Employee confronts CEO after getting denied her raise and discovering her coworker with less experience got one: 'The CEO literally says he wishes every employee was like me. And yet… nothing'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jan 2, 2026 8:00 AM EST

Imagine showing such allegiance to a young, growing company like this employee did, only to be blindsided by her CEO shortly thereafter.

When this lady started working at this small, fully remote startup company, there were only 10 employees. It was an intimate but mighty team, and everyone believed in the CEO's energy and passion. That included the author of this unfortunate anecdote. She was so committed to this company that she went out of her way to spread the word and even recruited a friend of hers to the team. This was outside of her job description, but it was appreciated by the CEO, since she was proving to be a valuable team player.

The author's friend who was hired also turned out to be a great asset to the team… so much so that she got a raise after just one year of experience on the job. The coworker messaged the author to celebrate the good news and to thank the author for helping her get this position in the first place. 

This should have been a pleasant exchange between the two employees, were it not for a bit of company secrecy that slipped through the cracks. See, the author had no idea that her coworker was getting compensated considerably more than she was. Now that her friend was getting a raise, the author couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't received one throughout her time at the company. After all, she had been working there for three years, not one, and she had more professional experience in general. What went wrong here?

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  • The author came to learn that her biggest mistake was somehow communicating to upper management and to her CEO that she was perfectly content going above and beyond for the same salary. How she accidentally communicated that idea remains a question because most folks do not want to evoke that sensibility. 

    At the end of the day, the CEO is to blame here for constantly praising the author's work and acting as if they wished everyone could be like her to her face, only to go behind her back and manipulate her in this way. How can you expect this startup to grow when the company seems to be this toxic to begin with?

  • "I got my friend a job & she told me that she got a raise…it’s 10k more than me"

    Last year, I helped someone I know (now a friend) get a job at the company I work for. It's a small, remote team, just 10 employees. She had no prior experience in our industry and was struggling to find work.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • Yesterday, completely unprompted, she told me she got a raise. For context, she knows what I make (it's a long story, and not something I would ever share, but I'll spare the details).
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • I've been with this company for almost 3 years. I've worked my ass off because they've treated me well, and honestly, I take pride in doing great work for our clients
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • and I want to grow in this industry. At my 2 year mark, I asked for a raise, but at that time, the company had been going through a rough patch. Over hiring, losing some big clients,
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • and the CEO told me it wasn't feasible, but assured me it would happen "after summer" once things stabilized.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • I respected that (silly me), because I trusted them to do right by me when the time came. Fast forward to now: I'm still here, still grinding, still producing results. I don't need to be micromanaged, I'm consistently
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • praised by the CEO, clients, and my team. The CEO literally says he wishes every employee was like me. And yet... nothing.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • We have to track our time, and I'm consistently logging more hours than my coworkers. I know time doesn't always equal value, but it's a data point that shows I'm carrying a lot of weight here.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • And yet someone who's been here for a little over a year, and got the job because of me is making more. I'm not upset about her getting a raise, because I think she deserves one too, but I can't help but feel disrespected???
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • A businesswoman in glasses sits opposite a male employee in a conference room.
    via Vitaly Gariev

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

  • I realize I've made mistakes in how I've handled this, but I'm stuck on what to do. Obviously, work less & put that energy into finding a new job. but should I confront my CEO in the
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • meantime? I feel weird bringing it up because I didn't ask for this information to begin with, but now that I know, I'm hurt.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • hybridsone93. No stop wasting your time you already have the answer but you're too comfortable to move on. They don't value you like you think they do. Keep quiet and look for another job give yourself a raise.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649
  • PickleWineBrine Loyalty is expensive, ain't it? That's why a company will never be loyal to you. When you ask for a raise, be prepared to walk away when they refuse again.
    via GiraffeDelicious5649

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promotion employee coworkers ceo job experience overworked-employees Horrible Bosses quitting toxic-work-environment
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