Raise time at work - How would you have reacted

[Northwoods]

We just had our raise cycle at work.  I was, how shall we say, dissapointed.  1% raise following a positive performance review.  Average raise was around 4%.

My boss said the quantity was not a reflection of my performance.  Apparently I got such a good offer when I jumped to this company that I'm now at 72% salary band penetration.  Far and away the highest band penetration of the group.  So in that sense I really can't complain about my salary.  Also, apparently there were folks who were rather underpaid and since he has to rob Peter to pay Paul my raise was sacrificed to give those guys what they certainly deserved.

I'm eligable for a promotion based on years experience and I've met nearly enough, if not all, of the subjective requirements to qualify for that promotion.  Trouble is, my boss wants to see how I perform under a high-stress situation and the nature of the program I've been assigned to hasn't really provided me with that opportunity.

Once I get that promotion my band penetration (assuming I got no raise with the promotion) would be 48% and would bring me back in line with the rest of the group.

My first reaction was to see what areas I specifically needed to concentrate on to get that promotion, and also to volunteer to take on some extra work and responsibility.  But, my concern is that it may well take until the end of the year to achieve that promotion, and that it may well come with little or no financial advantage.  Or if it does, it'll be the raise I should have gotten now but wind up disqualifying me from a raise next April due to the timing.  So essentially I'm looking like I'll be rewarded for doing a good job by getting screwed out of an entire annual raise.  

Perhaps if inflation weren't seemingly going up so much (fuel, groceries, insurance, etc) it might not bother me, but I'll definatly have less money for most things this year compared to last year.  If I had been a slug I'd see the issue differently too.  But I've been getting *expletive deleted*it done, and for the part people have been happy (can't please everyone, and I did make some mistakes, but nothing beyond what's considered normal).  

Anyway, after stewing on it for a bit I've decided to give it until January to get that promotion.  Reason I say January is that there a big test that I'm supposed to lead that won't start until November and should wrap up sometime in December, if there aren't anymore schedule slips.  I have been figuring that doing a good job leading that testing is the milestone I'd be looking for if I were my boss.  If I don't at least hear that I'm being put in for it by then, I might just look to Monster.com.

[bermbuster]

.....So essentially I'm looking like I'll be rewarded for doing a good job by getting screwed out of an entire annual raise......
.....If I had been a slug I'd see the issue differently too.  But I've been getting *expletive deleted*it done, and for the part people have been happy (can't please everyone, and I did make some mistakes, but nothing beyond what's considered normal)....

I go nuts when I read stuff like this.  I believe there is a special place in Hell for managers who punish productivity.  Owners and managers should seek out and hire the best and pay them to stay with you.

[BozemanMT]

I'm a manager at a big company, bands, whole bit (you don't by chance work for MOT do you?).  I got promoted last year.  I now have 17 people work for me, i have to do all their pay stuff, HR stuff and direct them all.  Oh wait, I just got all that new work, no actual promotion or more money.  Bitter doesn't begin.  I basically told my boss either promote me (with the raise) or put me back to being a lead, but I'm not doing both.  WE don't have a very good working relationship anymore and personally I don't give a poop.

Anyway, the band thing is true, you try to make people fit in the bands and the bands move up over time, so people can be dramatically underpaid.  But yeah, given inflation, med insurance getting worse each year, etc, you definately took a pay cut.  Promotions are tough in the tech world, because all the jobs are going overseas.  Many things depend on how much you like your job, working environment, career goals, etc.  

But, you know who gets raises at work don't you?  It's people who will leave.  Those people get raises because they want to be kept.  If you are no threat to leave, I don't have to give you more money because you won't leave anyway.  True fact.

[Jamisjockey]

I don't blame you for being annoyed.


BTW, while we're comiserating.....
I work for the FAA.  I take tubes full of screaming passengers performing the unnatural act of levitation, seperate and sequence them and prevent them from becoming smouldering craters.  I do this at all hours of the day and night, working unnatural shifts.  If I make one booboo, or one omission, people really can die.  Lots of them.  I already make less than the average airline pilot.  
And yet my employer is determined to freeze my pay, and cut it if they can.  Our new contract couldn't be much shittier if they tried.  My boss (the Administrator of the FAA) has lied on TV about various aspects of the profession and our pay to the American Public.
 Yes, they are out to get me.

PS, you can help:
http://www.fairfaa.com

[Phantom Warrior]

Salary band penetration?  What the heck is that...(said the veteran McDonalds employee).

[garrettwc]

sumpnz, when I read your post I started looking around my cubicle to see where you were hiding.

With the exception of the band penetration (mine is slightly higher) our situations are nearly identical. The only problem I have is that the next "up" from here is my boss's job, and he's not going anywhere. What makes mine worse is they also did away with the bonus plan this year so I lost out on that too.

Salary band penetration?  What the heck is that...(said the veteran McDonalds employee).

Something cooked up by HR folks to make deciding what to pay you easier.

