Dear Annie: I have been working at the same company for 12 years, and I haven’t gotten a raise in five years. I never got in the habit of asking for them, because they used to give me a small salary bump every other year. But that petered out when a new CEO took over.

A few months ago, I was at lunch with two co-workers when the subject of salaries came up. I asked them if they’d received any pay bumps in the past few years, and they both said that they had.

This gave me the guts I needed to ask my supervisor to meet with me. I presented a list of my accomplishments over the past four years and said that I believed I had earned a raise. He said that pretty much no one was getting raises anymore, at which point I tentatively mentioned (without naming names) that I’d heard some other employees had received raises.

He got visibly angry and told me that I should never discuss my salary with another employee at the company and asked me to leave his office immediately. After that, I dropped the issue. But now I’m wishing I’d pushed back and am considering asking him for another meeting. Am I crazy? — Taken for Granted

Dear Taken for Granted: It’s a violation of the National Labor Relations Act for employers to forbid employees from discussing their wages. Contact the National Labor Relations Board at 1-844-762-6572 for guidance on what recourse you may have.

Whatever comes of that, it might be time to dust off that resume. Because, beyond being illegal, your boss’s behavior is just plain old disrespectful. You’d be better off working for a company that recognizes your worth.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].