employee leaving with belongings in cardboard box after quitting job
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
January 20, 2022 ·  7 min read

Star Employee Quits Job After 6 Years Because he didn’t get a Raise, Company Suffers $3m Loss

Not being acknowledged for all the efforts that you put in can be extremely frustrating and lowkey hurtful. Most employees are unable to see their worth because of what the company makes them believe. The employees settle for less salary and work extra to prove their worth at their jobs.

One employee who worked as a general contractor shared his personal story about how he realized his worth to his company. The company is presently facing a $3 million loss because of the employee’s exit. [1] The man had started from the bottom and moved up to foreman before securing the post of a general contractor. He eventually got engaged to the boss’ daughter. u/tcrambo shared his story on Reddit on how he realized his worth. “Owners didn’t want to give me what I deserved, now they are about to lose a $3M contract because I resigned,” he titled the post under r/antiwork.

Working Hard To Reach The Top

u/tcrambo started off by introducing himself as a Project Manager at an unlimited commercial GC. He had been taught that with hard work and dedication one could become successful. So 6 years ago he picked up a hammer and got to work. He had zero experience before joining the firm. He took in everything that he could while working in the construction industry. 

Took my work home with me and studied on my own time to better myself. For that I was promoted to foreman. I was brought into take over a small project at a 12 building 120 unit condo complex.

-Reddit

u/tcrambo would put in the work and the hours. He dedicated himself to work and pushed himself more than the others. He was eventually recognized by top-level management. 

Getting Verbal Appreciation For All The Hardwork At His Job

It started small and the Board of Directors for the HOA told me they loved my professionalism, work ethic, and ability to complete projects on time, and under budget. We won a big contract because of that small project. That was 3 years ago.

-Reddit

Since then he took up the responsibilities of a project manager, foreman, and superintendent. He takes care of the bills, schedules, material orders, take off and heads meeting with board members and engineers.

Read: ‘WE ALL QUIT’: How America’s Workers Are Taking Back Their Power

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Image Credits: Pixabay

He even trains the subs about their new products and their applications because the firm did not have enough mid-level management. The project that he was working on crossed $2.7 million. The firm received another job request worth $3 million in the same complex. His hard work had finally paid off. He took his company to new heights.

All the while the board of directors telling me how appreciative they are and how they’ve gone through 5 different contractors in the years before committing to my company because of my management and quality of work. This boosted my confidence and I went to the owners asking for the raise they promised me 1 year ago for my production. They told me “the experience you’re gaining is far more valuable,” I said you’re right.

-Reddit

The top-level management was very happy with his work and his professionalism. Now, like any normal person u/tcrambo thought he deserved a raise. Since they did not appraise his efforts, he decided to ask for a raise himself. Seldom do firms agree to give raises. Profit maximization policy often results in underpaid employees and poor work environments. Unhappy with the excuse given to him, u/tcrambo put his resume on the market. 

Moving On To Better Things And Better Jobs In Life

I put my resume on public, got contacted by a headhunter, just accepted an offer this week for $80k a year salary, full benefits, 28 days PTO including holidays, in the office now ( no more working from the field full in my own truck), Laptop, wifi in my truck for on the go billing when I visit the out of state projects, $80 per diem, 100% matching 401k for the first 3 years of my employment, quarterly bonus programs.

-Reddit

As they say, someone’s trash is someone’s treasure. u/tcrambo found many firms that would appreciate his hard work and dedication and pay accordingly. Out of the many companies, he found one which compensated him heavily. The remuneration difference between the two firms was like heaven and hell.

The company I’m with now only pays me 40k and that’s it none of the above listed benefits. The final mail in the coffin was when the owners bragged about how much my project made in a company meeting and then denied me a Christmas bonus.

-Reddit

Having had enough of the disrespect, u/tcrambo let HR know of his new offer. The HR was too stunned to speak. He informed the HoA Board president that he was going to resign as they could not match the other firm’s offer.

His eyes got big and requested a meeting with the owners and expressed serious concern about moving forward with the new project without my involvement.

-Reddit

u/tcrambo felt seen and appreciated. The president’s hesitation validated his years of hard work. He knows that the company has no one to replace him. 

It feels good to hurt their pockets when I gave them everything I had for 6 years and only asked for the median project manager salary. Fuck those greedy bastards.

-Reddit

Read: This Woman’s Sister Was Dying And Her Boss’s Response To Her Missing Work Is Upsetting, And Sadly, Not Uncommon

The Episode Worked Out In His Favor

Many Redditors thought that he was exaggerating and some even thought that u/trcambo had made up the story. u/tcrambo updated his post to clarify their doubts. He addressed his engagement to the boss’ daughter and the boss’ excuse to not pay him well.

I began this company as a worker ended up dating one of the owners daughters and am now engaged to marry. I’m not exaggerating about my current pay it’s $21 hourly. I feel he uses the “family” excuse as a reason to keep me underpaid.

-Reddit

He explained that the head told him that his soon-to-be father-in-law was the one who controlled his paycheck and they had no say in it. After taxes, he only earned $33,000 per year. His wife-to-be gave him the courage to leave. All thanks to her he now has a well-paying job.

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u/tcrambo even posted a second update. The company threw him a farewell at twin peaks. It was awkward at first but things eased out eventually. They enjoyed food and drinks. They revealed that they were panicked when he dropped the new firm’s offer letter. 

Honestly, I was a dick about it. I regret it now. In a mixture of feeling exploited/ under appreciated, I reacted out of emotion. My heart is so full. I know every single one of us is replaceable, but these men played a big part in making me who I am today as a professional.

-Reddit

u/tcrambo is very happy with the outcome and has not stopped smiling. The firm did appreciate him and knew exactly how much he was worth to the company. It was because of his FIL’s stingy behavior that they lost him. He could not have hoped for a better ending.

Tried And Tested Excuses

Some Redditors shared their opinions on firms refusing raises.

“To whom? Other companies?” is such a good retort for anyone who tries to pull this bullshit on their employees.

Thanks for giving me all this valuable experience that will benefit your competitor!

toolatetodieyoung

I’ve always said “Which part of my mortgage is payable with team player/exposure bucks” to any manager who tried to pull this shit.

-errorsniper

Imagine losing 3mill because you wouldn’t fork out 30k for your star worker

Jasboh

We believe that at the end of the day, every work or job deserves its financial rewards the most. Much more than “exposure” in most cases. However, a lot of employers tend to try this attitude. It is just being disrespectful towards the employee’s dedication, in our opinion. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Keep Reading: Employee Quits Because Company Denies Their Vacation, Boss Begs Them To Come Back When Business Starts Losing Money

Sources

  1. Star employee quits job after 6 years because he didn’t get a raise, company suffers $3m loss.” Scoop. Sethuraman S, January 14, 2022.
  2. Owners didn’t want to give me what I deserved, now they are about to lose a $3M contract because I resigned.Reddit

Attention: While many of these stories are interesting, and we would love to take their word for it, the content in this article was taken from an unverifiable source (i.e., a Reddit forum). As such, we cannot guarantee that these events truly happened in the way that they are described in the original source.