Friend still wants to leave low-paying job after co-worker arranges a raise

Dear Abby: I have reached a crossroads with my career. I used to love my job. I play an important role at my company, and I’m good at what I do. Long term, it provides job security. However, the pay is subpar, and my recent request for a raise was denied. I haven’t received a raise in several years. I couldn’t get a straight answer about the denial. I was told it wasn’t my work performance.

I have started looking elsewhere, and I have several interviews scheduled. All of them will give me a $15,000-per-year salary increase over what I currently make for doing what I do. I wasn’t asking that much for a raise, not even close.

But what makes this difficult is my co-workers. “obligated” to stay. Abby, I’m having a hard time with this. Can you help?

— Moving On In The East

Dear Moving On: Have a private conversation with the friend who went to bat for you. Tell him you appreciate what he did, but when your boss refused the raise you asked for — after several years of no increase at all — you realized you were no longer valued by the company.

Explain that when you went job-hunting you were offered far more than you have been earning, and this will be a step up for you. It doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship with him or the others who care about you. It might stimulate him to go jobhunting, too.