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Should people expect a cost of living increase annually??

Home Forums Miscellany Community Should people expect a cost of living increase annually??

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  • #527032

    I agree with everything that SilverArrow mentioned. My company has given merit increases every year except for 2001-2003 when the economy went into a slump and the company was doing really badly. The merit increase for typical performers has been about 5% for most years. And they’ve also given equity adjustments at times when the market rate had moved significantly, to help prevent people from looking elsewhere (getting good people is very difficult, and costs the company a lot of money). Equity adjustments have ranged from 3% – 10%.

    But as I’ve told you previously, the merit increases aren’t necessarily administered fairly, and the equity adjustments help but don’t necessarily keep up with the market completely. So the people who have been at the company for a long time might have to complain periodically (or threaten to leave) to make sure that their compensation keeps up with the market. My company also gives bonuses (some years have been excellent) and stock options in an effort to retain people.

    #527033

    BAH!!! I just need to go work for the state- imagine this “Cheryl Kaufman- Texas Parks and Wildlife Fisheries/Hatcheries Department”- I could so go for that /sigh

    And yes, I HAVE applied but haven’t heard back but it’s only been a couple of weeks and state jobs are usually quite slow to respond- but I did have some person contact with the hiring manager and my cover letter showed extreme interest, and hopefully competence, so maybe I WILL hear back- God I’d about DIE if I got that job. They specifically requested additional talents as ability to minorly repair automobiles, boat motors, and know the types of indigenous fish- I KNOW ALL THIS- Dad taught it to me!

    #527034

    Well I hope you get it Cheryl.

    My company gives us percentage raises. So the more money you make the better raise you get.

    I only get about 30 cents a year. It isn’t much, but it was a lot better than the 3 years we didn’t get anything. Basically the only way you get a raise is move to a different department. But it does kind of even out because we also get good health/dental insurance, paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid holidays. It just depends on what you are looking for and whether you are willing to stick things out.

    #527035
    Laurie
    Participant

      It took me two years to hear anything back from the fire department when I applied. I had given up on getting the job until I came home and the message was on my answering machine that they wanted to hire me. So don’t give up on government jobs, they just take forever to hire people.

      #527036

      Yep, they have to jump thru all of the hoops.

      #527037

      Well I haven’t interviewed yet, I only know that the gentleman got my paperwork/application.

      #527038
      dragonmedley
      Participant

        Cheryl, don’t feel ashamed for getting such crap at work; how could you have known? But now that you do, then you’ll know what to expect and ask for.

        I burnt myself out during 3 years, then switched to my current job. I work for a pharmaceutical company, so they do a lot to keep their employees! There are good companies out there, it just takes time to find them.

        Good luck!

        Read my books! Volume 1 and 2 of A Dragon Medley are available now.
        http://www.sarahjestin.com/mybooks.htm
        I host the feedback lists, which are maintained by drag0nfeathers.
        http://www.sarahjestin.com/feedbacklists.htm

        #527039

        dragonmedley wrote:

        Cheryl, don’t feel ashamed for getting such crap at work; how could you have known? But now that you do, then you’ll know what to expect and ask for.

        I burnt myself out during 3 years, then switched to my current job. I work for a pharmaceutical company, so they do a lot to keep their employees! There are good companies out there, it just takes time to find them.

        Good luck!

        Hahahaha- funny you should mention pharmaceuticals- I was a summer intern as a pharmaceutical sales rep- I’d LOVE to do that work- it was nice to talk to docs all the time. And I know that doesn’t mean that is YOUR job but I like pharmaceutical companies in general.

        #527040
        dragonmedley
        Participant

          I work as a translator and we prepare all the material in French for the Québec reps. I’ve never been out in the field, but it sounds interesting, if intense.

          Hey, it might be a place to look, especially if you have a bit of experience.

          We get variable pay, salary increase (1-3%), 3 weeks holiday, awesome health benefits, flexible work hours (I’m in from 7 to 3 pm)… I took me a while to recover from my burnout and I was really pissed off at my old boss when I discovered how bad she was, but now, I’m just happy where I am.

          Read my books! Volume 1 and 2 of A Dragon Medley are available now.
          http://www.sarahjestin.com/mybooks.htm
          I host the feedback lists, which are maintained by drag0nfeathers.
          http://www.sarahjestin.com/feedbacklists.htm

          #527041

          THAT is pretty sweet!! I was 70lbs lighter when I did that internship and as we all know no pharmaceutical rep is unattractive so at this time I don’t think that is a possibility- not to mention that past that I have no sales experience and they want a proven sales track for greater than a year

          #527042
          dragonmedley
          Participant

            CherylKaufman wrote:

            as we all know no pharmaceutical rep is unattractive

            I dunno about that. The one time we had the reps at head office, I don’t recall thinking, wow, what a nice looking bunch, but I didn’t think yuck either 🙂

            And who said you’re not attractive, huh, huh? Those pictures of you looked fine to me.

            Read my books! Volume 1 and 2 of A Dragon Medley are available now.
            http://www.sarahjestin.com/mybooks.htm
            I host the feedback lists, which are maintained by drag0nfeathers.
            http://www.sarahjestin.com/feedbacklists.htm

            #527043
            wolflodge100
            Participant

              I have worked for the same place for 7 years and because of the minimum wage hike to $7.50 I am only making 50 cents more than the new people and haven’t gotten a raise in almost 2 years. 😥 and no benifits either.

              #527044

              I think all of you need to move here 😀 . I get yearly raises, at the very least last year I went up 3 bucks an hour. I have job security, as does anyone willing to actually show up for work. If you show up for all your shifts, on time, and do your job you are a freaking star, a model employee.

              One woman I work with is a cow, she is rude to customers, miserable to other staff, and just plain unlikeable, yet she keeps her job because we have no choice. She comes late, has her boyfriend call her in sick, but everytime we get someone else hired and trained someone else quits.

              Move here, lots of jobs, most are well paying jobs, MacDonalds starts at 12.00, canadian of course.

              But we have long and quite cold winters, lots of drugs, and a whole lot of newfies, but you take the good with the bad 😆 .

              #527045
              Anonymous

                I went from $24K to $45K over 4 years with the government. Everytime my job description had something added to it, and every year you move one increment to the pay grid, plus when the job I was doing was actually mandated as an FTE (full time equilviant – requires permanent manpower) then I was reclassified.

                I was still underclassified badly for the work I was doing. I’m not trying to be greedy or something, but when I quit I was an Admin Support 5 and I should have been classified as a Program Services 2 for the type of work I had to support. You had to know how to use and program in Word, Excel, Access, Oracle, