Disappointed in pay rise

[december2020]

It feels bitter sweet and very ungrateful.

I was lucky enough to get a pay rise, but it's barely 4% of my salary. I was told I'm up for a significant pay rise (so my expectations were around 7%+) and this means I'm easily out of the running for the foreseeable future - at least a year unless I get promoted.

I understand people are struggling, companies are clamping down and no one should turn up their nose on money - I work in media and advertising for context.

The rationale was that there is a limited pot and it beds to go around. I've been working 10-14 hours a day, fixing client relationships, building bridges and making things happen. When there's a problem, I'm the solution. I'm currently working the equivalent of 2.5-4 peoples jobs as one person.

Everyone is grateful, clients are happier, happy days.
Yet they prioritise other employees countless times (from the same pot for pay rises).

It's not from my lack of asking for progression or objectives to work towards (I'm vocal about this weekly - I've not had any objectives of a growth plan for over a year).

I feel like I'm either clearly under performing - and there is nothing more for me to give. Or I'm performing above and beyond yet I'm being overlooked or assumed I won't kick up a fuss.

I don't know what to do? Should I confront my line manager? Just move somewhere else asap? With the hours I'm working i don't have time to interview - so do I just resign?

I love my clients and my team, just not how my company is treating me.

Honestly I would look for something else and scale back your hours to normal in the meantime as they obviously don't value you!

Just move somewhere else asap?

Yes. And make time to interview elsewhere. Don’t continue to go above and beyond, you won’t win any prizes you’ll just be devaluing your own worth.

You said you think they assume you won’t kick up a fuss, do you think they are right in that assumption?

if you really want to progress financially in your career, you need to move periodically. Loyalty is not a valuable commodity. I would definitely look at the market and start speaking to recruiters.

Look at it from the other perspective… what do they lose in this? As you say, you are working several jobs for them. They benefit from that. Rewarding you for it doesn’t get them anything additional. You need to scale back your hours and deliver just a little more than you are paid for (not tonnes more) and then it is more clear that they need to reward you to motivate you.

I got 4.5 percent OP.

Send your CV out to test the water for the value of the role you’re currently doing. If you do a lot but it’s all bau / low value then you’ll never be valued. Can you get a project that isn’t just keeping the existing system / users ticking over?

Do you regularly let your line manager know all your accomplishments, say on a weekly basis?

4% is a COL increase.

I'd be polishing up your resume and putting it out.

I’ve had a £350 pay rise in the 3 years I’ve been in my role - that’s 1% (public sector). I’m the only one in my team of five that doesn’t have kids - everyone else has primary school age or toddlers so I’ve covered massively over school holidays. We now have a maternity and a shared paternity coming up over the next year starting next month and cover is not yet in place.

On my last appraisal I was awarded “meets expectations”. You get a £500 bonus for exceeds expectations. I’ve never had that. I’ve made a rod for my own back by being the dependable, flexible one with no responsibilities at home and I should have known better. Like a previous poster recommended I’m polishing my CV and actively seeking out a new role.

Thank you everyone!
I think this weekend I may need reassess my position at my current company.

I was also planning to ask them to reconsider their pay rise amount and ask for more today. Even though the shot is slim, they'll know my stance (I have already expressed that the pay rise wasn't quite to my expectation).

Unison have agreed 3% for DH and his colleagues, bit gutting when when other public sector workers have had theirs rejected and are striking.

Please stop working so many hours, you'll get ill!

Women tend to get payrises by moving jobs rather than staying put. I never intend to work more than 5 years or so in a place, I will leapfrog about to get the maximum value out of my career. My workplace are already laying the groundwork and making noises about how they won't be able to afford bonuses or payrises come April, so I'm biding my time, gaining essential experience, and then I'll move and get up to a 30% increase when I do so.

Working yourself to the bone and hoping you'll get appropriately remunerated when doing so is a mum's game I'm afraid.

Companies love people who happily go above and beyond without demanding sufficient compensation. Sorry, but you've been naive. Loyalty counts for nothing. Find yourself a new job and then negotiate properly with your current employer.

Move on....they are laughing at you making a mug of yourself

I have been in the workforce for three decades. A 4% payrise is really quite normal, I’d even say one of the better ones and I have never heard of anyone getting a 7% payrise unless they have actually changed jobs and have increased seniority.

You also don’t know that other people are getting more. My knowledge of payrise generally is because I have worked for many years in accountancy / finance and have been in charge of budgets for decades and so truthfully can say that I have never come across payrises of 7% and honestly not even an average 4% either.

If you think that you are underpaid for your position, then I agree with other posters, sometimes the only way you can achieve your worth is to leave.

Yes you need to consider how you are working - that's too many hours and is not sustainable for keeping up quality and your health.

But looking at other threads on here barely anyone is getting a full cost of living hike to cover inflation (running at 10 -11%). We gave my staff 5% (and 3% for Directors) and there's nothing left for progression. But if progression is what you've been promised then it might be time to start looking at moving.

4% is COL? I never knew that.

Stop working extra hours for no pay. No one ever appreciates it, it will just be assumed that you want to and that you like doing it and no one will care beyond that. It makes you look very junior IMO because that's what people tend to do at the very beginning of their career to try to impress. Start putting in boundaries and acting like a leader rather than just cleaning up all the mess.

I got a 4% merit increase recently and won’t be stopped from whatever cost of living increase is applied.
I felt valued as merit increases are unheard of in my workplace unless you put forward and proposal with evidence. Also we’re on cutback measures in terms of budget.
normal cost of living increases are 2-3% but we’re hoping for a bit more this year

Don't confront but say it was below expectations, and is on par with COL but not for the extra.

Make a few bullet points with what you have done- hours, big clients you have secured, anything of value you can demonstrate.

Then ask for what you want- go higher with a view of them negotiating it lower.

Can you also get an idea of what market rates are for your role elsewhere?

Also if it's a chat, follow it up on writing. Keep it professional and friendly.

Are you in a union? If not, join one before your next job move.

Loyalty and working like a mug for an employer that doesn't appreciate you will get you very ill, very quickly. I hope you find something better OP.

Thank you everyone for all your advice.

It's so crap as I genuinely love my team and my clients, just not how my company is choosing to invest in me (or well choosing not to invest in me).
I haven't been quietly sitting and hoping someone would notice my merit, rather, been very vocal. I feel they assumed I would keep working because o love my team and clients, so it was a non issue not to address them.

My line manager knows what I'm delivering and since I've been working on the account it's the first time the client scores have gone up, which I've also been vocal about.

Re working extra hours, it's not because I hope someone will notice but due to critical client deadlines that can't be missed and team members on annual leave while being under resourced. The resource was supposed to be there, but one side of the business didn't deliver that part.

I did mention this was below expectation and its reflective that they don't value me. They've said the pot is empty.

So, today I unofficially got a job offer (verbal, waiting for the paperwork to see the official offer).
It's not a pay rise - like for like salary, but it's a side step into something I've been interested in exploring and staying in a vertical I really love.

I have a conversation tomorrow with my line managers' line manager
I don't even know what to say

I guess just keep it factual.