Store employee quit after learning a newcomer made $3 more an hour and her manager refused to match it — his response proved she made the right choice
Finding out a new coworker makes more than you despite having less experience would sting for anyone. But for one store employee, the discovery was only the beginning of a frustrating conversation with her boss. On November 8, 2026, TikTok user Luka, who goes by @justabitofmagic, shared a video revealing that she'd worked at the store for three years, covering every Christmas, Black Friday, and Thanksgiving. When she learned the new hire was earning $19 an hour while she made just $16, she decided to ask for a raise. Her boss' response left her with little reason to stay.
Luka said she'd been a reliable employee for three years and had already asked for a raise twice. So when her boss asked her to train a new hire, she didn't think much of it. But about two weeks later, the new employee told her he was making $19 an hour. Luka, who was earning just $16, was shocked. When she brought it up with her boss, he simply said, "Oh yeah, he negotiated." Seeing that as a chance to finally get a raise herself, Luka asked if her pay could be increased too. But he said there was no room in the budget, especially with the holidays coming up. He also said that discussing pay wasn't allowed at the store. When the district manager walked in and asked about the matter, the boss said, "I didn't really even think she'd leave, so I didn't think to give her a raise." It caught Luka off guard, and she immediately decided to quit.
Things got more frustrating when the district manager also told Luka there wasn't room in the budget for a raise. At that point, Luka had had enough. She quit on the spot, saying she made more money working side shifts than she ever did at the store. Other TikTok users thought she was right to walk away. @teacwest pointed out that companies often have separate budgets for new hires and existing employees, adding, “So just quit and come back.” @_.oliv reminded her that discussing pay is legally protected in the U.S., writing, "Federally, you are allowed to discuss pay." @keywestmama1 also shared a similar experience, commenting, “Time for a new job. This happened to me years ago, and I split.”
Luka was particularly frustrated because she had been there for three years, showing up at every holiday, and the trainee had been there just for two weeks. Her boss had apparently taken her loyalty for granted, assuming she wouldn't leave and therefore not considering giving her a raise. Luka's decision to quit reflects how significantly unfair pay can affect an employee's trust in an organization. A 2026 study, which surveyed 975 employees and 1,051 employers, found that employees who felt they were being paid unfairly were five times more likely to say their trust had declined. The report also found that employers often underestimate how many workers feel this way.
For more of her content, follow @justabitofmagic on TikTok.