Thomas asks…
how to ask for a raise in this economy?
I was promised that my salary was "entry level" as this is my first job and that I would receive regular raises periodically. I expected to get my first raise at 6 months but now im at 7 months and still no mention of it. I would normally tend to be outspoken about a subject like this but I work in a smaller and very casual and informal office and feel very comfortable and relaxed with my superiors. Also, I have some hand in the billing of my department and am very aware that the economy is affecting the percentage of our billing that is paid. My boss has repeatedly praised my work and also told me I am the best person to ever work in my position. I feel that I would receive a raise if the funds were available but I fear that they simply are not. How do I begin to discuss this?
admin answers:
I just send a short email to my supervisor and ask when my evaluation is due (even though I know..) but sometimes they lose track of time and forget who's up.. So maybe yours just needs a reminder.
Thanks
Maria asks…
Is it inappropriate to ask for a raise in this economy? I need advice, URGENTLY!?
I have worked in the financial sector for the last 10 years, but have worked for the last 7 years (off and on) for my present employer. The thing is, I'm a mid-level administrative employee. I haven't received any bonuses nor perks in my current positioin (which has been almost a total of 3 years).
I work for a very reputable large bank and understand this is hard financial times for many people, but I am in desperate need of a raise. I have two bachelors degrees from two reputable schools, and have accomplished a lot in my field. I work as an assistant to an executive and not once has he offered to pay me a bonus. Occasionally he'll offer to treat me to lunch, during Christmas I'll get a few hundred dollars... but in NYC, the cost of living is extremely high and living off of a $47000 a year in salary is killing me! I'm 32 years old, married, don't have any kids, but can barely afford to pay off my student loans. I can't seem to find a second job and I realize since my boss gets paid off of commissions, times are kind of tough right now for him too.
He, however doesn't giving me the credit that I deserve whenever I help out with a sale. My contact with clients help a generate activity and business for us and all I get is a "thank you." Since I cannot go into detail due to the nature of my work and my obligation to maintaining privacy, I can't be too explicite....but what I don't understand how is it that he could live with himself and not suggest an incentive for me?
When I initially started this position (with a different executive) seven years ago, he offered me $100 a week tax free on tope of my salary -- granted I started out with only 35,000/year. It wasn't a whole lot, but it was acknowledgement and gratitude for my service.
When I first started working with the current executive, during the first couple of days after starting, I asked him about the possibility of me getting a bonus from the start, he said he'll sleep on it and after that, there was no mention of anything.
I'm so miserable and depressed about this, I need to express myself to him, but I'm afraid of showing him how desperate and sensitive I am to this situation. Any advice?
Should I just look for another job instead, or ask for a bonus or a raise?
The scary thing in a way is that we had a visit from two senior managers who wanted to know why the revenue had dropped so significantly compared to last year. So in essence, I'm a bit nervous about asking for a raise in this environment.
HELP!!!!!
admin answers:
No,
Don;t do it,
not a good time, and it sounds like business isn't exaclty booming.
Richard asks…
How to ask for a raise?
So, my GF is only making $12/hour, and isn't even getting 40 hours per week. She's been making the same pay for nearly three years, since she started at the company, and has yet to receive a raise. They have given her more responsibilities, and still nothing.
I keep telling her to ask for one, but she is too chicken to do it, and makes excuses that her boss is at another store about an hour away, so she never talks to him. Is it ok to ask over the phone, or in an email?
We live in the Bay Area, where she can't even pay rent on what she is earning. They just hired a new girl, and she's already earning $15/hr.
She works for a company that sells spa's and jacuzzi's, and I guess they've been doing pretty well this summer, considering the bad economy. Yet, times are getting tougher for my GF with bills, etc. She's in the customer service department, but there are only 3 people that do customer service for her. Originally, her job title was to just answer phones, but now she does the purchasing, ordering of parts, stocking the shelves, helping customers, and scheduling appointments and getting the service techs their work orders.
That's a lot of stuff to be doing, when she was originally hired to just answer the phones.
What do you guys think? Should she ask over the phone, or in an email? It's insulting to have somebody else hired on, to hear that they are making more than you are. Any tips, or suggestions?
Thanks for those who actually post a comment on my questions, and to hell with the people who post links to random things that have nothing to do with what I'm talking about.
I know we're in a recession, and she's thankful to have a job, but that doesn't mean they should pawn more work onto her, so that there jobs are easier, while they get raises from there bosses. Actually, that's good management, but what pisses us off, is that they hired a new girl that makes 20% more than she does right off the bat... now that's wrong... to work someone to death, then rub it in her face by hiring another person at a higher rate.
