Antiwork

First, there’s no mention of size of pay adjustment here. Second, sure, your point is valid, but in the context of this post, let’s not be ridiculous. This is a multiple-choice question, so sometimes you need to rank options and choose the best. No same person is more likely to stay at a company because of a ping-pong table in lieu of a better salary. Now if they’d said

An employee appreciation program, which includes such things as free meals and a recreation room with a ping pong table

that would be a different story. But as-is, it’s ridiculous.

1.) A 5% raise doesn’t even cover inflation.

2.) No one who is serious about wanting a pay raise to stay is asking for an 67% increase in pay.

3.) Leaving because of pay is typically because someone is offering substantially more money/better benefits for a similar position.

4.) You have it backwards you definitely worry about raises in pay, especially before you get a raise of $10-20k.

5.) As someone who has made 60k/yr a raise of 6-10k would be more than enough incentive to stay. It would easily outpace inflation and reward someone who is doing well.

Material perks matter less than pay though. I've quit jobs for either pay rises, or due to frustrations with management (work load, getting the tools to do the job, lack of respect, ...). Stuff like ping pong tables or pizza parties never entered the equation.

Until you get to substantial raises, like 10-20k a year, you aren’t really worried about the pay as much as your direct supervisor and the work load.

So if the work load doesn’t match the pay, people leave?

At the pay rates you mentioned in the last few sentences I could see your point, but if you are making say 30 - 35k per year, a raise of almost any kind would make a difference. In my last job I quit because they were not willing to give me a raise (I was asking for around 42k) which seemed fair to me because the type of work I was doing was incredibly stressful and it was having an affect on my mental health. I was breaking out in hives from stress, which was exacerbating my eczema (I have sensitive skin). I had a long talk with management about what I was going through and how I felt this job deserved more pay. I told them what it would take to keep me and they declined. Despite my work ethic and effort and willingness to go out of my way to make sure the work got done each day, they would not budge. I told them I wasn't surprised by their revolving door there and I kindly submitted my resignation. I would have stayed with the raise because I could have done a fair bit with that money, i.e. more doctor visits to manage my skin condition, put away money for the future to buy a house or replace my 20 year old vehicle, etc. I live in a low cost of living are so it would have made a significant difference in my quality of life. It's been a few months since I quit and what I do now is lower stress but it only pays the bills. The money may not matter to the extent that I can pay my bills, but I live paycheck to paycheck and I'm trying not despair; that I will find a job that helps me meet my goals and helps me to achieve a happier life style.

I used to work at Walmart. For a long time I thought better pay would make the suffering worthwhile and for a while it did. But eventually the complete breakdown of management (salaried to be exact, I was an hourly supervisor) and processes due to an over focus on Online Grocery Pickup, made me even more miserable. I left for a more fulfilling job where, for a while, I was making less money (more per hour, but less due to not working a full year).

No amount of money would ever sway me to go back to retail, but if it was just a money issue, I may not have left.

A 15% raise would have me consider it. But then I would tell them that I shouldn't have to threaten to leave to get it, and I'd leave to teach them a lesson.

Well, it was closer I guess? I mean, compared to the income disparity we are today.

Of course whenever there is anyone who makes money simply by owning a company, I'd agree they aren't really worth anything except maybe the effort to found said company (which isn't really the case with investors, share holders, corporations, etc). There is some value in taking the initiative and risk, just not like... hundreds times more than the employee.