'I’m there every day, getting up at 5 AM': Boss refuses to pay employee $65k a year despite earning $450k in the last tax year

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Feb 2, 2026 9:00 PM EST

Every employee wants to feel like they are compensated fairly, but this is often not the case.

It is received wisdom by now that any year without a pay rise is essentially a pay cut, and that a genuinely depressing number of employers will do everything they can to make sure that they can get away with paying those who work for them as little as possible. Most people find that they are never going to be paid what they are worth unless they put up a fight, and even then, the odds can be slim.

Nonetheless, it can be incredibly frustrating to deal with the reality of our salaries in comparison to what they could be. There are few things as demoralizing as feeling like your true value is not being recognized. The fact is that in the society we live in, the best way for a workplace to do that is by giving you more money. Salary negotiation can be an awkward topic to raise, but it is a vitally important one. Most of us work because we need an income to exist comfortably, and it is only fair that we seek out the best one that we can find. The more difficult the role, the more it applies.

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • a male employee closes his eyes and rests his head on his hands as he sits in front of his laptop, with a woman working on a computer in the background
    via Vitaly Gariev

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

  • One employee arrived at their wit's end when they had to engage in a battle to make sure that they would be paid an amount they felt was somewhat fair. They faced 14 hour days where they worked until 7 PM, taking on multiple different roles in order to help the business run efficiently.

    They felt particularly bitter as their manager had resisted their initial request for a raise, claiming that they did not have enough money to grant it. However, they took home a $450k salary and sent their kids to expensive private schools. The employee was aware that there was more to this than a simple issue of not having room in the budget.

  • My boss's taxable income was $450k last year, and they were saying they couldn’t afford to pay me a $65k yr salary

    Been working my butt off every day for months, doing multiple roles that isn't even my roles.
    via OrangeWhitePatchSock
  • Including running the entire business myself while my boss was on vacation. I'm there every day (having to get up from 5 AM), and stuck sometimes 7 PM.
    via OrangeWhitePatchSock
  • Despite working my ass off, and discussing salary, my boss only was willing to pay $65k a year (which I had to fight for).
    via OrangeWhitePatchSock
  • Mind you, their kid goes to a school that costs the same amount of money that my salary is.
    via OrangeWhitePatchSock
  • Boss goes and tells me, "cannot afford" to give more, because "business is losing money" (lol, no, your money goes to your kids private school).
    via OrangeWhitePatchSock
  • I just laughed, I'm a literal slave and that's the best is done, when they are pulling $450k ...
    via OrangeWhitePatchSock
  • a man holds an open notebook with writing on the page near a sliding glass door
    via Milles Studio (Unsplash+)

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

  • TheFrozenCanadianGuy I feel you. 100% start looking for another job.
    via TheFrozenCanadianGuy
  • OrangeWhitePatchSock Original Poster's Reply That's what I'm aiming to do, me and my co-worker are aiming to quit, he has said I am an asset to him too. Just the job market is rough rn, and I'm worried about finding something worst.
    via OrangeWhitePatchSock
  • myst99 7 days a week? 14+ hour days. That is nearly 100 hours a week. You are basically making minimum wage. Instead of bitching about it, just look for a new job. Obviously your boss is abusing you or you're exaggerating this whole scenario.
    via myst99
  • musing_codger You almost never get paid more than the market value of your labor. And only you can ensure that you get that. If you aren't, leave.
    via musing_codger
  • MacaronOk1006 If your running the entire business then start your own and make the $450K.
    via MacaronOk1006
  • nousernamesleft199 Start your own business if you can run it on your own.
    via nousernamesleft199
  • starfirex The entire point of owning a business is to make money off your employees. That's like, why jobs exist. Would you feel better if the boss told you "I don't want to pay you more money because I would have less money to spend on myself"? What about if they said "The role you're in makes me roughly 67k/year so if I gave you much of a raise then I'd basically be better off just not employing you." When discussing your salary, forget about what they can afford or how unfair the amount you w
    via starfirex
  • Aggressive-Union 1714 How much of your own money do you have invested in the company, how much of your own money do you lose if the company fails?
    via Aggressive-Union1714
  • Complete-Yak8266 This dude has worked at his business for months and hasn't told us what his job duties actually entail. Very unpopupar opinion: Just because he is successful and you are not, it doesn't mean you are entitled to the earnings of the business he built. Do you lose money or take pay cuts on bad years? Go get a job for more than 65k if your skillset is commensurate with market demand. Otherwise, shut up and accept it. Entitlement is getting worse with people who barely bring in enoug
    via Complete-Yak8266

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

Tags

salary boss employee income manager workplace money
Scroll Down For The Next Article