One worker had a lesson for us all in knowing our worth in the workplace and demanding what we deserve. And sometimes it takes letting go of an old role and switching to another where you are more valued.
In a now-viral TikTok that has amassed over 359,300 views, user Ash B (@fromashwithlove) explained why she decided to leave a job that refused to give her the raise she believed she worked hard for.
“So I just had a meeting with my boss about accepting the new offer,” Ash said.
@fromashwithlovee they told me id have to switch departments if I wanted to get a promotion, and I took that seriously. #worklife #corporatelife #careertok ♬ original sound – Ash B
The content creator went on to say that her boss only began to understand her value after she received a job offer from another company. She said that management begged her to stay with empty words of affirmation—but refused to give her more money.
Ash said that her boss called her leaving “unfortunate,” in part, because Ash was “literally [their] top performer.”
In spite of this, Ash said that her job refused to promote her or give her more money.
“I’ve given you so much heads-up at this point and you literally told me that you were not going to be giving me any sort of promotion or extra pay to do the extra work that you wanted me to do,” she reportedly told her employer.
Even after making that point, Ash said that her boss continued to focus on the company’s needs.
“We don’t really know how to distribute the workload now,” Ash said her boss responded. “You were carrying so much on your shoulders.”
Then Ash said that her boss made an outrageous—and unexpected—request.
“We’re hoping that you could maybe do both,” the content creator said her employer requested. “We’re hoping you could do this and your new job.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” Ash concluded.
In the end, Ash said that her boss never offered her a raise. The Daily Dot has reached out to Ash for comment via her website’s contact form.
According to one study by Payscale, women of color are 19% less likely to have received a raise than a white man. The same study discovered that men of color are 25% less likely to receive a pay increase compared with their white male counterparts. Moreover, 33% of workers never receive an explanation or reason for not getting the raise they ask for.
In the comments section, many users shared their own raise-related stories and advice for how to deal with similarly uncomfortable scenarios.
“If ‘top performer’ does not translate to my pay then I’m going to perform elsewhere,” one user wrote.
“Never accept a counteroffer,” another said. “Don’t allow them to make you feel guilty. Business. Not personal.”
“Not. Your. Problem. Keep firm in your stance, you’re worth so much more,” a third viewer commented.
