#salarynegotiation #missingsalary #workpay #careeradvice
Are you facing a situation where you and your manager agreed on a salary increase, only for them to back out later on? 🤔 It can be frustrating and disheartening to feel like your hard work and value are not being recognized. But fret not, as there are steps you can take to address this issue and ensure that you are fairly compensated for your efforts. Here’s what you can do in this tricky situation:
Communicate Clearly
If you find yourself in a position where the salary increase you were promised is now being replaced with a bonus, it’s essential to communicate your concerns clearly and assertively. Schedule a meeting with your manager and director to discuss the discrepancy and highlight the previous agreement that was made. Make sure to remain professional and articulate your points calmly but firmly.
Provide Evidence of Agreement
During your meeting, it might be helpful to provide evidence of the initial agreement that was made regarding your salary increase. This could be in the form of emails, meeting notes, or any other documented communication that supports your claim. By presenting tangible evidence, you can strengthen your case and show that there was a mutual understanding in place.
Seek Support from HR
If you are unable to resolve the issue directly with your manager and director, consider reaching out to the HR department for support. HR can help facilitate discussions between you and your superiors and ensure that a fair and transparent process is followed in addressing the salary discrepancy. They can also provide valuable advice on how to navigate the situation effectively.
Consider Your Options
If despite your efforts, the salary increase you were promised is still not being honored, it might be time to reassess your options. This could involve exploring alternative career opportunities or seeking advice from a career coach or mentor. Remember, you deserve to be fairly compensated for your contributions and should not settle for less than what you are worth.
In conclusion, if you find yourself in a situation where your agreed-upon salary increase is not being given to you, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to address the issue. By communicating clearly, providing evidence of the agreement, seeking support from HR, and considering your options, you can navigate this challenging situation with confidence and assertiveness. Stay true to your worth and value, and don’t be afraid to advocate for fair compensation in your workplace. It’s your right to be paid what you deserve! 💪🏼🌟
Yeah, that’s pretty lame, but nothing surprises me anymore. At the end of the day it’s about leverage (even though it should be about ethics, integrity, and doing “what’s right”).
Can you afford to leave? Can they afford to lose you?
*”but now I’m getting a bonus, for this year, to meet the amount I asked for.”*
You have gotten the money you asked for, which means they found a way to make it work.
It is likely that the decision isn’t within their hands. They have some cards they can play with leadership, hence the bonus, but eventually they are also bound by regulations and rules imposed by upper management.
In large companies, your manager and director are not the ones who ultimately approve your raise. They are rather the ones who recommend you for a raise, subject to approval from their superiors.
My guess after 20 years of setting salaries in F500’s:
They agreed to your increase without the authority to do so.
They got their hands slapped.
The one time bonus is an olive branch.
Take the bonus, ramp up the external search if you think you can land one of the higher paying jobs. Best case you get a higher paying job, worst case you find out you can’t but you got a bonus.
If it wasn’t in writing it didn’t happen.
Always get everything in writing. Most of the time oral contracts are hard to prove.
If it wasn’t agreed upon in writing during the time or afterwards then it never happened.
My supervisor put a contract in front of me to sign (to go onto a fulltime contract), I told him that it wasn’t the pay or role we discussed, he directed me to his supervisor. She said I asked at just the right time before budget is being set, and she would urgently go see HR to get extra money organised. Fast forward 1 week, I ask for an update, silence. My original manager comes back to me and says that they can’t offer me the more senior role until doing a ‘business study’ to justify it, and gave me a small bonus of about $3000 which only put me back on par with my colleagues.
Honestly I’m so checked-out of this job right now, I’ve completely pulled back on any of the extra duties I was taking care of (helping to supervisor etc). After the way I was treated, it has completely broken down any positive relationship I had with my boss.
As others have said, the people you spoke to must not have had the authority to offer what you all spoke about.
I’ve been in my job 7 years.
We were a team of 5, I am the only one remaining after these years (they retired), the people that were supposed to replace them didn’t meet expectations, and at various points, I was doing the work of 5 people.
The co-workers who replaced them thought I was making big money (since I was doing all the work), when I was doing less than them.
My salary increases during that time? 0% or 2% a year.
Every anual revision, they would tell me how happy they were with me, but that unfortunately, there was no money to give me a proper raise. At most they gave $750 anual bonus.
I was promoted during that period, for a whopping 0% increase.
Finally, I am changing companies, and I am getting a pay raise of 50%. And now, they are willing to do a counter offer.
Not because I am indispensable to them (because I have been during these years), but because there is someone else willing to pay more.
So, what’s the take of the story? If you want a raise, get a job offer that you are willing to go for.
Then, you’ll have real negotiation power.