Basically, for every job there is a salary range starting with the new hire/trainee at the low end up to the experienced person at the high end. The difference in dollars between the trainee and the experienced person is the salary band. The pay for that specific job title cannot start below the low band range, and can never go above the high band range.

Once you hit the upper limit, unless you promote to a job in the next higher band, you are limited to [barely] cost of living increase. It doesn't matter if you stay there 20 years and bust your hump [or sit on it] that's all you get.

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

Salary band penetration?  What the heck is that...(said the veteran McDonalds employee).

That is more corporate bullcrap to be able to justify a high-performing employee getting a bullcrap 1% raise, despite being a high-performing employee.  

Just goes to show, it doesn't help a BIT to be dedicated, professional, conscientious employee.  Penetration bands is typical Consultant-Speak for "we have over-analyzed this to the point of paralysis".

I do not now, nor have I EVER done bureaucracy very well.  I don't suffer fools gladly, and I am usually the first person to speak up and let everyone know that the Emperor has no Clothes.  This has gotten me both heartache and respect from others; it has also gotten me (FINALLY) the best gig I've ever had, with a great company who appreciates candid feedback, and believes in rewarding people for their loyalty and hard work.  This type of gig is getting extremely rare in today's BS, "Penetration Band" corporate culture.  (Yeah? I've got your Penetration Band right here, pal!) hahahah

Rant off.

[Northwoods]

Thanks guys.  

Garrett - This eventual promotion will be a change in title (and salary band) only.  It won't affect the work I do, or even if I get to start supervising younger engineers.  In order to get the following promotion I might have to at least show that I can direct others, but it wouldn't even require that I be doing that consistently.

Jamis - I hear ya.  Sucks to have your pay not even tied to your performance but to what someone else, who may not have your interests at heart, is able to negotiate.  

Bozeman - Nope, not MOT.  But I do work for a very large defense contractor.

[BozemanMT]

Salary bands are an idea created by too many HR degrees with no real usefulness to add.

Basically every job code is given a level, this level is given a band of pay and divided into thirds.  And they try to keep you within the middle third.
usually when hired at a grade level you get hired right at the midpoint (or close)
What happens though is that the bands move up over time (2 or 3% a year) so if you aren't getting that average raise, you drop out of the middle band and become underpaid.  Or if you get big raises, but no promotions you bump up against the top of the band.  The theory is that the band is the mid-point for that job nationwide no matter what exact job you do.  Honestly for a big company it's not a bad idea and does allow you as a manager to make people more equal
But since the bands move faster than the average wage and there are zero or few promotions you can't get a good raise.

[brimic]

If your job gets stagnant, its a sign that you need to move on to bigger and better things. A good way to get a raise is to get a new job. I just got downsized from a high paying job a month ago, I started a new job this week for the same pay, with fewer hours, more independence, less responsibilities, less useless management meeting bullcrap, and far more interesting work, I wish I would have made the move a few years ago instead of being forced to do it, I could have had the luxury of negotiating an even better salary.

[Guest]

Your current pay should have no bearing whatsoever on the amount of your annual raise. That determination should be based soley on the changes to cost of living/inflation, the financial ability of the company, and the performance of the employee in question. If you are getting paid more than the others it means you are worth more than your coworkers, that fact should be reflected in your raise. Think about it, in 20 years you will be getting paid the same as everyone else, does that make sense to you?

[Northwoods]

If your job gets stagnant, its a sign that you need to move on to bigger and better things. A good way to get a raise is to get a new job.

That's how I got into this job.  I got a 25% raise when I jumped ship to my current position.  I hit the sweet spot where they were desperate for someone with my skills and the overall demand far exceeded the available supply.  In fact, with the exception of this year's raise I've had a very positive experience where I'm at.  My current boss is still far preferable to my last boss as he's giving the kind of work I was asking for but not getting at my previous job.

c_yeager - +100  My fealings exactly.

[Standing Wolf]

My solution to the problem of not getting the raise I earned in 1998 or 1999 was to float my résumé on one of the résumé sites. Mysteriously, my purported "supervisor" found out about it, and still more mysteriously, the company came up with a special bonus.

I left a few months later, anyway: working for psychotics isn't my cup of tea.

Companies that whine and snivel about high employee turn-over should look at their raise and promotion policies.

[Shalako]

At my job, if you can tolerate the delays in promotions and still show up with good enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and high productivity, you get massive team player points. Now you have to ask, are team player points worth it to you? To me, it is. I work in a high stress environment managing public works projects, that I want to stay in for a few decades. So it's worth it to trudge along with a smile and continue to gain the tidbits of valuable experience and periodic opportunities to perform well in the eyes of the upper management.

This strategy has paid off recently and got me a temporary stint in management. I was a project manager managing public flood control projects with constantly accelerated schedules, and huge fallout if not constructed on time. My work alone was authorized by congress at around $250M. Then my boss hired a new engineer straight out of college. Great potential, but couldn't mangage or engineer her way out of a wet paper sack. Then a month later the boss got a promotion and took off. I was the highest ranking engineer in the section so they had me act as the boss. Now I manage my same work, get to train a brand new engineer (she's coming along great), and get to be the boss of the whole section. Basically trippled my workload for a whopping ..... 5% temporary raise.

