Work pay review disappointment

[ivegotthisyeah]

I am so mad I could cry!!
Had our work pay reviews this week.
I received and outstanding in my year end review ( very hard to get) and a promotion ( chose to stay at a lower level last year to gain more experience and more chance of decent pay rise this year) so I waited it out go over and above received fantastic feedback and I got the most appalling shitest increase of £900 a year. Wft !! I was gob smacked. Usual bullshit excuses goes on prior year you got double what everyone else got. It's private sector all on different pay so it's all irrelevant that I got double everyone else. My pay is low and I know it is but instead of complaining I've always tried to exceed my goals and work for a pay rise. It's seems they only had out decent pay rises when you leave or have another job waiting in the wings.
I am so mad and fucked off. Team leader said they are halting my promotion to go ahead with it in June as more chance of head office agreeing a pay rise out of pay review window.
I know my team leader is only the messenger but I actually want to laugh in her face at the fucking minimal shit £900 they think is ok.
I don't want to leave as it's flexible and benefits are good but I am so underpaid it's a joke.
I want to send her an email to say how dissatisfied and upset I am but not sure it will help. Do I want until June or voice my annoyance now - advice needed .
Been told this morning ( in confidence by a work friend) another colleague had gone in with another job offer and she got want she wanted but I am just not that kind of person to lie or make up a job offer pathetic aren't I

It's a rubbish job market atm but if you can get more elsewhere just go for it and leave.

Damn sight better than people who get 1%

How would people apply for the job if they don't know what the salary is? That would be wasting everyone's time.

OP, you sounds as if you are being underpaid and taken for granted. I have a friend who works for a large insurance broker and I know there is a huge amount of politics, quite a bit of gender imbalance and a definite sense of “the squeaky wheel gets the most oil”.
Here is what I would do to maximise my chances of a decent pay rise. I’d take the emotion out of it. Don’t be angry, disappointed, withdraw labour, quiet quit etc. That will just confirm to them that they were right to give you a small rise.
Work through your anger and frustration with friends, family, Mumsnet. Then do some calculations to show what has happened to your pay (ie stagnation) over the last 5 or so years. Put these numbers down on paper along with inflation etc and show them how much worse off you are.
When you are feeling less emotional, ask for a meeting. I’d say thank you for the pay rise but say it was well below your expectations and that you are confused by the mixed messaging you are receiving (excellent reviews/ in line for promotion but low rise)
Explain what you have done over the last five years to help grow the company (whether your role is bringing in business or supporting the team).
Talk about your 20 years of loyalty to the business and the changes you’ve been part of along the way.
Say as many positives as you can so it is not just portrayed as a whinge fest.
Ask about their gender balance pay policy and what the firm is doing to close the gap. Ask if your salary is in line with the new recruits coming in at the same level. If they don’t have this to hand, ask for it to be forwarded on to you. This is information you should have. Your manager should be able to reassure you you are not being disadvantaged by their recruitment policy and that your loyalty is valued.
Leave the meeting on a high note - all the plans you have for the promoted post but also make it clear you are expecting to be properly remunerated for that role.
At the same time upgrade your LinkedIn profile and start posting relevant industry posts every two weeks. They will soon notice. This is the best sign that you are planning to leave. Attend every industry event you can (there are tonnes in insurance) Make connections. Let it be subtly known that you are ready for a change.
Do not consider leaving until you have the new title and the enhanced salary in June. It’s just three months away. Use the time to prep as above. Also reach out to your colleagues. Join groups and committees. Generally raise your profile. Hint to those closest to management that your thinking of a change.
When June comes and you get your salary enhancement and new title, start seriously job hunting. Reach out to specialist recruiters.
it’s a competitive industry, with a lot of movement. Treat getting the new job as a job. By the autumn, you may very well have increased your salary by up to 50% and have a new role and higher profile. Good luck.

This isn't a race to the bottom.

https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/Relative-Privation

Seems standard for an annual increase tbh.

if you want more money, vote with your feet and look for a new job.

I don’t mean to sound brutal, but that’s the only way to do it.

That's pretty standard in private sector.

I don't think a 3.92% increase in this economy is that bad. It was 1.5% across the board in ours last year.

The best way of increasing earnings, is moving job.

The only way to get more is to keep leaving sadly. I’ve done this for the last 15 years of my career and every job move I’ve got 10% to 30% increase in salary.
Sadly loyalty doesn’t pay. I’m starting a new job and when I handed my notice they offered me a 25% pay rise but I still decided to leave as the other job is a promotion and I wanted to get the extra experience as well as the pay increase. In my last job I got 3% to 5% raise and the 5% was because I took on a promotion. I would look elsewhere!

