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.

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.

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.

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

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