Employee denied raise and told they're replaceable after becoming sole engineer on a project, costs the company big when they quit: '$500,000 and two years of productivity over a $40,000/yr raise'

The proverb "A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush" postulates that you're better off with what you have or are able to get now rather than what you might be able to get in the future. The reason being here is that certainty is everything, and things that might happen also just might not. When it comes to compensation at work, the same rule applies. Why agree to take on increased responsibility with the promise of more pay on delivery of the project when it's probably more likely you'll be laid off at the end of the project than actually paid fairly?

While working for an emergency telecommunications company, this worker fell into the all-too-common trap of taking on additional work with the promise that it would eventually lead to more pay. Spoiler alert: It didn't. With the proverbial carrot dangling indefinitely in front of them, they took on more work, becoming the sole engineer on an important project after the other engineer working with them left the company. With their increased responsibility in hand, they approached the CEO of the company asking for a $40,000 raise and were told they would receive it once the project had been delivered.