I know I am just being timid and need to break out of it - but I am going to approach my big boss (boss's boss's boss) for a raise. (I like to think we have a good relationship.)
We were talking the other day and he said "if this is about compensation, which believe me, I would love - LOVE - to talk to you about...".
I have been with the company for three years and got 1% increase total since I started. I don't think I'm paid an unfair wage, so I never rocked the boat. I truly and foolishly believed them when they said they didn't have the budget for increases and no one was getting them.
Now I've been hearing that everyone but me has gotten at least something. Granted, they could be making less than me and are getting increases to make them more on par with their level as they get promoted or whatnot.
Sigh - so I need to talk to him about it, I just don't know how to say "you said let's talk -- so let's talk."


Re: Asking for more money
Good luck! Just stay on the facts and don't bring in emotion and if he is a logical person, he'll get it.
I, like you totally believed the "we don't have the budget for raise increases, if we get a grant everyone will get a raise" story and never went to my boss and asked for a raise so I ALSO got a 1.5% raise in 3 years there, and believe me when I found out that every other person in the lab had been getting their annual raises automatically I was furious! being the gossipy environment it was, my shock when I found out I wasn't getting the raises others were automatically getting went straight to the boss through people and the response came back to me also. Her response?: "well she never came to me and asked for it."
So I know that in my future jobs, I will be demanding a yearly review.
The problem with my lab was that people were getting funded by different sources, some were getting paid through the universities, some through the government and I was through another small agency, but we all worked in the same lab. Others got yearly reviews and raises, mine didn't have a yearly review, my boss just signed something that yes she is still working here.... I've certainly learned my lesson.
Good luck and please post what happens. I am curious to see how he responds.
that was totally me in my last position also.
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