HR Refused My Promised Raise—So I Pulled a Move No One Saw Coming
Workplace stories often remind us how complicated fairness, effort, and recognition can be. Many people push themselves hard, hoping their dedication will finally pay off, only to face unexpected obstacles. Recently, a reader reached out to Bright Side with a personal experience that reflects exactly this struggle.
Here’s Mark’s letter:
Hi Bright Side,
HR promised me a “performance-based” raise. So I pushed myself to the edge for an entire year—extra hours, skipped lunches, late nights, no breaks. My boss even called my work “outstanding.” I thought I was finally going to be recognized.
Evaluation day came.
Raise: 0%.
The reason?
“Sorry, you’re already at the top of your pay range.”
That was the moment it hit me: the promise had just been bait to keep me grinding. I felt exploited. But I smiled, nodded politely... and quietly began planning my own kind of payback.
Three months later, HR froze when they found out I’d been secretly leaving work an hour and a half early every single day for the last quarter. My salary stayed the same, but I cut my actual working time by almost 20%.
The wildest part?
No one noticed because my workload was always done early, my output was higher than everyone else’s, and half the team relied on me so heavily that they assumed I was “somewhere in a meeting” whenever they didn’t see me. The department was running smoothly, so my absence didn’t create any disruptions at all.
Meanwhile, in all those liberated hours, I was interviewing. And not casually—strategically. Within three months, I secured a position with a significantly higher salary and a healthier environment.
Now HR has finally noticed my early departures because my boss suddenly needed me for a last-minute project, couldn’t find me, and pulled my time-log records to check where I’d been. That’s when they realized the pattern and escalated it.
But here’s the twist:
While they’re gearing up for a confrontation, my resignation letter is already printed, signed, and waiting on their desk.
Now that everything is set in motion, I keep wondering: Did I do the right thing, or did I let the frustration push me too far? A part of me feels justified... but another part worries I might have crossed a line. I’d genuinely appreciate your perspective—was this a fair response to an unfair system, or should I have handled it differently?
—Mark
You did the right thing and you did it the right way. You got royally screwed. So you took 7.5 hours a week for 12 weeks. Kinda like taking an xtra 2.5 weeks vacation fair trade. Either way you won they lost forget the guilt. They forced your hand.
At the top of my pay you say? Damn well shame im going on a lower their of work. If a company won't pay you more. No reason to stay
yes you did the right thing I say the harder you work the higher the reward Retired Rob
Since when does HR have ANYTHING to do with promotions or pay increases, lol!!!!!!
Since forever. Managers do evaluations & HR determines your compensation based on your review.
Depending on the size of the company, nearly everything. They set the pay bands with finance/comptroller. They set how many positions of a particular title there is. HR is basically the hatchet women of the corporate world and damn near have as much power as anyone in the company.
I always find it interesting when someone is wrong and laughs at something..HR has everything to do with pay. Log off
Sometimes you have to do what's right for you cause the company is going to do what's right for them and not blink an eye about it but be careful about burning bridges that you may have to cross again.
I don't know if people gravitate in a different world or even dimension when they have been laid off at a late stage in your life when you can't retire just yet. All these stories seem so inconsequential now. I struggled to find a job in my profession in over a year of what I could call a strategic, deliberate and well prepared search plan (which included pivoting to another area I was also tapping into and what's giving me some hope of continued employment in what I am interested in not just a survival job), with no results so far. So, I guess when you have been a dedicated over performer your entire work life not missing work one day without justifiable reason and on top of that waiting for that juicy bonus that you were expecting to get for having exceeded your goals and what you get is your termination letter with your legally binding package... Everything else seems so inconsequential. Good luck.
It literally has nothing to do with actual performance or skills. It's all about perception and politics. Most people I have seen being promoted were far from being the best performers. They were, however, masters of managing how leaders perceived them, all while being some of the least productive members of their team.
I feel you should have been more brutal as you have left lost one year which is very sig idicant amount of time
Why are you even slightly worried about your past employer? You have a new employer. Start fresh. Remember this lesson you learned from your previous employer. Their job is to get as much out of you for the least amount of money. Any promises your boss makes need to be clear and in writing.
You did it right 👍
While things might vary by country, here are some questions that suggest this story might be fake:
1. Why is HR promising a raise instead of the manager?
2. Wouldn't people notice the early departures?
3. How can the manager find out where you are from time logs?
4. By 'time logs', don't you mean login/logout times because time logs are different. They record time spent on a task and are maintained by individuals for their personal use, not for others to pull up.
5. Why is the resignation letter printed and not emailed?
6. Finally, why the doubt? They made you work more for lesser than they promisd. So, you paid them back with less work.
Here in the U.S. Managers do evaluations & HR determines your compensation based on your review.
I absolutely feel you did the right thing. Well done you. You know what they say, "work smarter not harder". You were already working to capacity. Now you worked smarter. You didn't let anyone down all your work was completed.
Had you not worked smarter, you would have let yourself down...nobody should do that.
So pleased you got a new job ,with a pay pack worthy of you. The other company didn't deserve you and now they know why. Haha. Well done.
Employers don't care about you and its weird how this culture of 'did i do the right thing with my employer' needs to go away...orgs will always choose profit over people..yall need to act your wage
No, you did the right thing. Especially if the raise was either in your contract or they baited you with it at the beginning and throughout the year. Companies have no loyalty. Take them for what their worth especially when they'll drop you at
slightest inconvenience to them.
you weren’t “exploited” , you misunderstood how pay bands work. No company is obligated to reward someone just because they voluntarily overworked themselves. If your absence didn’t disrupt anything, that just proves you weren’t as essential as you thought. Leaving early without approval? Yeah, HR has every right to escalate that!
