Boss went back on his pay rise promise and is now complaining that I want out

DEAR DEIDRE: AFTER working my butt off and doing a damn good job too, my boss went back on his word, withdrawing the pay rise he promised.

I was so cross I found another job and now he is doing his best to make me feel bad and stay.

1

He is offering me £1,000 more than my other job offer but it’s still not as much as he originally promised.

I’m 34 and my boss is 57.

When I took the job, managing his farm, he told me I’d have three months’ probation and if I passed I would receive a £4,000 increase.

When it came to it, he asked me to stay on but looked at me blankly when I asked about the pay rise.

Then he claimed he couldn’t pay the higher salary. I didn’t sign a contract, so don’t have proof.

Now I’ve found another job, he is complaining I would be leaving him in the lurch.

I don’t know what to do.

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DEIDRE SAYS: At best, your boss sounds un­reliable.

In three months, you have discovered he’s happy to go back on his word and manipulate you – it doesn’t bode well.

There is more to consider than salary alone, such as other benefits and work-life balance.

Take your time to weigh it all up but don’t let your boss make you feel bad.

Whichever job you go for, ask for an employment contract.

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While an oral agreement is legally binding, it is much harder to prove.

For more information on contracts, go to the ­Citizens Advice Bureau ().