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Situation

Im currently working in a small software developing company. By small I mean its only the two founders of the company and me. They gave me the chance to start as a trainee in software developing with no experience beside some private learning I did prior to applying for jobs. I am very grateful for the chance they gave me and after the training was completed (1 year ago) they offered me to stay as a developer full time.

They offered my very low salary and overall a really bad contract with unpaid overtime, minimum amount of vacation etc.

I still accepted the offer, since I dont care about money all that much and was grateful for the chance they gave me to even start my carreer as a software developer.

Ever since I started working at my company, I had to do a lot of tasks which are not usual for a software developer which was fine to me. The mindset of the company is very specific since everyone has to help out in every aspecet of the business because we just cant afford a HR person or a marketing person for example. Additionally I am working overtime and on weekends if its needed. Basically I am always available for the company.

All of this doesnt bother me too much to be honest since I really feel valued and liked. Also whenever I need some time off, for whatever reason i just have to say it and they wont act up or anything, they just trust me to have legitimate reasons to leave early or dont work a whole day or two at all. This fact also forged a strong bond between the three of us, since we highly rely on each other.

One of the founders and me even developed some kind of private relationship, at least to a certain level. We talk a lot about private stuff and often discuss things which are not relevant to work.

Problem

Two months after I started my fulltime job they told me that due to covid and other factors they wont be able the pay me my (already low) salary. I was fine with working for almost nothing for a year now. They try to pay me whenever they can afford it, so we at least managed to pay the full salary left from 2020.

Right now im getting paid a minimum amount of money to keep me legally employed at fulltime. We also adjusted my contract and lowered my offical working hours to the minimum amount just to make sure the dont have to fire me. Of course im working full time, regardless of what my contract says.

I always made sure to not let this situation impact the quality of my work and I am always giving 110% for the company. I still do everyday butately I am starting to feel stuck in my situation. I want to continue with my life and be able to afford things since im working for it. Right now I need to count every penny to barely make it to the next month, which is really stressful to me. Also I want to experience how it is to work in a bigger company where they have established structures and where I can improve as a developer even more and work with new techniques and learn new things.

So im thinking about searching for another job but I feel very bad about it for multiple reasons:

  • I think that the company might not survive without me, since im basically working fulltime for almost nothing. I feel like I might be last nail in the coffin
  • One of the founders (the one I built a deeper relationship with) is in a private situation where he cant afford to let the company die since he just got his first child and I feel like im letting him down
  • It feels ungrateful/unethical to leave the company since it means so much to me that they gave me the chance to become a software developer
  • Just a bad/odd feeling when thinking about quitting

So here I am, stuck in this situation and I would need some advice about how to leave my company without feeling too bad about it. How should I tell my bosses about it without sounding ungrateful or anything. I dont want to burn bridges or make them feel disappointed if i can avoid it. Also when is the right time to tell them?

UPDATE:

Thanks alot to everyone who commented and gave me an answer. I thought about it and you guys helped me to decide that it is time to move on, so i'll start looking for a new job now.

I marked the answer that helped me the most as answer and this can be considered closed now.

Thanks again guys, you are awesome!

pawx95
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    "I think that the company might not survive without me" but if you "need to count every penny to barely make it to the next month" then you could say you might not survive if you stay with the company. – user72058 Aug 13 '21 at 12:48
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    This is not about the Workplace. It is no different from "How do I do anything that I feel bad about doing without feeling bad about it?" – DJClayworth Aug 13 '21 at 13:04
  • Jeez you are being too nice. People are taking advantage of you. You are not a dog. A pat on the head is insufficient compensation for decent work. Be polite when leaving but you really owe them nothing. Taking a young person who doesn't know any better and getting them to work for almost nothing is unethical. A more experienced person founding a company should now better than this – plagiarisedwords Aug 14 '21 at 17:56
  • If the company is hugely successful someday, and they sell it for millions, will you get a share? – Mattman944 Aug 15 '21 at 08:23
  • Do you expect the local store to sell you stuff cheaply, because you feel like it would be nice? Would you expect your landlord to? Would the company expect them to?

    Why expect anyone to pay any less for your services for those reasons then?..

     – Petter TB Aug 18 '21 at 14:26

3 Answers3

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No need to feel bad. You have done more than enough.

Like it or not, the company is taking advantage of you and at this point you owe them absolutely nothing. You have more than paid your dues by any reasonable definition of "fair" and "ethical". They way you are being treated is NOT ok.

Look at at this way: all the salary that you didn't get paid is money that you personally invested in the company. What did you get in return? At least they should have offered you some equity or deferred compensation to make up the unpaid salary.

You can part on good terms and if they are reasonable people it shouldn't damage your relationship too badly. "Hey guys, I have not been paid properly for a year that's simply not sustainable for me any longer. I need to go look for a different job". No rational person can argue with that.

Changing jobs is a perfectly normal and professional thing to do. Companies typically don't blink twice before they let someone go, so its perfectly ok for you leave anytime you want.

Hilmar
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    From op: "I think that the company might not survive without me, since im basically working fulltime for almost nothing. I feel like I might be last nail in the coffin". So another reason to not to feel guilty is the fact that if they seriously need the op's almost free work to exist, they are doing something really wrong. – Purrrple Aug 13 '21 at 22:25
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  1. There would be nothing unethical in you leaving, considering the pay situation.

  2. You are not responsible for ensuring someone else can live their desired lifestyle through your free labour.

  3. You can't live the rest of your life this way, so the company has to be prepared to change if it wants to survive. Might as well be tomorrow or in two weeks or a month; no need to delay it. If you're feeling generous you can help them find someone else before you go, though it would be unethical to promise that someone else conditions any better than you have now.

  4. The best way to leave without hard feelings is to have a legitimate personal reason. Being paid is a legitimate reason. Every corporation knows employees need money to live, even if they do their best to manipulate their employees into taking less. They can't in good faith deny that you need to leave so you can be paid. It's not personal.

In short, as far as workplace practice goes, nothing at all compels you to stay, and everything compels you to leave. Only your friendship provides a counterpoint, and in my opinion that's not really a tangible thing to ask strangers to evaluate.

Luke Sawczak
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  • since im basically working fulltime for almost nothing. I feel like I might be last nail in the coffin
  • One of the founders (the one I built a deeper relationship with) is in a private situation where he cant afford to let the company die since he just got his first child and I feel like im letting him down

I wouldn't be too concerned about that. If the company would actually die without you, then your pay would reflect that.

Move on, and move up. You don't owe them anything.

user1666620
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