You literally egg. Pay band's? LOL they told him they were giving him a riase then waited until performance review to tell them they were at "the top of their pay," you just wasted mine and your time. You sound like an egg.
As far as I understand, the company promised a performance-based raise to the entire department, not specifically to Mark. In his case, HR clearly explained that he’s already at the top of his pay range, so the raise simply doesn’t apply to him. And please Nichole don’t call me names I’m just trying to share my point of view here!
You sound like a twatt - of course he was exploited because he was promised something knowing they would not follow through - most people have no idea if a salary band
You most definitely did the right thing! You have your security and your future to worry about! And it sounds like they were taking you for granted. You will be sorely missed at that job
So you still worked your ass off AND found a better gig. Move on and be happy. Or do you think that they will appreciate you suddenly and beg you to stay? Know your worth AND VALUE. They need you, but you don't need them.
Thank you, Mark, for sending us your story. Here are 4 pieces of advice that may help you look at the situation from different angles.
Reflect on Boundaries, Not Blame.
Your reaction came from a place of exhaustion and feeling misled, which would push almost anyone toward a breaking point. Instead of judging yourself harshly, think about why the situation got so out of control in the first place. You went far beyond reasonable limits because you trusted a promise that wasn’t honored.
Now you have the chance to set better work boundaries in your new job, so you never reach this level of burnout again. Treat the experience as a lesson in self-protection, not self-punishment.
Understand the System You Were Up Against.
Many companies use phrases like “performance-based raise” loosely, without considering the real impact on their employees. You weren’t dealing with a personal enemy—you were dealing with a broken system that rewarded loyalty with limits instead of growth.
Your quiet early departures were a response to that imbalance, not an attack. The fact that the department still ran smoothly shows how much they relied on you, even without acknowledging it. Recognizing this can help you release guilt and understand your reaction in context.
Close the Chapter With Confidence.
Well I agree with your position what you did was inappropriate and violated company policy and you could be terminated for that before they acknowledge your letter of resignation and they could easily adapt paperwork to predate your letter and that might follow you around depending on your industry. Essentially you established the pattern of job abandonment regardless of what you thought was right or wrong you did wrong it doesn't matter what the company did you broke the rules and you potentially could have suffer serious issues as a result. Depending on your state they could demand back pay for all those missed hours. They could discipline you they could make life hell they could take you to court because essentially you took over three month period roughly 115 hours of pay which is almost 1.5 paychecks. Depending on your pay you could face some serious legal issues and fines and penalties because no matter what they did nothing justifies you stealing company time and falsification of records.
You already secured a better job, which shows your skills and value were never the issue. At this point, it’s healthier to focus on the future rather than replaying the unfair treatment you received. HR may confront you, but you hold the advantage because your resignation is already prepared.
Keep the conversation calm and professional, so you leave on a strong, dignified note. Closing the door cleanly will help you walk into your next role without lingering frustration.
Choose the Kind of Professional You Want to Be.
While your strategy was clever and understandable, now is a good time to think about what kind of workplace identity you want going forward. Acting from frustration is human, but acting from purpose is stronger in the long run.
In your new job, consider using transparency and firm communication instead of silent protests when something feels unfair. These choices build long-term confidence and respect, both from others and from yourself. Let this experience shape a better version of your professional self rather than a more defensive one.
Anyone can snap when expectations keep growing and personal limits are ignored.
I Refused to Cover for a ‘New Mom’ Coworker—HR Got Involved
Comments
Their bad. Move on bc they obviously don't appreciate your hard work. Every employee should be told ahead of time what the pay scale is for their position and how, if any, you can advance
Terri. Corporations are only a collection of people. Not all people are only for themselves, although often we are are. Not honoring an increase and losing a star performer is not in the company interest. HR is often not strategic and prioritizes policy. Did they know of the promised increase and deliberately ignore it? Was a bonus a solution? Should the ranges be adjusted? By not voicing concerns Mark missed a leadership opportunity. HR might not know they screwed up. The boss also may not know, or did not want to oppose HR because he was having his own challenges with some other situation. The boss might have shifted priorities for Mark. They lost a good performer and Mark lost an opportunity to advocate for himself. Then if the company did not fix it, Mark would not be asking if he did the right thing.
Well, they lied to you to get you to work your butt off for nothing. Once they found out what you were doing they were going to fire you anyway, so your Bridges with them are burned.
The bottom line is the employer lied, and if they put it in writing, that's evidence that can be taken to your labor board!! They DON'T like employers screwing over employees, ESPECIALLY if a bonus had been promised but not delivered! The employer would then have to answer some VERY hard questions, and heads will have to roll (supervisor and/or manager)! But good job knowing your worth by getting hired elsewhere with better pay!
You absolutely did the right thing!
Related Reads
My DIL Excluded Me From Gender Reveal Party, Saying I’m "Not Family"—Big Mistake
I Refuse to Let My Stepdaughter Wear My Wedding Dress and Everyone Took Her Side
My Family Demands I Give Up My First Home — Because My Sister Is Pregnant
11 Stories That Remind Us Kindness Matters Most When Life Feels Heavy
I Refused to Pay for My Girlfriend’s Family Dinner and Her Reaction Caught Me Off Guard
Mom Decided to Exclude Me From the Inheritance—So I Exposed My Brother’s Secret
I Refuse to Let My Husband Control Me, I Earn the Money, So It’s My Rules
I Chose My Cat Over My Stepson—Now Everyone Says I’m the “Wicked Stepmother”
15 Times Kindness Proved It’s Still the Strongest Force on Earth
22 People Who Found a Hidden Treasure Where They Least Expected It
My Husband’s Wedding Speech Was Meant to Be Romantic—It Became My Wake-Up Call Instead
I Refuse to Sleep Under the Same Roof as My Stepson — My Daughter’s Safety Comes First
