Time For A Raise?

[Deleted]

That would be your loss. That is a scenario where the employee can do nothing but win. At best probably an even wash for the employer...depending on the cost of training.

Also not accepting a job offer shouldn't effect your character.

Not accepting a job offer doesnt.

Walking into your boss office and saying "give payrise of ill leave as i have this offer" then not leaving when you dont get the rise does.

I would also not have staff who are going to drop and jump ship every time they demand a pay rise too. If they deserve one they will get one. Hell i've had ~9% pay rise in the last year due to my performance. But then i deserved it. If you going to sit there and be average, you wont get a payrise for free

[poser765]

Not accepting a job offer doesnt.

Walking into your boss office and saying "give payrise of ill leave as i have this offer" then not leaving when you dont get the rise does.

I would also not have staff who are going to drop and jump ship every time they demand a pay rise too. If they deserve one they will get one. Hell i've had ~9% pay rise in the last year due to my performance. But then i deserved it. If you going to sit there and be average, you wont get a payrise for free

OK, yeah that would be stupid. If you are going to play that card, be willing to play the whole hand.

Yeah, but if someone offers them a job doing the same thing for money that means someone thinks they are worth more money. All things being equal, if I am with Company A and Company B offers me more money to do the same job, I would be a fool not to take it. There is nothing at all unethical about providing Company A with the opportunity to retain me at the wages Company B is offering. IF you think they are a shit employee, let them go, by all means, but if you value their work, they have done nothing at all with providing you with the offer. You can't fault someone for wanting to better themselves.

[Kathandira]

So a little background about me and the company. A small (60-70 employees) oil and gas company that does plan work for pipelines out in Alberta. I am a drafter for the company so I am using CAD all day (civil engineering technologist degree).

Three years ago is when the company was founded, with 4 employees. As mentioned above, we're at about 60. We've also hired 4 new people in the last 3 weeks in the office I work out of. When I first started, we were in an office that was about 1200 sqft and now and for about two months, we're in an office that's about 3000 sqft. We are almost to the point where the office is full and may need to move next year. Not to mention we are crazy busy (55 hours/week for the last few weeks and that's still not enough to keep up with the workload)

I've been working with them for a year and a month now. After my probation period was up (3 months) I was given a $1.00/h raise. I haven't had any discussions with my boss about a raise, nor about receiving a bonus (something mentioned to me when I first started and that should have been handed out by now). I have never been shy about working overtime by coming in early or staying late or coming in on weekends. I meet my deadlines before their due and my work is generally with only but a few errors (our work goes through several stages of "checking" and mine comes back pretty clean).

I'm wondering if I should be asking for a raise soon (thinking about waiting till September and if I haven't heard anything I would ask). If I do ask, what is a respectable amount to get?

Thoughts?

If you have a contract which states you would received annual raises, then sure. Otherwise, aside from putting in a few extra hours, you have been doing your job as expected. If it isn't in your contact, raises are based on merit. From your brief description, I don't feel as though a raise is in order.

However, if you were promised annual bonuses and have not received a review and a discussion regarding that bonus. I would talk to your management about that.

[Kuntantee]

What if he's getting $200k a year and is mad about his raise? That's a different feeling than him earning $35k a year working 55 hours a week using his high level knowledge, isn't it?

I very much doubt that's the case. You can't find many people on earth who earns 200k a year and complain about it in a forum.

[Zvinny]

If you have a contract which states you would received annual raises, then sure. Otherwise, aside from putting in a few extra hours, you have been doing your job as expected. If it isn't in your contact, raises are based on merit. From your brief description, I don't feel as though a raise is in order.

However, if you were promised annual bonuses and have not received a review and a discussion regarding that bonus. I would talk to your management about that.

Putting in 15 hours a week extra, coming in early, staying late and working on weekends sounds to me like going a little above what is required. Especially if you're beating deadlines and doing almost error free work.

[THE Bigzoman]

Assuming everything you've said is true you deserve at least a raise that keeps up with inflation.

