Let me start off by saying that I love what I do. I may be lucky, but I actually enjoy working and solving problems.
I started working at the company in 2012. Over time, I worked my way up to being “the guy” for everything. I was involved in every single aspect of the company. As far as pay is concerned, I was taken care of, or so I thought. As the years went on, I've negotiated my salary and have gotten them, after many many conversations about it.
Then covid hit.
Everyone in the company was fired (not furloughed). This decision was made by me (together with each employee) because they would be able to collect unemployment, as well as the government kickback. All employees ended up making more than their current salaries. In addition, I hired them as “consultants” to do random jobs here and there (even though there was absolutely nothing to do). I would send them an excel sheet once a week and ask them to VLOOKUP something for me.
I was the only one in the company of 55 employees to remain employed and, since I was the only one in the office, I came into work every single day during covid and held down the fort.
Eventually, business started back up and everyone was rehired. My boss decided that he wanted to start coming to our office every day, and eventually close the main office. This is when shit hit the fan. Until then, I ran the show. Once he arrived, we started butting heads.
Fast forward to January of 2022. I was miserable. I was denied my promotion and pay raise. Instead, my boss hired a COO to oversee my work. I was deflated and insulted. However, the COO was great, so I decided to play ball and maybe learn from him. In addition, my boss was supposed to be out of the picture now that there was a buffer in between us. That was not the case. Nothing changed between he and I and we still went at it.
In February I decided that I was done. Since I was a key person at the company, I told my boss that I'm going to start looking for another job and that he should find a replacement. 5 days later I accepted an offer for 70% more than what I was making, a 401k, and health insurance and dental for my family and I! I was floored.
I gave my boss a month notice. Then I got covid. I was out for the required 5 days, then came back to work on day 6. I realized quickly that I was not back to normal, so I went back home for another five days. When I came back, my boss told me to ask my new company to delay my start date there by two weeks, since I wouldn't be giving him my full months worth of work. I laughed at his face and refused.
During this month, no one was hired as a replacement, and nothing was done to prepare for my departure. 2 days before my last day, I was given a huge list of requests. I told him that he had an entire month to get this from me, but waited until the absolute last minute.I ended up fulfilling maybe 5% of those requests because I was still running the company, and I didn't have the time. On my last day, I didn't even get a goodbye from him. Not a “thank you for ten years”. Nothing.
I took a month off for myself before starting the new position. Honestly, I was going a bit stir crazy after the first week.
I've been at this new company for a month now and I am so happy. I wake up in the morning and actually want to go to work again. I have a sense of purpose again.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is know your worth. I thought I was being paid handsomely and I was dead wrong. Sure, I was able to pay my bills, and save some money, but it turns out that I was just living within my means.
And I may get shit for this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Money isn't everything. Your health and happiness is more important. We can't go through life just plugging away until we die. It makes no fucking sense. Find a job you love, and be the best at it. And if you can't be the best, sabotage the dude who's better than you (that last part was a joke, please don't do that).
Side note: the COO from the previous company and i still talk on a daily basis. We've actually become friends and he's sort of mentoring me.
Side side note: this is a bit bittersweet, but I hear that everything at the previous company is falling apart. Apparently 80% of the employees quit after me, since I was the buffer between them and my boss.
Edit: lol typo. It's supposed to say a series of unfortunate events.