It is sad truly, because I’d love to work for a company, and get rewarded accordingly by the value you produce instead of having to jump jobs. But it is what it is.
Time to jump ship. Take the bonus, and start searching for a new job. Best way to get a raise is to leave. If you’re good enough or they need someone bad enough you can potentially come back and renegotiate salary expectations then.
Take the bonus and time your exit for when it hits your bank account. That is the appropriate response.
Here’s what they’re up against – they agree with you that you’re worth more. They tried to get you a raise. They couldn’t get you a raise out of cycle – this is completely fucking normal – Directors, VPs, even SVP and EVP’s get overruled by the CFO or other decision maker in the chain like this all the time. So, you end up with a bonus to ensure your retention – it’s the best they can do.
If I were you, I’d take the bonus and set a clear expectation that in the next comp cycle you get what you asked for – and be stern about it. They can help you then, assuming they have the budget. Other people you work with may get F’d as a result… but that’s the way it goes.
Source: I’m an executive that has to deal with things like this all the time. Budgets matter. They especially matter if your industry has some headwind or performance against expectation or annual operational plan is tight.
The old we’ll give you a bonus and not a raise trick.
The jerks at my old job did this. I wanted $10k because i was underpaid or I was gonna leave.
They said they’d give me a retention bonus instead. $10k payable in 3 months. I get my money, they get their employee. Everybody happy.
3 months came around and they gave me half. I was told I can’t get bonuses for no reason so had to earn the rest.
Got my remaining 5k 3 months later.
I should have found a new job and quit in those first 3 months. Covid came along and I was stuck there for ages longer because I was too cautious to leave. Don’t be like me.
Take the bonus and then look for another job.
The bonus means you got the raise for this year. That give you a full year to find another job.
Perfect!
If they were overruled by a higher up wouldn’t they just say that when they presented a bonus as an alternative?
It’s cheaper to pay a bonus than a salary increase. Sounds crazy, but corporate math does financial gymnastics that would make Olympic judges proud. If someone is let go, it’s less to pay out. Less overhead on the books. The bonus comes out of a different “bucket” and is easier to pay out of.
The issue is closed for them until you bring it up, which they are thinking it will be after they move up or leave.
Have you got evidence of other roles similar to yours and their salaries? Have you also gone through your JD and looked at what you are doing above and beyond your current role or anything different that warrants a pay rise.
So if it’s really a problem, look for another job. And/or talk to them about how you’ll be compensated next year if you’re getting a bonus now. Just because you agreed with them about what you should be paid, doesn’t mean they have the power to actually get you that number. They made a recommendation, someone else said no or said we can do this with a bonus. It happens, but then decide if you want to stay or not.
Nowhere do I see where it’s said they agreed to pay you what you all apparently feel you deserve. They said they agree that’s what you deserved.
I would look for another job and eventually move on. UNLESS you are already being paid very well. If it is under a 75K a year job currently then start looking. If over 75K a year and you enjoy working there then roll with the punches. They likely know you won’t bother to go any where else whixh ia why they chose to put your pay raise in the form of a bonus. That bonus will be taxed more as well.
In anything but a mom & pop small business, your boss doesn’t set your pay. Your boss can’t promise you a raise or promotion. They can agree that you deserve more pay, or a promotion, but the only things they can do about it is express that to their managers and HR. Ultimately, HR does it if a C-level executive or designate thereof requests it and signs off on it.
I think you misinterpreted their agreement with you that you deserve more money as promise for a raise. That’s not something they can do. If they agreed with you, it’s very likely that they contacted HR and their managers to make a request. If the senior executive decides it wasn’t in the budget, or HR tells them they strongly believe that it’s not appropriate, then the request will simply not go anywhere.
If you strongly believe that you are under-compensated, you should look to see if you can get better pay elsewhere. If you can, then go there.
Did you have this mutual agreement in writing?
And did all parties have the authority within the company to authorize your pay request?
Take the bonus, ramp up, start looking for another job.
There isn’t really much they can do, sometimes it’s just beurecracy and they can’t adjust or increase you salary
Take the bonus, say thank you, keep searching for your next job with a smile on your face. Take your wins wherever you can.
A 2 month stress leave should accomplish 2 things. It will show the company a) whether or not you are worth the money (is it easy to survive without you and b) that you’re pissed and you’re serious that if you don’t get the money there will be repercussions.
If I were you, I’d push back and remind them of the agreement you all reached. Maybe you could schedule another meeting to discuss it further and make sure they understand where you’re coming from. I’d just suggest ScatterMind an ADHD coach helped my friend actually execute and launch their first business. Might be worth checking out.
You may want to start looking for new jobs. But don’t burn bridges since they had at least fought for a bonus adjustment to meet your asking price.