She Worked Extra Hours All Year For A Promised Raise, So She Was Stunned When Her Boss Cut The Budget And Gave Her Half Of A New Hire’s Workload
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Some managers pay in praise, and some pay in empty promises.
An employee was told by her boss that if she kept hitting her targets, a raise would follow, and she took him at his word.
She covered extra hours, urgent requests, and messy projects that were never her job, all without complaint.
But when it came time for her boss to make good on his end of the bargain, he flatly informed her the budget had been cut.
In the same breath, he told her to train a new hire and take over half of their workload, and called it “good experience” when she asked about pay.
Read on — this one will make your blood boil.
Manager promised me a raise 6 months ago, now says no budget but dumps new hire’s work on me
I had a check-in with my manager back in April. He told me if I kept hitting all my targets, I’d get a raise by October.
So this employee did everything they could to meet these lofty goals.
I worked extra hours, covered last-minute urgent tasks, and even helped fix multiple messy projects that weren’t originally my job. I never complained because I trusted his word.
But of course, when it was time for the boss to fulfill his end of the bargain, the story had changed.
This week, I asked about the raise. He sighed and said the department budget got cut, so there’s no money for pay increases this year.
I was disappointed but tried to stay calm.
Of course, the employee wasn’t off the hook.
Then he immediately followed up: since we just hired a new person, I need to train them and take over half of their workload on top of my existing duties.
When the topic of remuneration came up, the boss had yet another disappointing response.
I asked if there would be any extra compensation for this added work. His reply was just, “It’s team responsibility, this is good experience for you.”
So basically, no raise, more work, and “experience” is supposed to pay my bills. I feel so used. My coworkers told me this happens every year around budget season here.
Has anyone dealt with this before? How do you push back politely without risking your position?
“Experience” doesn’t pay the bills, dude.
Redditors chime in with their thoughts.
Sometimes working smarter means heading for the door.
This commenter talks a big game.
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This user had a very similar experience in their workplace.
Standing up for yourself is difficult when your livelihood is on the line, but this commenter makes it sound easy.
This employee did everything the deal required and got handed a bigger workload as her bonus.
A manager who dangles a raise, collects a year of extra effort, and then blames the budget has been spending her goodwill like it was free. But that’s not an ethical way to run a business.
She’s right to feel used, and maybe this job is more trouble than it’s worth.
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