A Senior Developer Asked For A Raise After Having A Baby Learned A Hard Lesson About Job Security. Vowed To Never Rely On Just One Job Again

A senior developer who had been loyal to a startup for three years learned the hard way that company loyalty doesn't always pay off. After asking for a raise to help support his growing family, he was quickly replaced with a cheaper worker. Now, he's fully embracing the “overemployed” lifestyle and vows never to rely on just one job again.

A Tough Lesson In Job Security

The developer shared his story on Reddit, explaining how he had joined a small startup three years ago. As a contractor outside the U.S., he wasn't eligible for stock options but worked hard to help the company grow.

"There was a lot to be done, and boy, I did deliver even with a J2," he wrote, referring to his second job.

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Over the years, the company became highly profitable, but his compensation barely changed—just a 2% raise in total. Despite that, he stayed because he liked the team.

Things changed in November when he found out his wife was pregnant. Wanting to prioritize his family and health, he decided to quit his second job and focus on his primary employer. At the start of the year, he requested a 15% raise, explaining that inflation had eaten into his earnings and that the company could afford it.

Fifteen days later, one of the company's founders scheduled a meeting. The message was harsh: They had found someone cheaper and no longer needed his services.

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Embracing The Overemployed Lifestyle

After losing his job so suddenly, the developer quickly secured a new position. Not stopping there, he also lined up a second job and is considering adding a third.

"Never again will I be relying [on] the safety of my family on a single [employer]," he wrote.

His story resonated with many online, with commenters sharing similar experiences of being let go despite years of dedication. Others encouraged him to embrace the benefits of working multiple remote jobs.

One user shared a strikingly similar experience: "I casually requested 2 weeks holiday in advance due to my son being born. They responded with a ‘You are fired’ 1 week before he was born. We were literally at the bottom for months because of this because I was not OEing then."

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Another pointed out how companies exploit workers whenever they can: "At my J1, they offered to convert me to [full-time].” The person went on to explain how their entire team—many with pregnant wives—had been fired after relocating, then rehired a year later at lower pay. “These companies hate us," he said.

One user summed up what many have come to realize: "Companies don't care about you as a person, and managers will let you go if they think it makes their lives easier or they can pad their own pockets. I've got kid #3 on the way and I'm extremely hesitant to let anyone in on it professionally. Companies want you to be 150% loyal but refuse any loyalty back."

For this developer, the lesson was this: job security comes from diversifying income streams, not from company loyalty. And judging by the comments, he's far from alone in that realization.

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