‘Got 7%, others got 13%’: Employee stops working after getting lower hike than teammates, Reddit weighs in

Got 7%, Others Got 13%: Employee’s Discontent Sparks Reddit Debate

Got 7 others got 13 – Salary increments can be a point of contention in professional settings. A recent post on Reddit, shared by a user named “WastedTalents1,” has ignited discussions about how an employee’s dissatisfaction with a smaller raise than colleagues impacted their work performance.

Unequal Raises and Declining Output

The post, posted on the DevelopersIndia subreddit, details a situation where a colleague received a 7% raise while the rest of the team, including the poster, got 13%. The user explained that after annual performance reviews, the team began comparing raises during individual meetings, leading to a sense of unfairness.

“So I have this colleague who got like 7% hike this year and most other folks (me included) from the team got around 13% and this information spread pretty quickly among the team members,” the user wrote.

According to the poster, the colleague had faced challenges with tasks before the appraisal cycle, often requiring extra time to grasp new skills. They also mentioned that the employee had been previously caught in delays on assigned projects.

“So now that they reached the ‘Find out’ stage of ‘f*ing around’, their efficiency has cratered, like if they used to do 6 tasks in a day, now they just do 2, and are constantly with ‘away’ status on teams like 6hrs out of 9hrs they are away,” the user added.

The situation, the poster claimed, is now affecting the team’s ability to meet client demands. “But the team still has to be answerable to clients and the leadership and I have had to pick up their slack since last week,” they noted.

Reddit’s Take: Let Managers Handle It

The post quickly gained attention, with many users suggesting that the issue should be resolved internally by management. One commenter stated, “It’s none of your business. Your manager is getting paid to manage the work. If you are getting overloaded, just talk to your manager rather than posting here like a saviour hero.”

Several others advised against taking on the colleague’s workload. “Don’t Sacrifice Your Time And Energy,” a user wrote, highlighting the importance of maintaining personal boundaries. They shared an experience where a co-worker’s underperformance led to a discovery that the colleague had planned to resign and pursue studies without prior notice.

“In workplace, you hardly have real friends, don’t sacrifice your time and energy for someone unless you think they are really worth it,” the commenter concluded.

Alternative Approaches Recommended

Some users suggested a more measured response. “Just try to keep working on your stuff and ignoring/gently pushing back on the extra workload. The person will eventually get pip’ed anyway. Not worth it to snitch on someone or try to make it obvious about them not working,” another user noted.

Others emphasized that the poster should only intervene if the colleague’s behavior directly hindered their own work. “Unless their productivity is affecting your ability to deliver, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just call it out and don’t invest any more time and effort into it unless you’re genuinely concerned about them as a person,” one comment read.

Pragmatic Advice on Handling the Situation

A few Redditors took a balanced approach, recommending that the employee subtly inform management about the issue. “Listen man, it doesn’t matter if you are on good terms with anyone, this is corporate. No one is paying you extra to shoulder anyone’s responsibility. The only thing I would recommend is that you point your colleague’s behaviour to your management, but not in a very blunt way but in a very subtle way,” one user advised.

They suggested using strategic communication to navigate office dynamics without causing friction. “Play some mind games and a little bit of office politics,” the commenter added, highlighting the need for tact in professional environments.