I asked my manager for a raise, and he told me I'm already getting paid way too much. So I updated my job description and showed him how I'm carrying the work of 4 roles while still being paid based on the one role I was originally hired for.

He told me he doesn't care, that my salary is already very high, and that if I don't like it, I can go somewhere else.

What should I do in this situation? Finding another job at the same salary level probably won't be easy. But I'm doing the work of 4 jobs for one salary, and honestly, it feels completely unfair.

I'm a 41-year-old man, working as a plant maintenance mechanic and making about $112k a year. I've been with my wife for almost 14 years, and we have three kids. We bought our first house about 18 months ago, and both of our cars are relatively new.

I work a lot of hours, usually between 50 and 58 hours a week, and honestly I feel like I'm doing all of this just to stay in the same place. No one really warns you that owning a home turns into endless repairs, random projects, and money disappearing every time you turn around.

I feel like my life has become work, bills, fixing things, and then waking up to do the same thing all over again. On paper, it probably looks like we did everything "right," but I don't feel like I'm living any of it.

All I'm doing is working to keep up with this dream that was sold to us when we were kids. Does anyone else feel like the "American dream" is more exhausting than it's worth?

I just turned 26 and I've been at my first real career job for six weeks. I'm not trying to complain, because I understand many people would kill to be in my position. A stable job is a blessing and not something to be taken lightly. The benefits are good and the pay is fine. For months, I was dying for a good job and I finally found one. So please don't think I'm ungrateful or unappreciative.

But all that aside, after this short period of clicking through emails and adjusting spreadsheets from morning till night, I can't possibly see myself doing this until I retire. Honestly, I'd rather be working with landscapers in the scorching heat like I did during college summers. At least then I felt alive. I'm starting to think that humans are supposed to be outside and using their hands, at least some of the time... I didn't know I was getting into being a professional spreadsheet adjuster. My brain feels like it's going to explode and my eyes feel like sandpaper by 5:30 every day. The only thing I look forward to is going for a run after work to release all this pent-up energy.

I know I can get promoted in the company, and that I won't be in this same role forever, but I really can't make a whole career out of sitting in a cold, dark building staring at screens from 9 to 5:30. I look in the mirror every morning and see dark circles under my eyes that weren't there before. This can't be it, right?

I've reached my limit with my current job. The stress and burnout have gotten to the point where my partner and family are genuinely worried about me. My stomach churns every morning before work, and I can no longer focus on anything.

The work environment itself is extremely toxic. The turnover is unnaturally high. My manager loves to belittle people in front of everyone or throw passive-aggressive comments to demoralize them. I've seen at least two of my colleagues crying in the bathroom. I'm constantly tense, on edge, and can't concentrate on my work.

The problem is, I've only been here for about 4 months, and this is my first real job after college. I'm terrified that with my limited experience and the resulting gap on my CV, my chances of finding another job will be next to none. I try to convince myself to stick it out until I find something else, but coming home completely drained of energy every day is not a sustainable situation.

I've been saving well, so financially I can cover my expenses for a few months without a job. But how would I even explain a gap like this on my CV to any future interviewer? Should I leave the job for my mental health, or do I have to endure it for longer? Is this considered career suicide?

For context: I work in Marketing at a mid-sized startup in Chicago. My manager is the department head, but he's also the owner's favorite, so he does whatever he wants with no accountability. The owner himself is hardly ever present and rarely comes in. People who tried to speak up in the past had things get even worse for them until they finally quit. Almost everyone at the company has been here for less than 8 months, except for maybe two people. All my colleagues feel the same way, but most of us are recent grads without much experience.