He accepted another job without telling his manager; then his resignation triggered a counteroffer and an awkward conversation

Leaving a job can be awkward enough without your manager suggesting that your resignation should have come as a warning. One Reddit worker says their resignation triggered an unexpectedly tense conversation, including questions about why they had not disclosed their job search earlier and whether the company could match their new offer.

The worker shared the experience on Reddit’s r/work, explaining that after submitting their resignation, their manager said they had been “expecting this to happen” and felt the employee had changed.

The manager also reportedly questioned why the employee had not revealed that they were interviewing elsewhere and had already received another offer. That advice appeared to surprise the worker, who said it contradicted guidance they had received elsewhere about keeping an external job search private until an offer was secured.

The counteroffer came but apparently too late

The situation became even more complicated when the company made a counteroffer. The employee asked whether their current employer could match the salary offered by the new company. According to the post, the manager responded that there was little they could do at that stage because the employee had already accepted the new offer.

The manager then reportedly suggested that the company could simply hire someone else who would be paid less.

That remark became one of the most striking parts of the discussion, prompting commenters to question whether an employee's current salary should ever serve as a benchmark for their replacement.

Commenters turn the discussion toward salary secrecy

One commenter offered a blunt suggestion: “Well make sure you tell the new person your old salary.” Another Reddit user said they had done exactly that, and claimed the new employer immediately told them they were being underpaid.

The conversation then shifted toward a broader issue familiar to many job seekers: whether workers should disclose their previous salary during recruitment.

One commenter argued that disclosing a low previous salary can weaken an employee's negotiating position, advising job seekers to research compensation independently rather than letting their previous pay determine the value of their next role.

The bigger workplace dilemma

The Reddit discussion highlights a recurring tension in the resignation process. Employees may feel pressure to demonstrate loyalty by disclosing interviews or competing offers to their managers early. But doing so can also expose them to uncomfortable questions, changes in workplace treatment or pressure to stay before they have actually secured their next move.

The counteroffer itself raises another question: if a company can suddenly find additional money when an employee resigns, why wasn't that compensation available before the resignation?

At the same time, managers may view advance disclosure as a matter of trust and workforce planning, particularly when an employee's departure could leave a team understaffed.

For the Reddit poster, however, the decision appears to have already been made. The debate now centers on what employees owe their employers during a job search, and whether salary history should follow them from one workplace to the next.