Former job, I had to be the bearer of bad news to a team of 10+ employees that they all were not getting bonuses and no raises. I really fought upper management went directly to the CEO, who by the way all did get bonuses/raises. I got a raise and bonus as well probably to keep me complacent. This was one of our better profit years, so it made absolutely no sense to do a freeze.
So I decided since I couldn’t get anyone above to reason. I instead told my team it was bullshit and exactly why in each of there reviews, even though I was given a script and explicitly told not tell them more than that. I told them that they should start looking for a new jobs and I’ll help anyway I could. Told them honestly that this was probably a tactic to push some of them out without firing them and replace them with lower wage workers, I wasn’t told that but I knew.
Worst year of my life. I left as quickly as I could myself. When I left they offered me a significant raise to stay, they were literal villains so I obviously said no.
Some of my team unfortunately stuck it out and got fired over petty shit months after I left. 2 years later they were all gone and replaced with low wage college interns. I hated myself because I was their shield for over 10 years and finally lost, as soon as I was gone they had no one to fight for them.
I don’t know if there is a moral to this story, the bad guys technically won.
Guess a take away is unless your company is struggling and the management also takes cuts or freezes, no one below them should. Don’t stay.
Thanks, this helps to hear. Still eats me up inside. Unfortunately sometimes there is not always a reward for being good other than just not causing more pain.
You did everything you could in a shitty situation that you were powerless to fix; how does this weigh on your conscience?
If anything, I could see you holding on to rage that you were forced into this position. If that’s the case, then seek a psychologist who practices acceptance based therapy. It will really help you.
Regardless, I would wager none of your former teammates blame you for what happened. It’s clear from what little you have shared that you had their back the whole way.
Worst year of my life. I left as quickly as I could myself. When I left they offered me a significant raise to stay, they were literal villains so I obviously said no.
these types of people are the worst. I once went to quit a horrid job, and they offered me another persons job he had been promoted to, when I questioned it they said “well, its not official yet”. absolute monsters.
Some humans. I promise there are better people out there, I promise. Consider that very very few every get enough money to truly escape the rat race, anything that doesn’t fully lift you out of it permanently is only a stopgap, and the system is designed to pit your livelihood against others constantly our whole lives while also erasing education on alternative exits from the game than becoming rich, and that is already rigged.
That hasn’t been my experience with working class people, especially if they grew up poor. Most of us have a hole in our pocket and can’t help but spend and share when the good times come our way.
Because poorer folks rely more on cooperation (because they have to), I think that kind of inoculates them against the isolating affects of wealth (like “oh I don’t need a support network, I can just pay for help”). Poor people know that when their chips are down again, all that goodwill they sowed is better than money in the bank.
The moral is that at most places you should completely disregard the company as a necessary evil to getting paid, pushing product, and meeting cool people.
From an employee level the contacts you make are the most important thing. They form a subculture within, and eventually between companies, all under their noses.
Former job, I had to be the bearer of bad news to a team of 10+ employees that they all were not getting bonuses and no raises. I really fought upper management went directly to the CEO, who by the way all did get bonuses/raises. I got a raise and bonus as well probably to keep me complacent. This was one of our better profit years, so it made absolutely no sense to do a freeze.
So I decided since I couldn’t get anyone above to reason. I instead told my team it was bullshit and exactly why in each of there reviews, even though I was given a script and explicitly told not tell them more than that. I told them that they should start looking for a new jobs and I’ll help anyway I could. Told them honestly that this was probably a tactic to push some of them out without firing them and replace them with lower wage workers, I wasn’t told that but I knew.
Worst year of my life. I left as quickly as I could myself. When I left they offered me a significant raise to stay, they were literal villains so I obviously said no.
Some of my team unfortunately stuck it out and got fired over petty shit months after I left. 2 years later they were all gone and replaced with low wage college interns. I hated myself because I was their shield for over 10 years and finally lost, as soon as I was gone they had no one to fight for them.
I don’t know if there is a moral to this story, the bad guys technically won.
Guess a take away is unless your company is struggling and the management also takes cuts or freezes, no one below them should. Don’t stay.
You’re a good manager and human. Good for you for going to fucking bat for your team
Thanks, this helps to hear. Still eats me up inside. Unfortunately sometimes there is not always a reward for being good other than just not causing more pain.
You did everything you could in a shitty situation that you were powerless to fix; how does this weigh on your conscience?
If anything, I could see you holding on to rage that you were forced into this position. If that’s the case, then seek a psychologist who practices acceptance based therapy. It will really help you.
Regardless, I would wager none of your former teammates blame you for what happened. It’s clear from what little you have shared that you had their back the whole way.
Integrity like that is rare.
This is why we need more unions.
10000%
What industry is this?
Graphic design.
these types of people are the worst. I once went to quit a horrid job, and they offered me another persons job he had been promoted to, when I questioned it they said “well, its not official yet”. absolute monsters.
That’s the problem with humans, when given more they do not redistribute, instead they grow greedier.
I consider myself a proud misanthrope, not because I admit to cruelty on my part, but because I recognize it in too many humans.
Some humans. I promise there are better people out there, I promise. Consider that very very few every get enough money to truly escape the rat race, anything that doesn’t fully lift you out of it permanently is only a stopgap, and the system is designed to pit your livelihood against others constantly our whole lives while also erasing education on alternative exits from the game than becoming rich, and that is already rigged.
That hasn’t been my experience with working class people, especially if they grew up poor. Most of us have a hole in our pocket and can’t help but spend and share when the good times come our way.
Because poorer folks rely more on cooperation (because they have to), I think that kind of inoculates them against the isolating affects of wealth (like “oh I don’t need a support network, I can just pay for help”). Poor people know that when their chips are down again, all that goodwill they sowed is better than money in the bank.
The moral is that at most places you should completely disregard the company as a necessary evil to getting paid, pushing product, and meeting cool people.
From an employee level the contacts you make are the most important thing. They form a subculture within, and eventually between companies, all under their noses.