Frustrated at work – need advice on path forward

[Anonymous]

About 2.5 years ago I was promoted within my company to my current position and got about a 20% pay raise. About the same time my company underwent a process where they standardized everyone’s title to match their job code/pay grade. As it turns out my post-promotion title (and thus pay grade/job code) was mapped based on my pre-promotion title. At that point, my boss said he would have the title updated, but that never panned out. I didn’t really care at that point because the pay was in line with what I wanted.

The job code/title matters because each job code has a different pay band with a different midpoint amount. So now, here I am at the lower title, almost topped out at my current pay band and have received raises only in line with inflation since I was promoted 2.5 years ago, since the HR compensation system says I am “at market” based on my current title/job code.

Fast forward to late-winter 2017……….

During my annual review, I had a conversation with my boss about this topic and having my title changed to what it should be. Due to some life circumstances in the first year after promotion I was not performing my best, made some mistakes in my work, etc., so he said he could not get that change through his supervisor. Fine. I asked him when it was best to re-approach the topic and I was told in about three months.

Fast forward to early-summer 2017……….

I had a conversation with my boss about the same topic and he said he would not be opposed to changing the title, but he still felt I didn’t have a good enough understanding of the business, as my job requires. In my head, I disagreed with his assessment that my understanding of the business was not up to par, so I left that meeting frustrated.

Fast forward to present time……….

My department underwent a minor reorganization where I now have a new supervisor (in between me and my previous boss above). I have not brought up the topic again since early-summer 2017. I know my performance and understanding of the business has improved since previous conversations. In addition, I have currently been taking on a new project, and was given additional responsibility/work (taking over tasks from another person who changed jobs within the company) since previous conversations.

At the end of the day, the difference of what my pay is and where it should be is about 10%. I know this because my position has access to salaries for the entire company, I know what peers make, I have done salary-estimates on various websites (Glassdoor, Payscale, etc.) that support the higher salary. I enjoy working for this company and my current position, but believe I am underpaid.

So I am frustrated by the path forward:

1. Do I approach the topic again with previous boss?
2. Do I approach the topic (and explain back story) to current boss, who would then have to bring it up to my previous boss?
3. Do I wait until my annual review in late-winter 2018?
4. Do I look for another job? (I have been casually and have found nothing that peaked my interest)
5. Do something else I am not thinking of?

Need your wisdom DCUM!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About 2.5 years ago I was promoted within my company to my current position and got about a 20% pay raise. About the same time my company underwent a process where they standardized everyone’s title to match their job code/pay grade. As it turns out my post-promotion title (and thus pay grade/job code) was mapped based on my pre-promotion title. At that point, my boss said he would have the title updated, but that never panned out. I didn’t really care at that point because the pay was in line with what I wanted.

The job code/title matters because each job code has a different pay band with a different midpoint amount. So now, here I am at the lower title, almost topped out at my current pay band and have received raises only in line with inflation since I was promoted 2.5 years ago, since the HR compensation system says I am “at market” based on my current title/job code.

Do you have any documentation of the original error? If so, take it to HR. The correct information in the standardization process would not have been based on future performance and therefore your boss cannot hold job performance after the mistake was made over you as a reason not to correct a mistake. If you do not have documentation you may have no recourse.

You should have cared “at that point.” Major over-sight on your part. It should have been escalated to HR immediately when the original error was made.

[Anonymous]

And your title shouldn’t be “frustrated at work” it should be “screwed out of raises but did I wait too long?”

[Anonymous]

OP - No documentation of the original error. It was just word of mouth from supervisor.

Should've/would've...doesn't matter at this point. I am asking on what to do now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - No documentation of the original error. It was just word of mouth from supervisor.

Should've/would've...doesn't matter at this point. I am asking on what to do now.

I think at this point there’s nothing you can do without documentation. If you have nothing in writing that documents a mistake was made that was supposed to be fixed and didn’t you can’t force anything 2.5 years later. It sucks. I’m sorry.

Only last ditch effort would be to go to your new boss and ask them if they can help get the issues fixed, however if I were that person I would ask for documentation.

If you change companies do not disclose current salary since you are being underpaid. Provide what you want based on what you should be getting paid based on your title.

[Anonymous]

OP - Now that I think in the company HR portal, it shows each salary change, one marked with "promotion", but the same job title as previously listed before promotion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - Now that I think in the company HR portal, it shows each salary change, one marked with "promotion", but the same job title as previously listed before promotion.

Go to HR. Hopefully you have specific dates noted from conversations with your boss. You are technically owed back pay.

[Anonymous]

tl;dr

Approach boss/HR with your concerns, vs speculating.