10 percent increase is huge. Some of my friends didn't even have an increase for a few years. The only time I've heard of people not wanting raises, was when it was connected to a promotion and the raise was minimal. They would have lost overtime pay, had to do more work, and they felt like the pay and compensation wasn't worth it. I think they are looking at things short term, and missing out on future promotions and benefits.
It is a shame that people don't invest as much. Those that put money in their 401k are going to be better off than those that don't. I guess it's a matter of enjoying now having difficulty later, versus saving now and enjoying later.
There are lots of reasons not to take a pay rise, especially if the expected workload isn't worth the salary. But even then, it might be worth considering what the following path might look like. Sometimes, we aren't paid what we are worth, but it is a gateway to getting paid a lot more.
People are pretty shortsighted in general.
I agree. I think the benefits, and the potential career advancements are usually worth it. Once one steps on the managerial path, I think there are a lot of options available.