For many workers, asking for a raise is a nerve-racking moment. For one Reddit user, it became the breaking point. In a post shared on r/work, a warehouse and sales employee asked fellow users whether they had overreacted by quitting their job the same day they requested a pay raise, after what they described as a sudden and dramatic shift in how management treated them.
According to the post, the employee had been handling four roles alone since the start of their employment: inside sales, warehouse operations, shipping and fulfillment, and administrative work. There was no team, just one person running the entire operation.
Despite the workload, the employee said they were paid $15 an hour plus commission, with no benefits. Management, however, consistently praised their performance. “At the Christmas party they told me I was perfect for the role and I was the best person they’d had in the job,” the worker wrote, adding that no performance issues had ever been raised.
Also Read: Boss earning $450,000 offers employee salary below child’s school fees; worker says she feels like a ‘slave’ after frequent 90-hour weeks
The situation changed when the employee asked for a raise to $20 an hour while keeping commission, citing the scope of work they were handling. Shortly afterward, they received an email that reframed the request as being driven by childcare costs, something the worker says they never mentioned. Management also cited declining sales and operational issues, problems the employee claims had existed before they were hired or had never been raised previously.
“These ‘concerns’ appeared only after I asked for higher pay,” the user wrote. The company then asked what pay rate the employee would accept without commission or bonuses, still offering no benefits, and closed by asking how soon the employee would leave if the raise couldn’t be approved.
Initially, the worker planned to give two weeks’ notice. But after sitting with the email, they said the stress response was immediate and physical. “Feeling betrayed and threatened,” they decided to make that day their last.
While they had another job lined up, the user said they had wanted to stay, until the raise request changed everything.
The response from Reddit commenters was overwhelmingly supportive. One user wrote, “After they turned down your request for $20 per hour and denigrated your work, I do not believe you would have enjoyed working there anymore. You did the right thing. They MADE you move on.”
Another commenter framed it as a failed negotiation tactic: “They were calling your bluff. You called their bluff. Well done.” Others focused on the pay disparity, pointing out that similar or higher wages were being offered for far less responsibility.
While most commenters agreed the worker was being taken advantage of, the post raises a broader issue many employees face: When does negotiating cross into disrespect, and when is walking away the healthiest option?
According to the post, the employee had been handling four roles alone since the start of their employment: inside sales, warehouse operations, shipping and fulfillment, and administrative work. There was no team, just one person running the entire operation.
Despite the workload, the employee said they were paid $15 an hour plus commission, with no benefits. Management, however, consistently praised their performance. “At the Christmas party they told me I was perfect for the role and I was the best person they’d had in the job,” the worker wrote, adding that no performance issues had ever been raised.
From top performer to same-day exit. (Image: Reddit)
Also Read: Boss earning $450,000 offers employee salary below child’s school fees; worker says she feels like a ‘slave’ after frequent 90-hour weeks
A raise request and a sudden tone shift
The situation changed when the employee asked for a raise to $20 an hour while keeping commission, citing the scope of work they were handling. Shortly afterward, they received an email that reframed the request as being driven by childcare costs, something the worker says they never mentioned. Management also cited declining sales and operational issues, problems the employee claims had existed before they were hired or had never been raised previously.
“These ‘concerns’ appeared only after I asked for higher pay,” the user wrote. The company then asked what pay rate the employee would accept without commission or bonuses, still offering no benefits, and closed by asking how soon the employee would leave if the raise couldn’t be approved.
From two weeks’ notice to same-day exit
Initially, the worker planned to give two weeks’ notice. But after sitting with the email, they said the stress response was immediate and physical. “Feeling betrayed and threatened,” they decided to make that day their last.
While they had another job lined up, the user said they had wanted to stay, until the raise request changed everything.
Reddit weighs in: ‘They forced you out’
The response from Reddit commenters was overwhelmingly supportive. One user wrote, “After they turned down your request for $20 per hour and denigrated your work, I do not believe you would have enjoyed working there anymore. You did the right thing. They MADE you move on.”
Another commenter framed it as a failed negotiation tactic: “They were calling your bluff. You called their bluff. Well done.” Others focused on the pay disparity, pointing out that similar or higher wages were being offered for far less responsibility.
Overburdened and underpaid: a modern workplace story. (Reddit Image)
While most commenters agreed the worker was being taken advantage of, the post raises a broader issue many employees face: When does negotiating cross into disrespect, and when is walking away the healthiest option?
