This might not be the most relatable content but here goes…
I'm a software developer, I do mobile. When covid hit my very small company (4 people) was having a rough time and the owner told me I'd better start looking. I found a new place quickly, they were a larger startup (100+) that only did web and ecommerce. As a mobile developer that was a red flag, but I was assured that mobile is part of the company's long term plan and they intend to start with a team of two (Android + iOS) and expand as soon as they have a product.
6 months later we had a product. Ready for sale. I am extremely proud of the work I did there. However, the front-end (web) team didn't do as good of a job and the company decided to put the mobile product on hold till the front-end team finish their end.
I was told I'm going to be joining new front-end team for a few weeks, till things get sorted out and more mobile work comes in. Three months later I'm informed that I am now permanently placed in the front-end team since the mobile product is on hold and no one knows when it'll resume development.
I was not ok with that. I have a career path planned out for myself, I hate working in JavaScript and the fact that I'm pushed and pulled like a resource in a computer game was really irritating me to. I asked to talk to the management and made three simple and very clear (written even) demands. No career progression as a JS developer, I prefer mobile work and I'm underpaid compared to what the market offers. Fix one of those issues and I'll stay, otherwise I have no reason to work there.
A week and a half later the CTO calls me in and asks me to tell me him what the issue is all about. I repeat what I want, why and how we got here. He nods. After a while he tells me I'm right but… He has no intention of doing anything on the subject. My career progressions is my own problem, there might be mobile in the future but no one knows when and pay raises are handled once a year, I've missed the one for 2021 and I won't get one till Q2 2022. But they will most definitely consider me for a pay raise in April of 2022. This was March 2021…
“So out of my three complaints you intend to handle none? If you are offering me nothing I'll just hand in my resignation.”
“Nothing? I'm offering you the satisfaction of working on a brand new product.”
“Thank you, I'll talk to my manager about when I'm leaving.”
“You can't, you owe us a month's notice according to your contact.”
“I have 15 days paid leave, I don't owe you a thing.”
It was not my proudest moment, I'm usually very none confrontational at work, but I'm happy I did what I did. Talking for former colleagues from there, they lost about 20% of their developers around that time and started bumping everyone's pay to stop the bleeding. The “pay is only talked about in Q2” policy went out the window when they started losing employees, obviously. So, yeah, stand up for yourselves, your career and don't be afraid to tell a manager you owe them nothing.