I Was Promised A Raise!

As long as you don't have the written evidence, it is legal. What was said by your boss was the word of mouth and it's upon his honesty to act upon what he said. You can't claim for the raise because you don't have any written evidence.

If I understand you correctly, you were sent an e-mail.  Did you keep it?  As I read the answer by "zuhail," it appears that you deleted it.  Anyway, unless you are covered by some form of contract, you are basically an "at will" employee.  You have the right to quit your job and if he so chooses, he has the right to fire you as well.  Neither of you have to "show cause."  The only reason that I am bringing this up is that given what I'm hearing from you, he is within his rights to not give you a raise & it would be legal for him not to do so.  As a former employer, when I gave raises, I had a sytem of documentation as to why the raise was being given, the amount of the raise, the time-frame (in general) for when another reviewal would be made, etc.  I then would have the employee & myself sign the documentation in the presence of a witness and copies were given to the employee as well as in their file.  I would see if you could find a suitable time to approach your employer and ask him if you could schedule a meeting to discuss your job and performance.  Do your "homework," and make sure that you are bringing to the table "any and all evidence" for making your case as to why you should receive a raise.  At the very least, you have gotten it "off of your chest," and you have put your boss on notice that when he indicates that he is going to give you a raise, he had better be ready to perform.  I hope that helps!  Good luck.  Woodstock

This is legal in the criminal sense, but your boss may have committed a "tort" offense.  You are in an awkward position, if you bring suit against your boss to enforce the raise (you'd probably win) then rest assured that you've seen your last raise. Enjoy it while it lasts, the first time you leave the restroom without washing your hands you're going to get the first of a series of written reprimands leading to your eventual termination.

If you are willing to sign the covenant then do so and then demand the raise.  If you are not willing to sign then start looking for another job.  Only bring suit if you are sure you can win enough to retire on, employers won't touch potential employees that have a history of civil suits against employers.