I've been busting my balls for months outside of my job code because I stupidly trusted a verbal agreement for a promotion. I had communicated many times both verbally and through text what compensation I wanted and that I would decline if lowballed.
Long story short, I was lowballed and he berated me for declining the offer. “I can't believe that all you care about is money.”
Uh, yeah? Last I checked that's literally the only reason any human being wants to be employed.
The manipulation continued and he basically backpedaled on everything discussed in private with me, saying he doesn't see it fair for me to ask for more money and that I should be grateful for the opportunity. The pay offered for the promotion was sickeningly low, and I did the math and factoring in the OT I had been putting in recently, it wouldnt even be a pay increase!
He may be a terrible person for betraying my trust and stringing me along for months to extort me for free labor but I feel like such a knob for subjecting myself to this kind of situation. It's so shameful, and I feel so upset with both myself and him for undervaluing me so much. He budgeted a massive pay increase for himself and everyone else can go pound sand, I guess.
Anyone that reads this, please don't make the same mistake that I have. Stand up for yourself and don't trust verbal agreements – get everything in writing, because in the end… everyone is in it for themselves, and you don't want to allow yourself to get taken advantage of. There are always plenty of options out there.