10 employees asked for a fair raise, when HR refused they had the perfect response

When employees give their best to a company, they expect fair compensation and respect in return. But when a group of ten workers was denied a raise and the basic amenities they needed, they decided to take a stand. Their story, shared by u/UnoriginallyGeneric on Reddit, highlights the power of collective action—and how standing up for your worth can lead to something better.

"Unlike many industries, we never shuttered during COVID."

— @UnoriginallyGeneric

During the pandemic, while many industries shut down, this workplace remained operational. The employee explained how they and their team worked tirelessly to keep things running smoothly, ensuring that no one caught COVID by being diligent with safety protocols.

"We kept everyone throughout the pandemic. What's more, nobody caught COVID during the time due to, well, due diligence on our part, as well as having a COVID immunization clinic that came to our door," they said.

Reddit

Despite their commitment, they soon realized something unfair was happening—while office staff had negotiated raises to work from home, the workers who had to be on-site every day were left behind.

"Gas became more expensive, and we still have to come in. Why aren't we allowed a sizeable raise?"

— @UnoriginallyGeneric

They pointed out that sales staff only had to come in twice a month for half a day, HR showed up at most twice a week, and their accounts payable/receivable colleague hadn’t been in the office in two years. Yet these employees received pay increases while the essential workers who kept everything running did not.

HR dismisses their concerns

Frustrated, the group approached HR to demand fair pay and better working conditions. They emphasized that motivated employees were crucial to keeping operations running smoothly. But HR’s response was shockingly out of touch.

One HR representative even questioned why they couldn't use a non-functioning forklift instead of repairing it—clearly unaware of how essential equipment actually worked.

Reddit

When the workers pressed for a raise, HR claimed there simply wasn’t enough money. But as the lead shipper and receiver, u/UnoriginallyGeneric knew exactly how much the company made and where the money was going.

"We left the meeting, not a dollar richer, and even more frustrated."

— @UnoriginallyGeneric

A better offer comes along

However, the worker had an ace up their sleeve. A friend from high school had recently been promoted to VP of logistics at another company and mentioned they were staffing a new warehouse.

After discussing numbers, the friend offered employment contracts to all ten workers—matching everything they had asked for but had been denied.

"We started to discuss numbers, and after a week he was able to offer the ten of us employment contracts for everything we all asked for but was denied," they shared.

With job offers in hand, convincing the team was easy. Within a day, everyone signed and drafted their two-week notice letters.

HR panics, but it's too late

Once HR realized they were losing their entire logistics team, they panicked. Suddenly, they were willing to grant everything the employees had asked for.

But the workers were done. "Eventually, [HR] panicked and offered me basically everything we asked for, but we declined and said that we were done," the employee said.

"We declined and said that we were done."

— @UnoriginallyGeneric

Their decision was met with applause from fellow Reddit users, who admired their professionalism and teamwork.

u/expressionkeeper commented, "My old manager tried to do that 'I don’t accept your resignation' BS, and she had the audacity to deny me full-time benefits, no wonder so many people left during my short time there. Glad I was able to join them."

"You took care of your team! I hope this next job is much better!"

— @NocuturnalRob

The story serves as a powerful reminder: If you're being undervalued at work, you have the right to walk away—and sometimes, a better opportunity is just around the corner.