12 years ago I was on 27k a year now I’m on 130k. I only achieved this by moving every 2-3 years.

4% is above inflation and reasonable for over performance in your current role. Your manager is right, there is much better chance of a decent rise for your upcoming promotion if it’s outside of normal pay review cycle. Please don’t take it out on your team leader, sounds like they are doing their best for you, their hands will be tied by the higher ups. Unfortunately your best chance of a huge rise is to get a better offer elsewhere and ask them to match it…. But you do have to be prepared to go through with your resignation if they won’t

@Toomuchlemonade i work for the NHS and we are not getting 5.5%, that was last year. This year the offer is expected to be around 2.5% for the public sector!

I was in this situation a few years ago. Worked so hard all year, even worked when i was signed off sick with a broken shoulder and still only got 3%.

First time ive cried over work, so i left for a different department, best decision i ever made.

I’ve worked in corporate for years. You need to work smarter, not harder

12 years ago I was on 27k a year now I’m on 130k. I only achieved this by moving every 2-3 years.

I did the same as @Mememe9898 and earn multiples of what I earned 14 years ago having just switched careers sideways and started at the bottom. It was risky and exhausting to constantly upskill and then look for new roles that paid better for my wider experience and skillset, and interview and learn the ropes in a new company. Yeah it was hard work and had to work full time but am now senior and paid commensurate. I can easily earn 20% more for another jump but I think I am happy and done.

OP, if you want good remuneration, don't stick around too long. Make sure you get 20-30% more for each move, so even if it does not work, hang on for 2 years and then look again. In the meantime, you are being monetarily rewarded and negotiating off a higher base for the next job you go for.

As far as promises on pay or promotion go, it goes in writing or it didn't happen.
I'm speaking from very bitter experience.

Unfortunately you have inadvertently waited until Employer’s are now spending more on staff costs than ever before - minimum wage has increased by another 7% for over 21’s and they also tried to stop employers using younger and cheaper labour by sneaking in a 21% increase on the under 18 rate and a 16% increase on the 18-20 rate - add that to the employer National Insurance increase and any budget we had for recruitment and pay rises has gone. All the major supermarkets have announced redundancies as Labour are squeezing profitability for most sectors. Most of us aren’t earning anymore than we were last year sadly - I would love to give my staff more money but we aren’t making any more money than we were last year but thanks to NI and Minimum wage our cost base has gone up dramatically leaving nothing surplus and a recruitment freeze. We have to pay an inexperienced fresh out of Uni employee almost £24k a year minimum. The whole situation is ridiculous.

I don’t understand why everyone is on a different pay point? Equal pay for equal work.

Just leave and start fresh somewhere else.

Sorry, I meant last year. We didn't get it paid until Nov and I'm still in 2024!

I work in the private sector and had the same last year. Outstanding performance rating and the company is doing well and my bonus did not even make the target threshold.
Payrise was a little bitter but I assume I was being underpaid.

I'm getting 1.7% on my supposed "golden" local government pension

Achieved outstanding last year 0% pay rise, outstanding this year 1.1% payrise. Expecting a promotion soon which will include a 13% raise for more responsibility and longer hours.

Generally speaking, it's known in the corporate world that the only way for us women to get pay rises of any decency, is to change jobs. I used to change jobs every 2-3 years to get a big chunk rise with each new job. The gender pay gap very much still exists.

The last full-time employer I had (before having children), decided not to give me any annual rise one year (that everyone else was getting), and didn't give me the annual bonus either. He did it because they wanted rid of me (I'd just got married and they thought I'd be starting a family), I just sat without reacting with any disappointment and said "that's fine, I don't need the money anyway.", he was shocked and questioned why not! I just replied that I earned more from my investments. So more or less was a big fuck you without actually saying it.

I ended up earning more than double when I went freelance in the same industry after I left.

So my advice to you is to start looking elsewhere. If they valued you, they'd give you a good enough rise to keep you.

I think this is true for men and women. The only way to achieve decent payrises is when you move job (and be strategic in asking for more money.)

I've maybe just been unlucky then as the men always got very healthy rises and promotions. Whereas I got constantly asked when I was planning to start a family.

Yes - my experience too. Plus I'm over 50 into the bargain.
It's shit!

Yeah sounds like you have had some pretty backwards employers!