But my theory is - its worth it. I am learning invaluable management skills, and gaining the confidence of the big dogs in upper management. Now this lowly engineer is responsible for about $.8B in flood control projects for the State of CA. And people say us state workers are over paid. Ha!

Anyways, its all in how you look at it and if you can manage to see the glass half full.

[chaim]

I know your feeling.

I had my annual review on Tuesday.  I've been there for about 10mo.  After 6mo I was supposed to get a raise if I did well.  My supervisor misclassified me as "probationary" for my 6mo review and set it up so I wasn't eligible for a raise despite much better than average marks.  So, the other day was the annual review, I've been here long enough to be eligible for a raise if I did acceptably on the review.  However, I transferred into my unit a few months ago (I was heavily recruited by the prior manager, and I was assured that I wouldn't lose my senority) and so she again misclassified me as "probationary" (since I've been on the unit for less than 6 months).  So, HR again was told I am ineligible for a raise despite a second review well above average.  My only recourse is to complain to HR who has a tendency to back up management (we are one of the few non-unionized hospitals in the area) so I'm basically out 2 raises.

I'm putting out resumes internally for promotions (I'd be on a different pay scale if I get the jobs I'm applying for so it won't hurt me so much) and also externally.

[thebaldguy]

I know about the band/level thing. It sucks when you move closer to the top pay range. You do a great job and don't get paid for it. I had a 1.9% raise in a job a few years ago. I sat there and heard all the nice comments being made about my performance; I was doing a great job, had a positive attitude, always showed up on time, etc. I almost fell out of the chair when they smiled and told me I was getting a raise of 1.9%. Their smile left when I pointed out that 1.9% doesn't cover inflation, and that an employee who did a fantastic job like me should deserve more. "Sorry that's what you get because you're near the top of the band" was their response. I thanked them, and began to find a new position within the company. I found a new position with better pay in 90 days. The two week notice meeting was funny as hell. They reviewed my performance and explained that I had done a great job, and they were very sorry I was going to be leaving.

They asked the inevitable question, "Why are you leaving our area? We really like you and you do a really good job. We know you like working here. Why are you leaving?"

I responded, "I am getting a bigger salary, and my last raise here was only 1.9%. I think I should be compensated more. Don't you? I'll stay if you meet the other positions' salary!" They said they liked me, but couldn't afford to pay me more or afford to promote me to a higher band/level.

I smiled and said that I can't afford to stay. They didn't think that was too funny. They then tried to make me feel greedy for leaving. Sure, people who make $10000.00+ more a year than I do guilting me out about pay? That was funny! Effective range of their arguement was zero meters!  I left, and have been enjoying my new position where I got a 5% raise this year. If you're not moving up anymore, it's time to move on.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I went back 'home' to Big Blue last August. Making a little more than I was on a different team doing similar work in 2003. I'm working for a little over half as much per hour as I did at my last contract, but I'm kinda ok with it. No bennies, what I make is mine. I negotiated a pretty good deal for the job, relative to every other contractor on the team. Statements have been made about taking me on perm. Now, the last thing I desire is a gold watch after years of faithful service- not going to happen.

I was passed over in the last 'contract to perm' add up. I didn't mind, because the guys who got it I like, respect, and they've been contracting there for longer than I have.  If I get passed over on the perm job for another contractor, since I'm now the senior (U.S. citizen) contractor there, it's time to hit 'activate' on my Dice profile again.  Even with it inactive, I still seem to get plenty of hits and nibbles per week- I just don't want to work IT in Moose Snot, MN.  Slagheap, OH. Minefire, VA.  or the New York Metropolitan area.

I guess I could load up on psychotrophic drugs and get back on a government contract. Ya never know. I'd hate to be taking an unfair advantage.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

I just don't want to work IT in Moose Snot, MN.  Slagheap, OH. Minefire, VA.  or the New York Metropolitan area.

I guess I could load up on psychotrophic drugs and get back on a government contract. Ya never know.
Regards,
Rabbit.

ROFLMAO!!!

Moose Snot sounds okay, after all, I moved to Mayberry, Alobammo for just such a contract.  In process with a move out of there, to B'ham.  Not because I disliked it, much to the contrary.  However, any company in an area like that is likely to be a little "inbred" in its management staff.  Not a big talent pool to draw from.  Had to get to B'ham to work for a good company, but loved living in Mayberry RFD.

[grislyatoms]

Our union negotiates pay raises for us.

The last two years we have been authorized a max raise of 3%.

So what happened at my last review?

I presented all the awards, recognitions, pats on the back, etc. that I had received the previous year. I got the 3% raise.

One of my co-workers (who does absolutely nothing) got 3% as well.

What kind of incentive is that giving me?

I'll just be a lazy piece of *expletive deleted*it from now on.


(Not really, I can't do it)