Employee tells current boss about the opportunity they have been offered with another department, boss jealously insists salary cap for department transfers is 12%, employee gets offered a 28% pay increase leading their boss to consider them a traitor

I'll never understand managers who are utterly determined to keep their subordinates in their place. Eager to prove to their own bosses, employers, and company owners that they are one of them and should be part of the inner circle, and reap the rewards as such, too.

This is "upward identification," where lower-level managers increasingly identify with executives and other upper managers. emulating their behaviors and, in doing so, distance themselves from frontline staff. This is done, of course, for one's own personal gain. Whether it's hoping for an increased take or simply career advancement and greater future earnings.

But this type of behavior also becomes synonymous with a "rat in a bucket" mentality. The reality is that, despite what these lower-level managers think. No matter how they like to imagine themselves to be potential equals to owners and executives, the owners and executives themselves will never recognize them as such. 

They keep their subordinates down so that they can't climb over them on their way to the top of the bucket. Weaponizing "tall poppy syndrome" like behaviors to keep their star performers from rising too fast.

It's a type of corporate Stockholm syndrome, where the managers take on the traditional "company man" mentality. Doing anything and anything for their employer for a reward that is never going to materialize.

You have to imagine that this is a bit of what is going on here. After spending 3 years in their current role, this employee was looking for growth. He had worked for years with a straightforward "keep your head down and deliver" approach that worked very well for him. This caught the attention of the manager of another team. He approached the employee about a new role he was looking to create based around the employee's own particular skillset. Out of professional and personal courtesy, the employee let his current boss know about the coming offer. He told his boss that he intended to negotiate for a 25% raise. The boss claimed that he would check with management, but he came back and said the maximum that he could get was 12%.

At this point, you're probably seeing the issues already. Although it's tempting to divulge things like this and ask for advice, there was no reason for the employee to even mention the compensation request to his boss. His boss had nothing to do with it.

At this increase in pay, it is very likely that the employee was simply announcing to his boss that he thought he deserved to be making more than the boss himself was. This would have triggered all kinds of jealousy and ego and likely made him a target of all of his boss's frustration, along with everything else we have already discussed. 

Whatever the boss's motivations were for telling the employee that the salary cap was 12%, it definitely seems as if the boss had some hard feelings about the employee's new opportunity. Especially given how things played out afterward.

See the employee's own account of the alleged events as he shared it with an online workplace community. 

The Story

My manager swore the salary cap was 12%. Another team offered me 28%. Now he calls me a “mercenary” in meetings.

Story / Silent_Fan_3363

I’ve been in my current role for three years. Solid performance reviews, no drama, I keep my head down and deliver. A few weeks ago, a different team within the same company approached me about a role they wanted to create around my skill set. I told my current manager during our 1:1 that an offer was coming and I intended to negotiate for around 25%.

He said he’d “check with HR and upper management.” Two days later he came back and said the absolute maximum for internal transfers is 12%. Company policy. Nothing he could do.

I said I appreciated the effort but I’d need to explore external options if that was the ceiling. He told me to “do what you need to do.”

The offer from the internal team arrived last Thursday. 28% raise.

When I told my manager I’d stay if they matched, he didn’t take it well. Since then he’s been making passive-aggressive comments in team meetings—called me a “mercenary” yesterday when I mentioned I was reviewing the offer.

I know I haven’t signed anything yet. But I’m wondering if taking the internal transfer is even viable now. He’s clearly going to be a problem. Has anyone navigated this? Do I take the offer and deal with the resentment, or is this a sign the bridge is already burned?

The Comments

GolfGuy_824

Take the raise and do the internal transfer. If he’s still problem after that then start looking for a job with a new company and you can use that 28% pay raise you received as the base of negotiating a salary with the new company.

Even if you stayed in your current role and only took the 12% raise he said was possible he’s still going to think of you as a mercenary so get the bigger raise.

athensjohn1

I'm not sure I understand the criticism from your boss. Of course you are a mercenary and so is he. You aren't doing volunteer work.

Try not to take his jab personally. Don't let him or anyone control your emotions. It can be easier said than done, but recognize that you control your emotions. Just a bit of stocism advice.

You work there in exchange for compensation. This can come in many forms including job satisfaction, pay, etc.

Your loyalty is yourself and your family first. If you will enjoy the total compensation from another position, you should consider it as anyone would.

I think if someone called me a mercenary, I would say, "of course." Mostly, don't let it bother you and be in control of your emotions.

Viking_Glass_Guru

Would your current manager have any impact on you in your new role? If not, take it. I have no doubt he’d do the same thing. But I wouldn’t stay with him now even if he came up with the money. I don’t understand stingy managers. It’s not their money being spent.

Anti_Up_Up_Down

Obviously take the raise

If it becomes a problem, leverage the new salary as part of a new job hunt

Extreme-Discount-573

Take the transfer but keep your resume up to date. If he's going to be a problem, parlay this new role into yet another raise when you leave externally. You might get up 50% from your original salary once it's all said and done