Employee resigns after finding better job with a 20% raise, now his boss wants to renegotiate his salary: 'Why are you surprised that I found a place willing to pay me what I'm worth?'

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

This boss made it seem like the company didn't have the money to give his employee a well-deserved raise… that is, until the employee had more leverage.

This author knew that he was doing the work of multiple employees and was entitled to a fairer annual salary. This became all the more clear to him when he discovered that despite his weekly tasks and responsibilities, it turned out that he was lowest paid employee in his entire department. Perhaps his boss thought he could get away with this amoral arrangement because the author was straight out of college when he was first hired.

Once again, here is another tale of an employer who vastly underestimated the intelligence of younger, so-called "inexperienced" workers. It's as if these bosses don't realize that in the age of the internet, employees can easily do research to figure out whether or not they are being underpaid compared to what other salaries look for similar positions elsewhere. 

Naturally, this author did that research and ended up finding a far better opportunity. It would be the same amount of work, only this time, he would be earning at 20% raise. In his eyes, he was still willing to do the equivalent work of two people at this much higher rate. Your mileage may vary depending on your work preferences and financial situation. Regardless, the employee was ecstatic to take the job and couldn't wait to confront his manager about this new offer.

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  • Like clockwork, as soon as the manager became aware that the author was planning to leave for this better opportunity, the company all of a sudden was in a financial position to renegotiate the author's salary. They even went so far as to pursue matching the author's proposed rate at his new job, but by that point, the author had no desire to stay there any longer. With good reason! 

    Let this story serve as a potent reminder that if your company is not willing to pay you what you're worth now, they're not worth staying for when they finally catch up to recognizing your value. At that point, it's just a little too late, as JoJo would say. 

  • An office worker walks down the hall with a box of personal items.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    An office worker walks down the hall with a box of personal items.

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

  • "My company is acting shocked that I accepted another offer. What were they expecting?"

    This is a common story. I was doing the work of at least two people, and no joke, I was the lowest paid in my department at my job level.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • I spoke to my manager about it, and of course, I got the classic 'the budget is tight right now' excuse.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • This was happening at the same time they were giving raises to other people, and they even suggested hiring a temp to 'help me' if I couldn't keep up.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • So naturally, I started looking for something new. I found a new job and accepted the offer.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • It's literally the same job title and the same responsibilities I have now, but for a 20% raise.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • Anyway, I submitted my resignation today, and my manager looked genuinely shocked. Suddenly, they want to 'see what they can do' and talk about matching the offer.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • I mean, seriously, why are you surprised that I found a place willing to pay me what I'm worth?
    via StewartAnderson1
  • They showed their contempt for me the moment I first requested a raise. This renegotiation isn't about valuing me; it's about keeping me around until they find a replacement.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • They still need me, but now they see me as "disloyal." I think I was lucky to have found a job relatively quickly, but if it were someone else in my place, I think it would have been difficult to get a job quickly without having helpful connections.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • So, the times have become strange in the job market. The moment I take their blad money, I'm basically put on a list, and they'll get rid of me sooner or later.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • I should take the new job with more money and just move on.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • Bec21-21 In this job market, yes they probably are. Enjoy your new job.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • ryanpdx1999 Do not accept a counter offer. They already told you what they thought you were worth. Believe them.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • Ecstatic-Mixture-520 Once you submit your resignation don't ever take a matching offer from your current employer. It's over. Stay and in a few months you will be riffed.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • charlie-9008 now they have to figure out how to dump your 2 jobs onto other people and how many without paying them more
    via StewartAnderson1
  • bbw4me1234 The galling part is no room got a wage increase but we could get you an assistant...just pay me what you would pay the assistant moron
    via StewartAnderson1
  • Worldly-Strike2363 Don't accept their offer... If you got to find a job for them to see your worth then it's no point staying in that place
    via StewartAnderson1
  • Huge_Replacement_616 Don't accept the offer and leave the company
    via StewartAnderson1
  • DaLei_95 Say you stay for a 60% raise :) and if they actually consider it go and say nay nevertheless. Then tell you department about it.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • MALDI2015 Yeah, last time my new job gave almost tripled salary, and that was a no brainer. If you want to get paid better, jump ship.
    via StewartAnderson1
  • raaneholmg You seem to have a great relationship with the managers and they too are looking for other jobs if the company is stringent with the money. They might be the hiring managers at your next job years down the line. Genuinely, your best move is to just keep the split good. Just apologize that you were unable to decline such a good offer.
    via StewartAnderson1

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