Was this business situation unethical?

Was this business situation unethical?

A few years ago, my boss the owner of the company was insistent that I sign a 3 year contract with him. The clause included a 15k early termination penalty, which I later discovered was not a legal contractual provision in my country and was unenforceable after I signed it. I take full responsibility for overlooking this and not getting it checked by a lawyer, considering it a lesson learned I was only 23 at the time. During the first year of my contract, I was worked in to the ground and forced to work between 13-16 hours a day and did not have the managerial authority to hire anyone to help me. I wanted to leave but had the 15k buyout hanging over my head. I complained to my employers and, at the end of the first year, they actually gave me a pay increase because I was complaining about unpaid overtime. We sent down to lunch, he and the general manager offered me an increase and we shook hands and left back for work. When I returned to the office, he came to me in private and said,

Asked on January 5, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Alaska

Answers:

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