I worked for a major methadone clinic in the south from February of 2020 through September of 2020. During that time I took an entry level counseling job (I'm licensed) at $20 /hr. My son had just been born and the hours worked well for that stage of life (4:45am-1:15pm)
Being young and eager, I aimed to please and went from being entry level to overseeing meetings, trainings, and facilitating a federal grant (TECBOT) that ended up making the company just short of 1.5 Million (Yes, Million).
I busted my ass. I was raised that if you put in the work, it will be rewarded. I went to my boss at that time and explained how I'm barely making ends meet. My in-laws were graciously helping my wife and cover rent but every week we scraped by. I told her, given that I'd been responsible for overseeing the $1.5mil billed out, I felt I deserved a pay raise to at least $40. Given the contract work I was trying to build on the side billed at $115 an hour.
She said she'd take it to her boss, Richard (lol), and see. Fast forward a week and I get the news my raise was not approved, they couldn't justify it in the budget. I asked how that was possible given it was only .02 of what I'd helped bring in. She apologized and I resigned.
In my exit interview I wrote, “Here is my personal cell, I want the CEO to call me and I will explain how terrible a company he ran was.” Never got the call.
Bonus facts:
After taxes I think I made roughly $2560. (I wasn't taking any deductions).
We had a two-bedroom apartment that was roughly $1200 a month.
The insurance the company gave was almost $950 for a family of 3.
My electric bill was consistently $300 and the apartment complex told me I should just conserve more during the summer.
Bonus bonus: last February I was working out with some guys I hadn't met yet. Was talking about my work and some older guy starts spouting off that he knows more cause it's his company and they do it. I asked him which company he worked for was and wouldn't you know it? SleazyMethadoneRecordProfitsNoRaise is where he worked. I asked if he knew about the location that made over a million in treatment and he tells me proudly how the guy he supervises was in charge (Richard). I said, “Hi I'm the guy who made you that money and quit when you denied me the raise. Super satisfying.
I'll comment the company if I'm allowed. Just didn't want to break any rules.