Company refuses to give employees raises unless they have a competing offer, employee provides a fake offer letter, resulting in a $45,000 raise: ‘Don't mind if I do’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Oct 1, 2025 6:00 AM EDT

By now, it has become pretty clear to most employees that the only way to get better pay is to find another job. Many companies would do anything to avoid giving their employees a decent raise, which often results in them leaving the company when they find a better offer.

The company in the story below did one better, if you will, by refusing to give employees raises unless they provide an offer from another company. Only then will they consider giving their hardworking employees what they deserve.

This led one of their employee to reach out to his former boss, a guy who used to work at this company and left, and ask for his help. Since he was familiar with this bizarre rule, the former boss understood the assignment when the employee asked him for a fake offer letter. All he had to do was write down a salary that matched the raise the employee was after.

This little ploy worked better than the employee expected, so keep scrolling to read the full story and find out how.

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  • 01
    Thoughtful businessman relaxing in his office
    via Getty Images

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

  • 02

    Provide a offer? Don't mind if I do

    A few recent stories on here reminded me of a friend of mine, we'll call Dave.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 03
    Shared, with his permission. Dave was working for a company for a few years, liked it there, liked the job, liked everything but the pay.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 04
    His company pretty much only gave raises if you had a competing offer. Dave's boss knew this, and advised him as such since he wanted to keep Dave.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 05
    Dave didn't want to interview anywhere else. However, the supervisor had hired him, we'll call him Bruce, had moved on to another job.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 06
    Dave called Bruce, told him the situation and Bruce was just like " I've got an idea, I'll send you an offer letter, how much should you be making?" Dave was making $85k at the time, and based on his skills, experience, etc., should have been making about $110k so that's what he told Bruce.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 07
    Bruce said not to worry and that he'd take care of it. Dave gets an email from Bruce, doesn't look too hard at it, and tells his supervisor the next day that he has an offer and was wondering if his job would counter.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 08
    Dave forwards the letter from Bruce, and Dave's boss gets back to him offering him $130k to stay.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 09
    As it turns out, Bruce, because he didn't actually need to budget for this position (because it was fake), put $125k in the offer letter.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 10
    He also had a knowledge of Dave's unit's budget, having formerly worked there and knew they'd afford it to keep Dave.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 11
    And that is how Dave maliciously complied with a fake offer later to get a raise.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 12
    Post script: Bruce moved to a third company about five years ago and has since hired Dave there in an executive role he's doing well in.
    via 1piperpiping
  • 13
    victory back view portrait of a successful man who is celebrating at his workplace in the home office holding hands up
    via Getty Images

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

  • 14
    rawmeatprophet Bruce is af kin' homie
    via rawmeatprophet
  • 15
    iwantshortnick Not sure if it's malicious compliant, but outcome of story is satisfying for sure. That's a raise, baby, feels like almost doubled the salary
    via iwantshortnick
  • 16
    NeatConversation530 How can I get a hold of Bruce?
    via NeatConversation530
  • 17
    Hokuten001 Dave and Bruce, up a tree, p-l-o-t- t-i-n-g! ♫
    via Hokuten001
  • 18
    btweasel76 Yeah, this isn't malicious compliance. This is homies taking care of each other.
    via b**tweasel76
  • 19
    JeannieSmolBeannie Is his last name Wayne? Because this dude is a HERO
    via JeannieSmolBeannie
  • 20
    Aggressive-Science15 I think Bruce is the one maliciously complying here tbh. He plays by the old companies rules to f them over. This company doesn't know what their employees are worth and relies on competing offers to determine raises? Fine, I'll give you a 'competing offer'.
    via Aggressive-Science15

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Tags

job offer boss workplace-stories employee manager job malicious compliance tales-from-the-workplace ceo raise overworked-employees workplace company funny
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