25-year-old employee learns he's making $2,000 more than his office mentor: '[He] has worked 50 years in my current company!'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 24, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

Being a company man is not all it's cracked up to be. After all, you might spend decades working hard and maintaining loyalty, only to have that rug ripped out from under you.

This author had the unfortunate experience of watching his own mentor go through the realization that his loyalty to their company was not properly rewarded. The mentor, who had spent over 50 years at the company, had introduced himself to the author when he was a new hire. At the time, the author was straight out of college and very green, not just in terms of his time at the company but also in the working world in general. The company man could sense his naiveté and unease in the office, so he decided to take the new guy under his wing. 

He showed the author the ropes, gave him advice on how to impress upper management, and even helped him advocate for himself when it came to raises, reviews, and promotions. Eventually, the author's wishes were granted, and he was given a well-deserved promotion after three years of hard work. Now 25, he was excited to share the news with his mentor and to thank him for all of his guidance.

Unfortunately, that conversation did not exactly pan out as the author had intended. When the author revealed how much he was now getting paid, the older man suddenly went quiet. It seemed as if all the energy was sucked right out of the room. It turns out that the author was now getting paid $2,000 more than his own mentor… You know, the person without whom this promotion might not have been possible. It's not that the author did not deserve this raise. Please, you'll rarely see folks at FAIL Blog argue against an employee's rightful compensation. 

The problem is that the mentor had put in decades of work and had established a belief that he was being treated well and was valued at the company. At the end of the day, a younger person with less than 1/10 the amount of experience was able to earn a better salary. We feel for the guy, and we hope that he seizes the moment to advocate for a long overdue rate before his retirement. 

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  • A week ago, it was someone's 50th year working at my current company. He is obviously a senior in his role, lots of experience and amazing at his job.
    via [deleted]
  • A senior man stands in front of a conference room with his arms folded.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I'm friends with this guy and he proudly told me his salary. He's about to retire soon and if I work just as hard as he has done, I'll get a salary just like him.
    via [deleted]
  • He was trying to motivate me, and teach me the ways of life. I absolutely love this guy, im 3 years into my 'adult' working career and he has helped me out so much.
    via [deleted]
  • I've been offered a job and haven't told anyone. This job is paying $2k more then he is on. Holy cow though. f
    via [deleted]
  • Imagine dedicating your life to a company, just for someone with a couple of years experience to out earn you.
    via [deleted]
  • A young man in a suit and tie stands with his arms crossed.
    via TRAN NHU TUAN

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Whole_Mechanic... 10h ago He probably refused to compare wages over the decades too because he thought he's being paid more than everyone due to "seniority" and didn't want to trigger envy.
    via [deleted]
  • Krispy Kreme725 9h ago. . If he's been with the company and owns a home more than likely its been paid off for decades and his costs are minimal in comparison to yours.
    via [deleted]
  • Perhaps he thinks that if he asks for a raise he'll just be put out to pasture. I wouldn't tell him unless he asks. I'm not saying it's right but it's an explanation.
    via [deleted]
  • traveledhermit ⚫ 9h ago From personal experience, and as a manager who sees what a lot of people get paid, I can say with certainty that loyalty to your employer does not pay off.
    via [deleted]
  • A... 10h ago Edited 6h ago . That happened to my dad. Worked his off, 25 years mostly 70-80hr weeks and probably saved his company. New guy comes in from corporate maybe 30.
    via [deleted]
  • They give him a sign on bonus of $700k and a better salary. It's been a little over a year and the business is in ruins, new guy and dads old. boss getting fired. He along with my dads old boss fired every competent person
    via [deleted]
  • there. My dad has never gotten anything near that bonus. Dads old boss and new guy will probably get severance. Dad got nothing from the company in retirement.
    via [deleted]
  • • Apprehensive Ad... 9h ago Bet he's part of that generation that thinks it's "r" to talk about money. Just goes to show you, you need to advocate for yourself, no one else is going to do it for you.
    via [deleted]
  • Occhrome 10h ago One of my coworkers has lucked out in comparison 40+ years at the company with no degree and makes more than his manager who has a degree.
    via [deleted]
  • But I think he is a remnant of the past. Back when we had pensions and stuff.
    via [deleted]

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company man workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job work mentor company toxic-work-environment
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