Fired for asking for a raise?

[WebSnyper]

My friend, if I was treated in this manner I would not ever grace those halls again.

Good. But I'd continue to look for a replacement. It doesnt sound like you really want to be there.

Agreed on both counts. I would not stay somewhere that firing on a whim was considered a reasonable response. I know that one need not have a reason to fire someone, but firing as a response to asking for a raise is ridiculous, unless there was some really crazy behavior or ultimatum thrown out in the "request".

You either have to hire in at a good rate, change positions and negotiate an increase, or threaten to leave, but be willing to follow through if they call your bluff.

Personally I find needing to give ultimatums a problem. If you have to do that, you need to go elsewhere. Whenever I have said I was leaving a job, I did it. I have never used I'm leaving as a negotiation point, nor have I ever reversed a job decision to leave, once I have made it.

 

[CZB1962]

Personally I find needing to give ultimatums a problem. If you have to do that, you need to go elsewhere. Whenever I have said I was leaving a job, I did it. I have never used I'm leaving as a negotiation point, nor have I ever reversed a job decision to leave, once I have made it.

I have never actually gone in and said give me a raise or I am leaving but I am just saying it is one of the 3 tactics I can think of that can get an increase.

I personally am not one to move around a lot. I have been at my current employer for almost 6 years and was at my last company for over 18 years. The one before my current was as a union electrician so the increases were pretty much what they were. Now I went to the corporate world and boy is it different. You are on your own to get anything. That can be bad and good depending on the company and how much you are valued.

In the corporate world, they see 3% as a good raise. It does not matter if you started low, they will keep you low.

I just interviewed a candidate for a position we have open. It was originally for a level 2 position but I convinced my managers to lower it to a level 1. I did this because the candidate does not have the experience for us to offer him a large wage but I see potential in him. If we hire him as a level 2, he will get 3% raises and always stay low. By going to a level 1 we can promote him to a level 2 in a year or so and get a much larger increase.

I am trying to look at this long term. I will invest a ton of time training this young man and I want to be able to keep him after I do. 3% a year may not be enough to do it.

As with most things, you have to learn how to work within the system you have to get the results you desire.

 

[wtburnette]

The sad part is that in their eyes 3.9% is a big raise.

I have tried to tell most anyone that will listen, there are not that many opportunities to get a substantial increase from a large company once you are there. You either have to hire in at a good rate, change positions and negotiate an increase, or threaten to leave, but be willing to follow through if they call your bluff. Other than these, most corporations will just keep giving 3% every year.

I have been OK since I hired in at a good rate and changed positions twice which got me more than the standard increase, but this is not always the case.

That's been my experience. 2 - 3% increase staying in the same position and salary level, ~15% moving to a new position and/or getting promoted to the next level. The trick is to find a way to get reasonably regular promotions where I'm at.

My pay more than doubled within five years.

Is that while staying with the same company? You have me curious.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I'm glad you guys understood the OP. Apparently even after being in Indiana for some time I guess I still don't understand "Hoosier" as well as I'd like.

 

[Cygnus]

I'm glad you guys understood the OP. Apparently even after being in Indiana for some time I guess I still don't understand "Hoosier" as well as I'd like.

Are you sure it just isn't INGO where punctuation and proofreads are for ferriners?

As for the OP man keep looking......

 

[96firephoenix]

most corporations will just keep giving 3% every year.

would be nice if I got even that.

 

[ModernGunner]

Worked for a small(er) business once. Presented a plan to the boss, including ways to increase sales and profits to his business. I also included in the plan raises over several years, and a specific plan how to additionally increase his business (over and above the plan to increase his sales and profits) to pay for those raises.

He liked the plan. He wanted to adopt the plan. He DID adopt the plan. EXCEPT for the part where my income was increased.

Why? He told me. NOT because he didn't think the ideas were good, or thought they wouldn't work. In fact, the ideas DID work, and he instituted those ideas. He just didn't think ANY employee should get regular, substantial increases in pay, regardless of their efforts or ideas.

