under what they pay to attract new employees. And if you ask for the raise, you either don't get it, or get it in installments over one or two years, or have to jump through hoops to get it. In the end, is easier in more profitable to switch jobs every few years than to stay and "make a career in the company".
    via MikeyMoss
  • 19
    Good news is that you seem to be perfectly qualified for an 80k position. If they don't give then to you, some other company will.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 20
    Additional Move 5519 9 hr. ago Haven't you heard the word? You get your raises from your NEXT employer. When your market value exceeds your current pay it is time to move on. This has been going on for some time.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 21
    matty_nice 10 hr. ago Obviously talk to your union. Seems like you asked for a raise a while ago, the company said no. From their perspective, nothing has changed. It's great that you found out they are hiring at 80K, but they already knew that.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 22
    You need to look at your options. If you quit tomorrow, what time of jobs do you have lined up? Don't over or under estimate your personal job market. That determines how aggresive you can be.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 23
    Raises are pretty easy to get if you are valued. Don't make threats. Focus on emotional and not logical arguements. Don't argue as its you and your boss vs the problem, not you vs the boss.
    via MikeyMoss
  • 24
    matty_nice . 5 hr. ago Nope. I meant it that way. IMO of course. Typical advice is what you would expect from decades ago, and would be similar to things like "just walk into the company and ask to speak to the hiring manager". Any logic based arguement can be countered, and then it becomes an arugement. 2nd in sales? = Why not 1st?
    via MikeyMoss
  • 25
    Anything you tell your manager is something they should already be aware of, including what you make versus your peers, and even your performance. But you can't argue with emotions and feelings. And no, I was not talking about telling a pity me story. Lol. An emotional arguement is about how you feel. You love the role, but you feel
    via MikeyMoss
  • 26
    undervalued, unsatisfied, unfullfilled, uncomfortable, etc. "I'm not sure I would feel comfortable continuing on long term in my current position as I feel undervalued comparied to the job listing...." Your relationship to your job is probably like being in a relationship with a crazy partner. You can't argue with crazy. You can't tell your emotionally unstable boy/girl friend that they shouldn't be upset.
    via MikeyMoss

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

salary workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job work overworked-employees Horrible Bosses bad bosses company toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article