The Trust Tax

Accepting the counter tells your employer two things: you were ready to leave, and your number now has a price tag on it. You will be the last to be told about team changes for the next year. Sensitive projects quietly route around you — the trust tax.

Accept the counter only if the role, manager, and written commitment all change in a real way — not just the money. The strongest counter is specific and tied to data: "Research on comparable roles puts this at X."