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‘I hope shareholders are happy’: Manager loses ‘best engineer’ over ₹1.8 lakh
The manager claimed that the employee had years of experience and that his departure would create a “hole” in the team.
A manager's Reddit post about losing their "best engineer" over a $2,000 (approx. ₹1.8 lakh) raise has ignited a massive debate online regarding employee retention. Despite the company’s strong performance, a strict 1.5% salary increase cap was enforced across the board, leaving no room for negotiation. The team’s lead engineer, feeling insulted by the measly raise, promptly secured a new role with a 10% pay hike. The manager’s frustration is clear: to save a "peanut" amount, the company sacrificed a vital lead, leaving a massive hole in projects and specialised knowledge.
“My best engineer quit today over $2000,” a Reddit user wrote, adding, “It’s that time of the year again where we have performance reviews and salary increases. Despite the company doing well, we were only allowed a set 1.5% increase per employee no matter how well they did or didn’t do, with no room for negotiation. I brought this up to my director that it’s going to leave a sour taste in some mouths, but I was told I could not ask for more for my team.”
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The individual explained, “So today my best engineer quit. No notice, no explanation besides that he felt that 1.5% is an insult, so he started looking for jobs immediately and got one that will pay him about 10% more. I asked what would have made him feel valued and stayed and he said 3%, which is $2000 more overall than what he got. He was the lead on many projects and built a huge knowledge silo and custom workflows. All of that leaves with him. There’s a massive hole in my team.”
The manager expressed their frustration over the corporate’s decision, adding, “All over $2000… I hope the shareholders are happy.”
How did social media react?
An individual recalled, “When it happened to me ages ago, I refused the raise and quit a few weeks later. I was hired underpaid to 'prove myself,' did a great job, and was offered a whopping 1.5%. F**k you, man. No.” Another added, “1.5% is effectively a pay cut. Just to keep pace with inflation, it would have to be 3%; anything below that is a pay cut. We are probably 6-ish months out from the tech cycle getting really violent and companies getting hungry for talent again as AI projects collapse.”
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A third expressed, “My employer is doing the same thing, 1.4%. I told my boss, "It’s not so much the money; it’s the disrespect." At company town halls, we’re told we’re going great, best year ever, etc.” A fourth wrote, “Especially for a very skilled and motivated employee. Even 3% is an insult tbh. Companies need to start valuing their employees, who are the foundation of their success.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