Richard, thanks for the answer. She doesn't get to see her boss... ever. He works at a different location. I guess the only way would be to go in on her off days, and hope that he is working that day.
They do envision her in their long term plans. They recently have been giving her training in other areas of the business, and the boss told her that he is extremely happy with her, and is surprised to learn how much she really does for the company. He likes how she just works, works, works, and doesn't stop until the job is done. (That should have been when she asked for the raise, but she was too chicken I guess.... it's like he was inviting her to ask him right there, but she didn't realize it at the time).
admin answers:
You ALWAYS request a raise in person!!!<<<<
But.....DON'T do this NOW! Reminder: We are in a world-wide Recession. Your gf should just be glad she still has a job!!
James asks…
how to ask for a raise with this job...?
okay so I accepted a temp to perm position a year and a half ago. I was supposed to go permanent in January. I was supposed to be able to get a better salary, bonus, I was supposed to make what the general market says I should make for my area. They did not hire me because the new owners bought out the corporation and did a hiring freeze... but it was supposed to be up in January. I have been working for a year and a half with no raise, no health care, no benefits nothing.
I'm actually making almost half of what I should be. I am collecting food stamps, my kid get free lunch at school, I get heating assistance. I had to stop paying my student loans, and my car just broke down, and I can't afford to fix it. I went to the bank and applied for a loan, and found out that my job cannot be considered as reliable employment because I am a temp. I am a single mom with a child. I do not have a way to get to the grocery store, or even to work!
I know the economy is bad, but I can't even pay back the student loans for the education that taught me how to use the software and do the job I'm doing.
How do I address these people? How do I ask for at least a raise? or to even go on a contract basis and skip the staffing agency? what do I do to move forward?
oh and I have yet to have any sort of review
I am making half of what the job market says I should be making.
admin answers:
Honestly, temp agencies are notorious for royally f**king people over. You should find a better/higher paying job. In most cases the temp agency "owns" you (quite literally) in contract form. And most employers don't buy out contracts from temp agencies as it would break the legal agreement between the agency and the employer. Temp agencies are just money stealing middle men that are basically outsourced jobs (outsourced from HR or a hiring dept of a company).
I highly doubt you will go permanent or ever get a raise but if you did you might have to inform the temp agency you want a raise and want to be reviewed, since as the middle men THEY have to steal a percentage of the raise IF you got one. The money has to come from somewhere right?? And it's not going to be out of the temp's own pocket.
Another thing is I can't imagine what job you had to go to college for and are making "so little money" & "½ of what you should be" but it doesn't sound like college was worth it.
Either way like another poster said there is a difference between making "½ of the industry standard in this job in your area" and ½ of what you think you should be making based on your need to pay bills or other people in similar jobs "claiming" (aka possibly lying) about their salary. People lie about their pay- A LOT!
Daniel asks…
How to ask for a raise so soon?
Ok, so I started this job a month ago. I worked for a very large steel company for over 2 1/2 years, always got raises, but they were like little nothing raises. Let's just say I never got to the next dollar amount by the time I left them. Kept giving me the economy is low crap.
Well, now I work for another very large steel company doing the same thing I was doing. Purchasing assistant...
When they interviewed me they asked what I was making at my last job, I told them a guess I had since I was "salary with overtime" So I really didn't know what my dollar amount was off the top of my head. They said they would match that pay. Well, after my interview I figured how much I was making. So when I came back for my drug test and everything, I spoke with the division manager, and he said that what they were paying me was fair for what I was doing. I disagree very much, judging by what I see in job adds. I told him that I read my paycheck wrong, and that I really needed him to match what I was making at my other job like he said. He told me that he couldn't promise anything, and that after a certain amount of time if I showed a great job performance, that a raise could happen. Then he left it at that.
Well, when I started they told me they had fired their receptionist, and asked if I could cover for about 1 week till they hire a new person. I said ok to that. Well, I am going on 4 weeks now, and am still answering phones. I am not happy! This is not what I was hired to do, and it is not going to give me a chance to show my true talents so I can earn that raise. We get paid every week, and I cry when I get my paycheck because I just can't believe how little it is. I need to make more money, and I know they can pay me more that what I am getting.
I have already started looking at other jobs in hopes something good will come up.
Does anyone have any advise on how to aproach a manager about an issue like this? Maybe some bosses on here have some advise?
Thanks!
admin answers:
You are being exploited but it is partly your own fault for going unprepared into the interview and for not being more assertive about the substitution of duties. However, if you want to stay there, you could tell the manager you would like to discuss a salary adjustment due to the change in job description. Otherwise, keep looking.
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