-1
Asked for a raise after 2 years, got a counteroffer I actually took
I worked at a marketing agency in Phoenix for two years without asking for anything. My manager kept saying the budget was tight, so I never pushed. Meanwhile, two juniors quit and I absorbed their work, which put me at about 55 hours a week. I finally sent a formal request for a 12% bump based on my extra load. They came back with 6% and an extra week of PTO, way less than I wanted. I took it because I was burnt out and the time off felt more useful than fighting for cash. But now I wonder if I sold myself short that day. Has anyone else accepted a lower raise because they added benefits to soften the blow?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
uma_johnson21d ago
Took a similar deal once and honestly it worked out better than I expected. The extra time off gave me room to actually recharge and come back with more energy, which made me more valuable later. Cash is great but burnout makes you sloppy and that hurts your leverage way more than a 6% raise. Plus now you know exactly what they think you're worth, so you can plan your next move with real info instead of guessing. Just keep documenting everything you do from here on out, so when you ask again you have receipts.
2
gavinw4521d ago
Read a study a while back that said most people who take the counteroffer instead of job hunting end up leaving within a year anyway, not because they got a bad deal, but because they finally see how the company values them. The real problem with your situation isn't the 6%, it's that they only gave you that after you brought receipts. Now you've got a year of PTO to think about whether you want to keep doing 55 hour weeks for a place that plays games like that. The extra week off is nice, but it doesn't change the fact that you did two people's jobs and they tried to lowball you. Use that time to update your resume and see what else is out there, even if you don't jump right away. At worst you'll know your market rate, and at best you'll find something that pays what you're actually worth.
2