A 29-year-old Reddit user shared a dilemma after their boss offered them a $22,000 salary increase in exchange for agreeing not to pursue a promotion for at least another two years. The user questioned whether accepting the offer would affect their long-term career progression. The post, shared by u/Spiritual_Day_1828 on November 11, drew 454 comments at the time of publication.
The user began by describing the company's $22,000 offer to keep them from pursuing a promotion. The employee added that they had been specifically requested by a major client and initially thought it was a good thing, until it became a hurdle to their career advancement. “I've been an account manager for 4 years, and one of our biggest clients recently made it clear they only want to deal with me. Apparently, they're threatening to reconsider their contract if I'm moved to another position.”
The user said they had been working toward a senior management role for the past year and expected to be considered for the next opening. The employee further described being pulled aside by their boss and offered a $22,000 salary increase in exchange for staying in their current position for at least another two years. “No management responsibilities, no change in title, just more money to keep this client happy.”
The Reddit user further explained that they felt the only thing holding them back in their current role was being too valuable. They concluded the post by asking, “Would you take the money or push for the promotion? I'm 29 and worried this might screw up my career progression long term.”
One commenter advised the user to take the raise and thank their boss. Responding to this advice, another commenter added, “And get a contract that includes a retainer bonus for you agreeing to stay there for two years, and severance if they let you go before two years. They are asking for a commitment from you, so that should come with additional compensation.”
Another commenter suggested that two years would not derail the user's long-term career progression and questioned whether the $22,000 increase would bring their salary above what they would earn after a promotion. “Idk, sometimes being a manager isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If I could make the same as an individual contributor and not have to deal with managing people I’d do that in a heartbeat but ymmv.”
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the details of this post, which reflects only the account shared by u/Spiritual_Day_1828 on r/careerguidance.
