Mtg with the boss...advice needed.

bmstee03

This may be long so please stick with me.

 When I accepted my position I was told that I would make $12/hour for the first 6 months during my trial period. I would be evaluated at the end of that period and we would discuss my wages then and if I performed as expected I would get a raise (we were in a wage freeze when this promise was made). 6 months later I have my evaluation and received excellent scores in every category. When I ask about wages I am told that we are in a wage freeze so there is nothing they can do about it but they are really trying to push an increase through for me. I am in charge of payroll so I get to process other peoples raises after this happened. I can not quit because we cant afford for me not to work and there is nothing else.

Now it is a year later, my job duties have increased ten fold and the wage freeze is lifted. Again I get a review with all excellent scores. I am given a 40 cent raise. Again I have to process other peoples raises that are more than mine when they have been here for less than a year. It sucks.

I have scheduled a meeting with my boss next week. I feel like I have been taken advantage of and I'm not sure what to do. I have always had employers who were more than fair with wage increases. I am constantly told that I do good work and am one of the most trusted people on staff. If I am so important then why don't they pay me like I'm important???

I know I am going to cry. When I get emotional about something I always cry. I have been trying to think about what I am going to say so that can hopefully avoid the tears.

Any advice would be appreciated.

MrsBalletStar05

All I can say is that I think you are doing the right thing by requesting a meeting and also by practicing/rehearsing what you are going to say!  Keep at it and hopefully you won't cry too much :-)  I understand, I sometimes cry when I get worked up over something too. 

JamieSF

I'm sorry that you feel like your employer is taking advantage of you. I have been in that position and I know that it feels awful.

 

I suggest that you let yourself feel mad and sad about your raise, and then step back and try to tackle this from a different angle. Forget about the promised raise from when you were hired, and start thinking about the industry norm for pay for your type of position and your value to the company. When you go to talk with your boss about a raise, focus on the roles that you fill for the company, and the value of those roles.

 

It sounds like you process payroll, but maybe you also do task of an office manager or some other role. Focus on the ways that you add value. I think that this article has some good tips: https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/04/11/10-tips-for-negotiating-a-raise

 

Good luck!

CER+MEL

What you wrote here is a good start.  I'd jot down some notes about why you feel you deserve a bigger pay increase such as the specific responsibilites that have been added to your position and accomplishments you've made so you can be detailed and persuasive in your request.  Run through what you want to say out loud to somebody beforehand to avoid the waterworks.  I think presenting yourself as self-assured and professional as possible is in your best interest. Maybe also look into what your alternatives to this job really are, like how you could cut your budget and/or dip into some savings to stay home, not so you can actually do that but so it's not in your mind that you have absolutely no other options.  Good luck!

Emilia0101

I would just try highlight that 12.00 per hour was under the conditions of the original responsibilities and now that your duties have increased you are happy to continue to learn new job duties but would like the original evaluation of pay to be taken into consideration. I find being upfront is always the best way to be.

KerryHS

DO NOT CRY. Schedule the meeting and let your boss know why you are meeting.  Don't blindside him/her.

My boss is extremely touchy about money.  It is almost as if she thinks of it as her money.  It is sort of a bizarre reaction.  When I told her that I wanted to schedule a meeting to talk to her about my compensation her initial response was "You can talk all you want, but you aren't getting a raise"  Needless to say, I was a little daunted about having the meeting with her, but I did it anyway.   I prepared a power point presentation and she agreed to take it to her VP.  Well, our first meeting happened in October 2009.  It took a few months, but in 2010 I received not one, but three raises and that was AFTER I told them I was pregnant.  I was sure that telling them I was pregnant would cost me some raises, but it didn't.  Just go in prepared and DO NOT CRY.

Good luck!!!

vmm0016

I am in a similar boat.  We have been in a hiring freeze for 3 years but some people have still gotten raises.  Just be prepared for them to say no.  I know it is not what you want to hear but I did all the stuff everyone else mentioned, I didn't cry and I got shot down.