Editor was fired for asking for a raise — he quietly deleted all the working files, leaving his bosses fuming

There are way too many instances of good employees walking away because they’re not being compensated well for their skill and efforts. A user who goes by y u/looter-hearths-2e shared a post on February 16, 2026, revealing that they were fired after asking for a raise, which reflected their contribution to the company. The editor brought up the request but ended up getting fired for it around four years ago. After having moved on, he was stunned to discover that the company had still been using his work even after letting them go for the present year. Disgusted by the level they’d stooped to, he decided to teach them a lesson and quietly deleted everything they had been working on, so the employers wouldn’t have access to it. 

He recalled signing up for the work. “The job was freelance with a flimsy contract, and I was really desperate for the money,” they revealed. Over time, he began to realize that the company was toxic and the workload was way more than what they were being compensated for. “I felt like the managers intentionally pitted people against each other just to watch the drama unfold,” they remarked. After a hectic schedule that left them physically and mentally exhausted, they decided it was time to speak up. 

“After 8 months, I had a meeting with management. I showed them clear data — analytics, engagement graphs, and how the traffic from my content directly converted to sales,” the post read. While they were earning a little above minimum wage, they asked for a raise, which was still lower than industry standards. “The next morning, they fired me. The official reason? I wasn't a 'team player,' and my content didn't have the 'impact' they wanted,” the editor noted. With the sudden unemployment, they were stuck, and it was a challenging time before they got back on their feet again.

Recently, he was “cleaning out an old Dropbox account and noticed a shared folder that was still very active.” Turns out, the company had been accessing the very folder with everything created by the employee. “They were still using it, a folder I created, that belongs to me, and for which I personally pay the subscription,” they said. Around 20 employees were using everything from templates, effects, and even finished work for the company. “This is my account and my intellectual property. They never paid me for any of it,” they remarked, and knew immediately what to do. 

Their shaky contract mentioned “anything I filmed ultimately belonged to me and I had the freedom to use it and show it off freely outside of our contract.” They brilliantly used it to their benefit. After downloading a backup safely, they deleted the entire folder. “When they come in tomorrow, every video asset they've been relying on for years will be gone,” they said. The former employee knew it would affect them since the company was reliant on the skills and creations they had to offer and had initially mentioned they would need the work for “years to come.” According to Payscale’s 2025 report shared by Yahoo Finance, around 7 in 10 workers believe they’re underpaid. This is not just about inflation but more about compensation for the workload.

Lexi Clarke, Payscale’s chief people officer, noted, “Employee expectations around pay remain elevated, fueled by both expectations of pay fairness and anxiety about inflation and cost of living.” Employers are adding to this frustration by reducing or canceling raises altogether. 6% of employers planned to cut raises completely. Even the few companies that do offer raises barely add to the salary. The highest reported percentage for a raise was 4.8%. Many agreed that the employee did the right thing by removing their access for good. u/peanutym said, “It’s about to cost them 4x your old salary to get it all back.” u/BrickHuge3023 added, “If they contact you, tell them the data is for sale at a substantial price.” 

More on Scoop Upworthy

Boss left fuming as underpaid employee charges 3 times for knowledge transfer after landing new job

Underpaid employee quits their job and it backfires on company spectacularly

Worker finally quit after years of being underpaid. When the boss tried to lure them back, their answer was unforgettable