Due to covid, we lost >60% of existing employees. Naturally, those who stayed got more work. I ended up with more responsibilities and worked during late nights/weekends without pay.
I work between 3 different teams. This is tech development so you can imagine how painful it is shifting between 3 projects/code base. I also helped them interview dozens of candidates all of which will make significantly more than me.
Some time last year, I asked my manager and cc his manager for a meager raise but they push it aside claiming union does the negotiation. I know if I am valuable to them, they can pull strings. But i wasnt valuable to them until i put in my weeks. Fast forward to recently. I sent another email asking for the same. This time, it was meant for me to take action if there'sno response. As expected, there's no response. A month later, I put in my 2 weeks notice.
I spent 1.5 hours breaking the news to three different team leads. My manager started telling me how he always see potential in me and that he always knew I am valuable. (The same idiot that didn't know I exist half of the time and approved everyone's timesheet but mine before he went on vacation.) Not sure if he felt guilty or not, he came to my desk a couple times to empathize how he sees potential in me and that “those” people don't see it.
My manager and his manager are typical pension prisoners. Only care for themselves. They likely ignored my request and didn't propagate it upward. One of the team leads really liked me and he went above those two managers and directly to their boss. Their boss called me and asked me to stay. He said he will do anything. He will pull strings to give me a raise, offer OT pay, and wfh. I kindly rejected stating its a matter of principle since I gave my word to the new jobs hiring manager. I kept it cool and nice although inside me was bursting with anger and resentment for the years of hard work and dedication gone like this. Now I have to start all over in a new place.
Then the manager below him called me into his office for another futile attempt to make me stay. I told him I had requested twice in the past directly to my manager and himself for a meager raise that I well deserved and that it would have made me happier. He agrees and admits that he saw this coming. Then he apologizes.
Imagine they offered me all that when I asked, everyone would have been happy.