‘They want me for $20K’: Workplace tells man to get another job offer before they can give him a raise. It backfires
In hopes of getting a raise at his current job, an employee was encouraged to interview for jobs elsewhere to see how much more he could negotiate in pay. He ended up getting a more than $20,000 boost in salary.
TikTok user Jonathan Moss (@thejonathanmoss) shared in a recent video posted on Feb. 17 that his boss wanted Moss to prove that other companies were offering the salary he was requesting. "I did, and this is malicious compliance,” Moss said.
According to the software company SelectHub, “malicious compliance is an intentional act of causing outrage by following the orders of a superior knowing the result will be negative.” As of Tuesday evening, Moss’ video received more than 1 million views.
The Daily Dot reached out to Moss via email for further comment.
Throughout the video, Moss doesn’t reveal exactly what industry he works in or his official title. However, he said he was essential to his company because of all of the programs he created while there. He started off the video by stating that he received a poor increase in salary in December.
“It would have put me at the lowest market value point for my job, which is about $4,000 more than I’m getting paid now,” Moss said in the video.
After receiving the sub-par raise, Moss said he spent three months interviewing for other jobs, and he ended up nabbing a few offers: one that would’ve been $2,000 above his current pay and another that would’ve raised his pay by $6,000. The third offer ended up being the most impressive—$20,000 above his current pay. Impressed with his offers, Moss said he informed his boss, asking for a $25,000 increase.
"I had no intention in quitting,” Moss said. “My job is close to where I live. I’ve been here long enough to have enough friends and co-workers which I like. I like my manager. I like my bosses. I like what I do and where I do it at. Will I take the job at the other place? probably not. But they didn’t know that.”
Moss revealed that he eventually ended up getting help with his job but was perplexed that his company found money for a new hire but not to give him the original $4,000 raise he requested. In the end, things still ended up working out, Moss said, and he received a $21,000 pay increase.
"And for anybody that will ask, if they do fire me, I still have other job ready to go,” Moss said.
@thejonathanmoss ♬ original sound - jonmosslol
Harvard Business Review reported that nabbing an offer outside your current job can familiarize you with the standard pay in your industry.
Some commenters on Moss’s video were perplexed as to why he did not take the job with the $20,000 offer.
“Accept the new job tomorrow. If you wait too long, they’ll choose someone else,” user Emily (@user5194627184843). “Once you’re signed, quit your current job. Do not train the new guy.”
“Always take the offer and quit,” user Taylor (@bigbabytaytay) said. “Don’t stick with a company that you have to basically extort to see career progress from."
“He bought to get fired as soon as the trainee is trained,” user @librapower1965 said. “They playing in his face.”
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