I was laid-off from a big tech company last year and had been working odd-job & bartending to make it by and finally got a job in IT… making much less that a previously had been. The pay range was $20-$25, they offered $21 but considering I had applicable experience, I countered at $24, also noting that the pay did not match the high cost of living in the city I worked in. They countered back that they would give me a $1-$2 raise at a 90-day review based on performance. Two and a half months in my manager said he had good news, I wouldn’t have to wait for my raise, I would get a 3% increase…. This equates to around 60 cents an hour. I later found out this was a department wide cost of living raise that everyone in my position received. I expressed my disappointment and that this did not align with the signed agreement in my offer letter. He responded: “we don’t always get what we want”. I wasn’t asking for something I wanted, I was asking for something in a signed contract both parties has agreed to. You know what I did? I went and got another job with better benefits and even better pay. I will get what I want, whether it be here or at another company. I don’t get where these companies get off treating their employees like this. Jobs are sparse but I’m not gonna stick around and work for liars.