I just had my annual performance review at my company where I've been working as a data analyst for the past three years. I received an "exceeds expectations" rating across the board, and my manager praised my work ethic and dedication for a solid ten minutes. However, when we got to the compensation discussion, I was hit with the news that there would be a 0% raise due to what they called "budget constraints" and "macroeconomic challenges." Despite taking on two major cross-departmental projects after a senior colleague left and putting in extra hours, including weekends, my efforts went unrecognized in terms of financial compensation. I tried to express my concerns about how my workload has doubled and the impact of inflation on my buying power, but my manager just gave me the classic line about valuing my contributions while saying their hands were tied. To top it off, I saw leadership posting pictures from a lavish executive retreat on LinkedIn last week, which made it feel even more unfair. It’s clear there’s money for perks at the top but none for the team that keeps things running. I’m feeling really frustrated and plan to polish my resume tonight and start looking for new opportunities.