[Deleted]

He's explaining that you deserve a raise.

To be exact you should start getting invlation compensation. Say the annual inflation rate is about 2.5% / that is quite accurate for western countries). In order to have the same income per year meaning net income you can spend on stuff without actually losing value you need a rase per year that equals the inflation rate. Now, that isnt a raise per se because the term raise means you get more money. If you earn 100,000$ per year you should earn 102,500$ in the following to have the same amount of value to spend on stuff. If you had a raise, after 2 years up to 110, 000$ then you have a raise.

In sum, except for top earners the average joe loses money each year while doing the same amount of work. Yes ....the average joe gets ripped of.

[Nirawen]

Ask the relevant management about the possibility of a raise in the near future. If you don't want to come across as pushy/too forward (which shouldn't be an issue) then mention that you're inquiring because you're setting up some long term finance management, as a bonus they may see it as being responsible and looking to stay with the company.

[Tailswipe]

I don't know how it works in civil engineering firms but isn't using a technologist as a draughtsman seen as a waste of resources?

[INVASMANIXOXOXO]

Yes, it sounds like this guy is underpaid. But the people saying he should be getting raises directly proportional to inflation/the company's fortune should also be championing for a pay cut if there is deflation or his company is in hard times. I think people deserve to have their wages keep up with the cost of living, but there are a lot of reasons this doesn't happen. Wages are sticky, this is basic economics. The deeper issue with falling real wages in the past 50 years is actually higher costs of production and the lower capital labor ratio, due to in part a huge rise in population and a retarded increase in gas prices. If you think low skill wages (again not talking specific to this guy, to me it sounds like its time to move on) will retain their purchasing power with an increase in labor available or a constriction of resources, you don't understand economics. The opposite situation we have playing out today is the black or bubonic plague or whatever in Europe. Something wipes out 1/3 of the labor force, the wages and financial situation of those who survived actually dramatically increased especially for peasants. Some say it even launched the renaissance.

[Tileyfa]

SNIP... The opposite situation we have playing out today is the black or bubonic plague or whatever in Europe. Something wipes out 1/3 of the labor force, the wages and financial situation of those who survived actually dramatically increased especially for peasants. Some say it even launched the renaissance.

At the risk of sounding heartless, this sounds like the 1st pro I've heard for letting the anti-vaccination people continue being idiots. Wage increases for the survivors!

[Velky]

I don't know how it works in civil engineering firms but isn't using a technologist as a draughtsman seen as a waste of resources?

I did road work the year before as a field inspector (managing new underground services) but I didn't really like the outdoor work as much as I do working in doors.

Other work I could do is testing materials but again, I really enjoy what I"m doing now.

[williamarsh]

You should get a bonus at least once a year

[Deadmedic]

review periods and pay rate increases should be something a company goes over with you when you start, imo, if you dont know when or if you ever will be getting a pay increase you should speak with your employer about it. i would hate to work someplace for more than a year without some kind of pay increase or even a mention of if it would happen.

for me personally, i know my review dates, the amounts it will increase if i meet expectations and even what the top of the pay scale is for my position. this is normal employee orientation stuff. i knew week 1 of my job.

[Velky]

The issue I guess is that I have never had a yearly review or whatever. We were supposed to do it near the new year but never got around to it. About a month ago we had a office meeting and he said he'd have a meeting with myself and the other guy that didn't get his review.

[Deadmedic]

so hes slacking on your review, i would def bring up when its gonna happen, most places wont post date pay increases, so yeah

[Rixis]

The issue I guess is that I have never had a yearly review or whatever. We were supposed to do it near the new year but never got around to it. About a month ago we had a office meeting and he said he'd have a meeting with myself and the other guy that didn't get his review.

If he's brought it up himself recently, remind him.

[Velky]

So a little update.

I went out for lunch with him Wednesday and he gave me a review. He said I'm doing great, no issues at all.

He will send in paper work to the head office with what he thinks is an appropriate raise and I should hear back in a few weeks.