Burner for *waves hands* reasons…
Years ago, 1st “career” job, I worked at a marketing agency that underpaid me so I went to the Director to ask for a raise.
I had automated a reporting problem that saved several hundred thousand dollars a year, which they recognized me for with an award in front of the company but no compensation. I did this on nights and weekends to help my coworker who had to do the report on his Sunday’s until I automated it.
I also created a process to resolve a PR crisis that happened to a global brand you all would know, that became an industry best practice that Google still uses.
I thought this would justify a raise from $46k to like… $52k? I dunno, I was a young adult.
The director said “they couldn’t afford the raise but he would see what he could do” even after I made points about my value.
I told him, against the advice of my dad, that if I didn’t get a raise in 3 months to the day I would quit.
2 months later, something happened with a client that required working late and the weekend so my manager asked me to stay in front of the director and a bunch of employees, and I said “sorry you don’t pay me enough and I haven’t gotten my raise” so I left.
Couple of jaws dropped and my manager talked to me Monday, but I told him I would do it again and outlined why. He was/is a good guy, but good didn't get me paid what I should be paid.
On the day of 3 months, I went in there and quit.
I had met a guy that wanted to hire me for almost double my salary (blew my mind).
When I told the director I quit, he said he could give me a raise and asked what it was… I was livid.
I know now he could have given me the raise day 1, but he didn’t want to because he was compensated on the P&L margins (keeping wages low for non business speak folk).
Payback… a couple years later I started an agency. Years after that, I sold it for millions of dollars.
Probably never would have happened if I didn’t quit and tbf, he wasn't an asshole.
Side note: As the CEO I would always say “if you want above average employees, pay them above average” and we always did. Plus, full healthcare and be an actual human being to the employees.
TLDR: Quit and ended up a millionaire.