[waltgoldberg]

It definitely does! Take it from someone who's been responsible for giving the layoff list to HR as well as being a small business owner. Business leaders look at developers as a commodity. Why do you think so many companies still hold Java in such high esteem?

[rhizome]

I don't doubt that out-of-band raises can put someone over the cost-line such that they'd get the axe at layoff time, but I think that's different than the company gunning for them as soon as they give a raise in response to a cherry-pick offer to the employee, to be actively hiring for this person's replacement ASAP.

[joezydeco]

First hand, it happens. Not every CEO is a wonderful caring person, and some can get very vindictive when it appears that an underling is threatening the operation of their company by (in their view) holding the job hostage for more cash.

[chc]

More charitably, by talking about offers from other companies, you are indicating to them that your continued employment is in question. Businessmen like predictability. So from that perspective, when they see you have one foot out the door, it makes sense to alleviate the uncertainty by getting the other foot out the door and bringing in somebody who seems more predictable.

[rhizome]

I'm not saying any of that stuff, I'm just asking about your first sentence, which is like every instance where someone makes the bald assertion that it happens, but I've never heard of it happening. So far I'm thinking it's just a myth.