you are at the company’s mercy Only if you have no better options. This guy was building a house and probably had limited savings. His manager knew it. If you

you are at the company’s mercy Only if you have no better options. This guy was building a house and probably had limited savings. His manager knew it. If you want a higher salary, improve your negotiating position—for example, by having enough savings to live for a year at your current lifestyle. Focus on accumulating that cash reserve before building a house or otherwise overextending your finances and you'll suddenly find yourself less of a pushover when performance review time comes along.