Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Am I Wrong Here?
I've been with this company for just about 7 years. I haven't seen a raise (well, minus last years whole twenty five cents) in 3.5 years. They say every year "We can't afford raises this year". The beginning of this year we hired this cocky salesman. They are paying him more money than God and his expenses are through the roof (i.e. he burns through his $5000 credit limit on his company cc before the month is even up). They have told everyone else to cut back on their expenses, but this guy is a jerkoff, but no one says anything to him. His sales don't even cover a quarter of what he's making, including his expenses.
Now we have one of the sons prissy stuck up, the world owes me for having 4 kids that I can't control, wife who has started bugging BL (who mind you has no authority on this subject) to put get her an iPhone on AT&T (company uses Verizon, but she "needs" an iPhone, mind you she doesn't work at all) not only for her, but her husband too (who has issues using the regular cell phone he has now through the company). SHE doesn't f*cking work here, we do not pay for anything for any of the other wives stuff, they pay for their own things themselves, the sons and the owner (those are his kids) make sh*t tons of money so I know they can very well afford it. She goes to the service/gas station the company has an account at and fills her tank, gets her van fixed, what have you whenever she wants NOTHING gets said EVER, but the accountant (one of the brothers) b*tches about it. She takes our office supplies for her house, our stamps, EVERYTHING she needs, when they eat out, they put it on the company cc. WTF?!
It just pisses me off that I see them monthly fork out all this non-necessary extra money and yet tell all the employees (who aren't family) that they can't afford raises. I love this place and the people (for the most part) in it, but enough is enough in my eyes. I told BL that I'm giving them until the beginning of next year (when raises would normally be issued) and if we get told again that raises aren't an option, I am going to sit down with the owner and ask why and bring up all the spending. I obviously would never go in there as a raving lunatic, I don't even know how I would go about it since I never have spoken up for myself but I make the least money of everyone here and I do just about as much as BL does and she makes double. (Seriously, living off $12/hr, salary is getting old).
Am I being a b*tch about this or do I have good reason to be fed up and how would you go about it, or is it not my place to open my mouth?
Re: Am I Wrong Here?
Nope. I have a problem with company owners flaunting waste and excess but not taking care of their employees. You have a reasonable concern. I don't know how well they will take your concerns, but I believe its right to stand up for yourself.
(My boss tells us all he doesn't draw a salary, etc. . . . total bs. He takes a significant chunck out of the office every month which is going to put us into financial ruin if he continues. I had to tell him to stop lying because no one cares.)
That's where they're sly though, like with Queen B*tches cell phone she wants, the accountant (who is a brother, and b*tches) told BL to put it under the company name. It's just SO frusturating then to have BL tell me there's nothing I can do about it and to not say anything pisses me off even more.
As someone who deals with this quite extensively, it is not totally illegal. Depending on how the company is set up, she could be listed as a part owner or share holder, as such any monies distributed directly to her (ie cell phone, car repairs) can be classified as a distribution to her wages. They probably are not, they are probably classified as "business expenses", but since they are not a public company, who besides them is watching what they are doing with their money?
Sherri, I cannot even tell you how much I an relate to this post. My salary was just cut, my boss pulls a HUGE annual salary, plus has taken millions out of the company accounts for "distributions" so far this year AND racks up thousands on the company card every month. He blew what he cut from my annual pay on ONE TRIP he took last month. I am so sorry. There are things that suck about working for public companies and things that suck about working for private ones
I feel for ya I work for a family owned company right now, and worked for the ex's families compnay for 4 years...so Ive seen it.
I would for sure bring it up if you dont get a raise again. thts jsut crazy.
I havent gotten a raise in about 2 years, but I make waaaaay more then most other poeple would in my position, so I dont say anything. I couldnt go to another co and do what I do and get paid what I do.
No, I think it just stinks! I'm sorry! We don't see that much overspending here-fortunately-but we've all taken pay cuts. I've not seen a raise since I got here over 4 yrs ago. I'm sure it really is hard, esp when you see the expense reports-or the like...
That is super frustrating and I think you'll feel better if you have a friendly conversation with them about it. Don't get defensive because it will make them defensive, but basically I'd say something like.
"I wanted to talk to you about my growth here. You know that I've been working here for XX years and I consider you guys like a second family to me. I'm worked really hard to learn as much as I can about the company and I truly lose sleep sometimes over supporting you all as best as I can. I'm all about self-improvement and I was wondering if we can work together to set a plan in place to bring up my hourly wage up, based on performance of course."
At which point they say, "No raise, blah blah, excuses excuses."
Then I'd say,"I completely understand that budgets are tight, but I see extras being given to some of my colleagues and it makes me think that I'm doing something wrong. I'm sure you can understand why that's a little bit frustrating to me. That's why I wanted to set a plan in place with you so I could focus on my performance because I'd really like a pay raise for all the extra skills I bring to XYZ Company. On a personal level, M and I are buying a house and although that's not the reason I think I deserve a raise, it does make me focus more on my financial situation than I have for the past XX years I've worked here."
Write your "talking points" and then practice them on Mark so you are completely comfortable and confident during the convo. It may be awk, but at the beginning of a new year is the best time to bring this stuff up because people are proactively thinking into the future and setting goals for themselves. Doing it at that time might reduce the awkwardness.
(PS I'm sure, although it's unethical, they are expensing the cell phone, etc in a way that takes advantage of legal loopholes so it is completely lawful. Suckage.)
Side note: I actually asked for a promotion today and got shot down but it wasn't awkward because I kept the convo light and even opened with, "I'm telling you this as my friend, not my boss, but im frustrated b/c i do twice the work of other people with more senior titles than me and i havent gotten a promotion yet. how would you deal with that if you were me? i know they say people my age are entitled and always looking for gratification and I hope you'd tell me if I was being like that, but I just wanted to tell you how I was feeling." This made him tell me, "no, youre not entitled, you deserve a promotion." and also he explained why I haven't gotten a promotion yet (It was frozen company-wide because our revenues suck) but when that company-wide policy changes I'm first in line for one. It was very non-confrontational and not awkward at all. That's how you've got to keep it, IMO.
Yep - Twink is on the money. Like she always is. Bringing up your personal goals is no way unprofessional. It shows that if they want to keep you, they need to give you some incentive . . . because you're not just going to give up on buying a house, having children, or saving for retirement. I bring them up at my review every year (I'm still underpaid, but I've received decent raises every year).