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Few things sour employee morale faster than finding out the rules aren’t the same for everyone.

One employee took the company’s message at face value when leadership announced there would be no raises or bonuses and said that everyone needed to sacrifice. So he took on extra tasks and did his part to keep costs down.

But things changed when he accidentally saw an internal document stating that a select few managers were receiving five-figure bonuses, and the rest of the team had been kept in the dark.

When he brought it up to his boss, he simply shrugged and told him that was just the way things were.

Keep reading for the full story.

Company froze all raises because of “tight budget” – then I found out executives got huge bonuses

Our team got an email two months ago saying there would be no raises or bonuses this year. Leadership kept repeating that money was tight and we all needed to sacrifice to keep the business running.

A lot of us took on extra work to help cut costs.

Soon, the employee learned the truth.

Last week, I accidentally saw an internal document. It listed six top managers receiving five-figure bonuses. No one on our team knew about it.

When I asked my manager about it, they brushed it off and said executive pay was a separate budget.

But the damage was already done for this employee.

It broke my trust completely. We were told to make sacrifices while they rewarded themselves. I don’t feel motivated to go above and beyond anymore.

Is this normal corporate garbage? Has anyone dealt with something similar?

Sounds like run-of-the-mill corporate greed.

What did Reddit have to say?

Executive’s “success” is built off exploited people.

This user doesn’t think it’s all doom and gloom.

Many executives are contractually entitled to this kind of money hoarding.

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If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a lifeguard who saves a child only to be confronted by parents angry about the paperwork.

This commenter shares their philosophy when it comes to work: Trust no one.

The managers here got paid, and the team got a lecture. It’s hard to read the story any other way.

Any employee would be indignant at this treatment, and no employee is required to funnel endless enthusiasm to their employer, especially when they’re not getting anything out of the exchange.

Management sent a powerful message to the people working for them. If effort doesn’t matter, why bother going above and beyond?

Apparently sacrifice only applies to the people lowest on the corporate totem pole.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.