October 2, 2026 at 1:35 am

He Was Denied a $40/Week Raise After Saving the Company $120,000β€”Then Realized His “Valued Employee” Status Was a Management Lie

by Sarrah Murtaza

Two men working in a retail store

Pexels/Reddit

Getting management to give you a raise is never a piece of cake.

But you wouldn’t expect it to be this bad…

Check out the full story!

Getting denied for a raise is so humiliating. I was basically just told I can’t have an extra $40 dollars on my paycheck.

I work full time as a supervisor in retail. Love the place, my coworkers are really cool and the workplace culture is the best I’ve had in a job.

This is where the problem comes in…

I am severely underpaid for the work they make me do. I could literally go work as an entry level cashier at a fast food place and make more than I would here. (Not a slight against food service, I also worked that and y’all are underpaid too.)

I recently had a review and it was top marks. Not a single complaint, I have good numbers. Customer loyalty is great, coworkers like me etc.

The company is doing well, and our store specifically is doing great.

Got a $0.10 raise

UH OH…

I asked for one dollar. The goal would have been two but I knew that was a losing battle anyways. So I asked for one. I was told no.

It’s just not possible.

And when I put things in perspective, I was literally told I couldn’t have an extra $40 a week. That’s like a tank and a half of gas.

That’s it.

That’s INSANE!

That doesn’t even get me groceries for the week if I wanted actual food in the state I live in.

And it’s not even my boss that has any say.

He’s sent out numerous emails asking for the raise on my behalf.

It’s the higher ups who make all the money who can’t allow for me to have 40 extra dollars.

This sounds horrible!

Then on top of that I work 40 hours as a supervisor but don’t get the manager holiday/sick/vacation benefits they do because I’m technically just a β€œpart time worker who happens to be working full time.”

It sucks because I love my job.

It’s the first job I’ve truly enjoyed clocking in to. But it’s just not livable.

WOW! That sounds outrageous!

Why would the management consider such a small raise?

Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this one.

This user understands that this guy needs to hop his job!

Screenshot 2026 09 29 135449 He Was Denied a $40/Week Raise After Saving the Company $120,000β€”Then Realized His Valued Employee Status Was a Management Lie

This user knows this guy needs to start applying elsewhere.

Screenshot 2026 09 29 135356 He Was Denied a $40/Week Raise After Saving the Company $120,000β€”Then Realized His Valued Employee Status Was a Management Lie

This user knows some employers just don’t value long term employees.

Screenshot 2026 09 29 135411 He Was Denied a $40/Week Raise After Saving the Company $120,000β€”Then Realized His Valued Employee Status Was a Management Lie

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who was passed over for a promotion, so got a job with the competition and quit immediately.

This user knows this place is not worth being at.

Screenshot 2026 09 29 135428 He Was Denied a $40/Week Raise After Saving the Company $120,000β€”Then Realized His Valued Employee Status Was a Management Lie

This user shares how Walmart would play around with people’s raises.

Screenshot 2026 09 29 135438 He Was Denied a $40/Week Raise After Saving the Company $120,000β€”Then Realized His Valued Employee Status Was a Management Lie

Somebody needs to switch jobs before they get too comfortable!

Enjoyed this story?

Readers who liked this also read this story about an employee who cleverly shuts down customer arguments about closing time.
Read Story→

Sarrah Murtaza | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Sarrah Murtaza is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and interpersonal drama. With nearly six years of experience in digital publishing, she excels at identifying compelling, community-driven conversations and elevating them into highly engaging narratives.

Sarrah brings a unique, narrative-focused approach to her journalism. Drawing on her professional background as a screenwriter and director, she has a sharp editorial eye for human conflict and motivation. This allows her to transform everyday online dilemmas and relationship dynamics into well-structured, empathetic stories that resonate deeply with readers.

As a dedicated remote professional, Sarrah uses her location independence to travel the world, bringing a diverse and exploratory perspective to her writing. When she isn't crafting stories, she can usually be found exploring a new city or working on her latest creative project.

Connect with Sarrah on Instagram and read her extended essays on Medium.