Little backstory, I have 12+ years of experience in software development, business management, and digital marketing.
I used to work for a retail equipment distribution company – the business model was very simple, buy from liquidations at pennies on the dollar, refurbish, and sell it back to retailers.
My job was to rebuild and expand the e-commerce side of things.
My “boss” was a sales guy who had a very close relationship with the CEO. They created my position in order for my “boss” to get additional commissions off someone's hard work (me). This boss was the cheapest mofo i've seen in my life. We'd go to lunch and he'd have me paypal him ridiculous amounts like $5. Even while I increased sales by 600% I was never taken out to lunch on the company dime.
I started on a $60k salary with commissions, ended up doing about $80k my first year.
Review time comes around and my “boss” tells me that I've earned a 14% increase – not bad at all, I'll take it but the main issue was the environment was horrible. Backstabbing, unprofessionalism, just shady shit and this company has already been penalized by the DOL in the past for multiple violations. Keep in mind, I had 5 PTO's on my first year and it remained the same after the review… that's ridiculous.
It took me a while but when I realized that this “boss” was making more than I was off my hard work, I asked for another raise. This was on a friday, at 7pm that night I got a call saying I was being raised to $82k a year + commission. Great.
Even with this raise, I realized I still wasn't happy – shitty environment, abuse, high turnover rate, shitty pay for most people there, and having someone get commissions off my back felt like theft.
What pushed me over the edge was the Air conditioner broke in the middle of Florida summer. I told my “boss” that I couldn't even think straight as it was 80F in my office and no air flow – I was going to continue from home. He literally took a thermometer and put it on my desk and after 2 minutes said its 76F, that's nothing. 10 minutes later the thing was up at 80F so I took pictures and showed him, he ran to the office and took the thermometer back… lol yet he still refused to let me work from home where its more livable.
I literally told him to go fuck himself and walked out. Went home and never came back.
A week later I received a call from an old customer of mine and he sent me a project that was triple what my salary was at that old place. I ACCEPTED THE PROJECT – things went so well that they started referring me other people and now, my business is booming, I've got 3 staff that are well paid, can work on their own hours and from home. None of the bureaucratic bullshit, I'm all about results. You can work 2 hours a week as long as what I ask is done on time.
Being able to see things from the perspective of the employee allowed me to make changes within my own company. At the end of the day a business is about money, but without the employees there is no business. I hope more businesses catch on and start being fair.
Happy staff happy life.