He then asked me: "Now that we've had a chance to see that these things work, but that my philosophy is not to regularly give raises regardless, are we on the same page? Do we have an understanding?"

I said "Yes. I understand. I understand I don't work for you any more."

And left that day. Never looked back.

Best decision I ever made, both ethically and financially.

Oh, and just a 'fun fact': Someone making $60k / yr. (and I have lots of friends that do not) and gets a 3% raise, that's $1800 a year. Maybe that 'sounds' like a lot, but that's less than $35 / week. With a 'standard' work week of 40 hours, that's $0.86 / hour, before taxes. In 2015, that doesn't even qualify as a 'token' raise, sorry.

 

[jgressley2003]

Oh, and just a 'fun fact': Someone making $60k / yr. (and I have lots of friends that do not) and gets a 3% raise, that's $1800 a year. Maybe that 'sounds' like a lot, but that's less than $35 / week. With a 'standard' work week of 40 hours, that's $0.86 / hour, before taxes. In 2015, that doesn't even qualify as a 'token' raise, sorry.

$35 will help fuel up your vehicle each week. Be grateful for what your company offers you because most places don't offer raises every year. My current job we received a 2.5% raise this year, my previous employers hardly ever gave out raises.

 

[wtburnette]

$35 will help fuel up your vehicle each week. Be grateful for what your company offers you because most places don't offer raises every year. My current job we received a 2.5% raise this year, my previous employers hardly ever gave out raises.

My Dad would say "better than a sharp stick in the eye" and he would be right...

 

[churchmouse]

Worked for a small(er) business once. Presented a plan to the boss, including ways to increase sales and profits to his business. I also included in the plan raises over several years, and a specific plan how to additionally increase his business (over and above the plan to increase his sales and profits) to pay for those raises.

He liked the plan. He wanted to adopt the plan. He DID adopt the plan. EXCEPT for the part where my income was increased.

Why? He told me. NOT because he didn't think the ideas were good, or thought they wouldn't work. In fact, the ideas DID work, and he instituted those ideas. He just didn't think ANY employee should get regular, substantial increases in pay, regardless of their efforts or ideas.

He then asked me: "Now that we've had a chance to see that these things work, but that my philosophy is not to regularly give raises regardless, are we on the same page? Do we have an understanding?"

I said "Yes. I understand. I understand I don't work for you any more."

And left that day. Never looked back.

Best decision I ever made, both ethically and financially.

Oh, and just a 'fun fact': Someone making $60k / yr. (and I have lots of friends that do not) and gets a 3% raise, that's $1800 a year. Maybe that 'sounds' like a lot, but that's less than $35 / week. With a 'standard' work week of 40 hours, that's $0.86 / hour, before taxes. In 2015, that doesn't even qualify as a 'token' raise, sorry.

Had the nearly the same deal at an HVAC company I worked for in the early 80's. I was the service manager. When I took the position promises were made. Hands were shook. Between men.
After the 2nd summer (peak season) and the numbers promised were exceeded.....by nearly 20% I went to set up my bonus/pay raise.
My presence was not well received. He knew it was coming as I reminded him regularly of our progress and the great numbers we were doing. He mumbled and bumbled and said he had rethought our agreement and more time was needed to see if it was really working.
Back to my desk. Stuff in a box. Called the spouse and went home. several phone calls later and all the customers that came with me and were a huge part of the profits were going to follow me. 2 more phone calls and I had a job the next day.
Once he figured out what happened he freaked. Called begging for me to return with all the promises fulfilled. Told him if this is what it took for him to deliver on his handshake I wanted no part of him. This was before no competes.

 

[Caleb]

Back when I worked at toyota, our raises were typically $.40-.60 each year plus $.35 cost of living raise...

My last raise was $.25

 

[Gunner72]

I work for small family owned business that has about 25 employees. we usually get raises about the same time we get insurance hikes. Been there got 16 years now so I'm not very bright at all.