‘It was an infuriating but liberating feeling’: Under-appreciated employee finally quits after 10 years, company realizes he's holding the whole place together and matches his new offer, still walks away

It may have taken this man a decade to realize his professional worth, but once he did he made the decision to leave and never look back. Even after the company matched his new offer, he still walked away. 

"I stood up, said, 'Thank you for the opportunity,' and walked out." That was this professionals response when his company panicked after he put in his two weeks. He had been trying to get a meeting with the higher ups for a month and they simply ignored him. If they had met with him, he would've asked for this raise, but they never did and now it was too late. 

After being under-appreciated for the entire 10 years of his career there, he only asked for a simple meeting. After realizing they weren't going to even give him that, it was done. Stamp, sealed, and delivered. He was done being taken advantage of and being underpaid. 

His new place offered him a 40% raise and benefits he could only "dream of." When the company then matched that, it was even more infuriating. He asked them if they could offer that the entire time, why did they wait until he put in his resignation letter? The room was silent. 

He walked away and never looked back. 

Author image for Elna McHilderson Elna McHilderson
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  • young businessman makes his points during a professional job interview
    via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

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

  • We wish this was a unique tale, but unfortunately this happens all the time. Corporations have the reputation of greed. They didn't even think to offer this employee a raise. The tiny raise he got that entire time he worked there was after he begged them for it. By the time they realized he was the employee holding the entire place together, it was too late. 

    You can't just disrespect your employee for a decade and then think you can make it all better by offering something someone else offered them. Perhaps if they truly appreciated him they would have offered him double what the new job was offering him. 

    His higher ups were speechless, hopefully, forcing them to ponder their greedy ways. But, alas, that is rarely the case. The next best option, and more likely outcome is that they didn't learn a thing and continued taking advantage of their employees and eventually everyone left them and they had to shut down. 

    We can dream… 

  • "After years of being underpaid, I finally submitted my resignation. The look on my bosses' faces when I told them why I rejected their counteroffer was a story in itself."

    I started at my last company about 10 years ago. I was fresh out of college and told myself it was a temporary thing until I got my life in order.
    via tumulett
  • Suddenly, a whole decade had passed. In those 10 years, I dedicated all my time to developing my skills.
    via tumulett
  • I worked in several departments, and even managed a team for two years. I was always the person who volunteered for any challenge, taking extra training to learn new processes or work on prototype equipment.
    via tumulett
  • If they needed someone to stay late or travel on the same day, I was the first one they called.
    via tumulett
  • The problem is, my salary never matched the effort I put in. After four years, I had maxed out my benefits, and for the last six years, I hadn't received any decent raise.
    via tumulett
  • Honestly, I had accepted this situation for a very long time... Until a new colleague asked me a blunt question a few weeks ago.
    via tumulett
  • He said, 'Man, what are you still doing here? You're incredibly talented and you're pretty much holding this whole place together.' It was like a lightbulb went off in my head.
    via tumulett
  • Why was I really still here, earning just slightly more than a starting salary for a position I fought hard to get?
    via tumulett
  • My performance was consistently better than people with over 25 years of experience who were earning about double my salary.
    via tumulett
  • I understand they have seniority, but is it reasonable for my work to be valued at only 60% of theirs when my productivity is double?
    via tumulett
  • Confident man dressed business professional buttons up getting ready for work
    via Unsplash+ (and Hunters Race)

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

  • About a month ago, I requested a meeting with the company owners. For four full weeks, they would see me in the building and say they remembered my request, but their excuse was always, 'We're just too busy and can't sit down right now.' Being ignored for a month was the final push I needed.
    via tumulett
  • I started sending out my resume, and within 24 hours, I had interviews scheduled. In less than a week, I found a new job with one of our biggest competitors, a company that knew me by reputation.
    via tumulett
  • They offered me a 40% raise and a benefits package I could only dream of at my old company.
    via tumulett
  • This morning, after receiving the official offer letter, I submitted my resignation. They immediately brought me into the owners' office.
    via tumulett
  • They got straight to the point and offered to match the new offer. I simply looked at them and asked, 'So you could have been paying me this amount the whole time.
    via tumulett
  • Why did you wait until I resigned to offer it?' Dead silence. They had nothing to say.
    via tumulett
  • I stood up, said, 'Thank you for the opportunity, and walked out. It was an infuriating but liberating feeling.
    via tumulett
  • Edit: I'm still a bit nervous about this big change, but I feel it's the right step.
    via tumulett
  • If any of you are in a similar situation, this story gives you the push to get out there and get what you truly deserve.
    via tumulett
  • I am grateful that I got a new job after a long search. I hope anyone in my position can change their situation as soon as possible.
    via tumulett
  • Reading books and advice about work and interviews is very important for one's financial life. Really pay attention to it, as it raises awareness of your rights.
    via tumulett

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