A 5% raise makes me angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The military is only getting a 1.4% raise. They put their live on the lines for you to sit around bitching about a 5% raise. Shut up

The military also gets tax-free BAH or free housing, tax-free pay in combat zones, socialized health care and no threat of getting fired even though salaries, technically, are low enough to qualify many families for the EITC. You can't compare apples to oranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The military is only getting a 1.4% raise. They put their live on the lines for you to sit around bitching about a 5% raise. Shut up

So based on this rationale, no one can ever complain about a raise that is greater than the military receives? You are kind of ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Ah, what a thread -- women helping women. . .

I wonder what the tone would be like for the same question on a male-dominated forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My company has had a booming year, and the raise pool I was allowed to distribute among my staff and myself was 2.5%. The company itself was purchased by an equity firm last year, and this firm has a heavy debt load as a result of the purchase. So even though we have roughly doubled our business in the past 12 months (because of HARD work), the staff is getting screwed on raises. If you have an issue with your raise, take it up with your manager. But you may find a boss like me who has hands tied with regard to increasing salaries. Good luck.

Sounds familiar. My company (a public company so there are shareholders to answer to as well) is giving us 1% to distribute. I don't think it reflects company performance but more of a conservative approach to management and uncertainty in the coming year. And as others have pointed out the job market isn't so hot right now so I assume they are betting on low flight risk.

[Anonymous]

Wow, OP, five pages. I haven't read the comments.

I've not had a raise in a few years now, but unlike your situation, my company is clearly struggling and, while it hurts, it's different. If your company is truly suceeding, and you are too, by all means say something. My former boss used to say that she lost sleep before my annual reviews because I was a tough negotiator. This has obvious drawbacks -- you've got to be very sure of your value before you start giving people heartburn about keeping you.

You also have to be open to true negotiations, where maybe you don't get exactly what you want, but you get other things. When my company was unable to give me a raise three years ago, I negotiated more time off. Last year, no raise AND no bonus, so I negotiated four months paid maternity leave. If nothing else, this prevented me from feeling undervalued, which is demeaning and frustrating and would reduce my quality of life (as well as keep my paycheck stagnant). This year, instead of getting a raise, I'm working at 80 percent. These are perhaps the kinds of concessions that we, as women, might make that men do not, thus contributing to paycheck inequality, but to me it's worth it for my big life picture. I am always careful that these are temporary solutions and I don't lock myself into something or get myself put on the mommy-track. That means I have to be as aggressive as ever and perform at a top caliber. It sounds like you do the latter, but maybe don't do the former. Aggression is key. And yes, sometimes an aggressive woman gets called a "bitch," but remember Amy Pohler and Tina Fey on SNL responding to claims that HIllary Clinton is "a bitch?" they said "Bitches get things DONE."

Full disclosure: I'm a lobbyist and make just 100K and change, so it's not like I've got these people bent over; I know I"m underpaid for what I do, but I work for a trade association in a for-profit industry, so unless I wanted to go to a member company (and make more money but have reduced quality of life) I have to accept that being underpaid by industry standards is part of the job.

Good luck to you! I hope you get the pay and perks you deserve.

If you are contributing to a healthy bottom line in this economy, you deserve to share in the dividends of that accomplishment.

[Anonymous]

pp, I don't mind being a bitch if I have to, but how do you become such a tough negotiator that it makes your superiors antsy? I kind of like that thought. I think I am lacking real tangible thoughts on how to do that... Mostly because there is always the fear that the aggressiveness would lead to backlash in some other form. I am convinced my immediate supervisor (a stereotypical female boss, if I can characterize her that way) would take things personally.

[Anonymous]

Can you ask what the average raise was across the company? Last year I got what I thought was a low raise, until my boss said that it was a full percentage higher than the average raise across the company.

With that said, I agree that many women are not aggressive enough when they move jobs and negotiate their base salary. That's actually the most important number because most raises and bonuses are calculated as a percent of your base salary.

[Anonymous]

I'm the OP. Somehow, with just three applications out (and I don't dare claim this is just because I'm so great), I managed to find another job that is going to pay me more with better benefits and better advancement potential.

Just wanted to share this in case it inspires anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Got no raise in 2009, and a crappy 2.67% one this year. Yet I'm so happy to be employed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got a 5% raise, but I don't feel grateful. I feel insulted. In spite of the economy and the thought that I should be happy to just be employed, I see my company's business booming, I've been working harder than ever, and I have very much contributed to the growing bottom line by offering a skill set that that no one else in the company possesses (this has allowed them to take in new business they previously couldn't). It also doesn't help that I feel generally underpaid. In the back of my mind, I hear the voice of feminists past saying, "This is why women don't make money. They don't speak up and advocate for themselves when they need to." But then I hear the voice of all the unemployed saying, "Be glad you have a job and got a raise at all. Now shut up." I'm looking for some outside perspective.

OPn the count of three, let's all shed one tear for the Princess--one-half tear per eye. My parent are on SS and didn't get a single dime for COL and the COL sure as hell went up. Stop your whining. You make me want to throw up all over you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Somehow, with just three applications out (and I don't dare claim this is just because I'm so great), I managed to find another job that is going to pay me more with better benefits and better advancement potential.

Just wanted to share this in case it inspires anyone else.

Congratulations, OP!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just got a 5% raise, but I don't feel grateful. I feel insulted. In spite of the economy and the thought that I should be happy to just be employed, I see my company's business booming, I've been working harder than ever, and I have very much contributed to the growing bottom line by offering a skill set that that no one else in the company possesses (this has allowed them to take in new business they previously couldn't). It also doesn't help that I feel generally underpaid. In the back of my mind, I hear the voice of feminists past saying, "This is why women don't make money. They don't speak up and advocate for themselves when they need to." But then I hear the voice of all the unemployed saying, "Be glad you have a job and got a raise at all. Now shut up." I'm looking for some outside perspective.

OPn the count of three, let's all shed one tear for the Princess--one-half tear per eye. My parent are on SS and didn't get a single dime for COL and the COL sure as hell went up. Stop your whining. You make me want to throw up all over you.

no offense, but just because someone pissed in your coffee doesn't mean we all have to be equally as miserable.

[Anonymous]

Wow - all I can say is wow.

My former colleagues are *finally* getting a raise after more than TWO YEARS of pay freeze. I'd be in that boat too if I hadn't become a SAHM for a while and even in our best years we never got more than a 5% raise.....

I haven't read this whole thread (who has the time!) but I'm guessing whatever line of work you're in, you're in it for the money, aren't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. Somehow, with just three applications out (and I don't dare claim this is just because I'm so great), I managed to find another job that is going to pay me more with better benefits and better advancement potential.

Just wanted to share this in case it inspires anyone else.

In a bad economy or bad times for any sizable company, they will cap merit increases to claw back wage costs. Therefore the only way to advance significantly is to get a promotion or a job at a new company. Good for you if you can get the new job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The military is only getting a 1.4% raise. They put their live on the lines for you to sit around bitching about a 5% raise. Shut up

My sentiments exactly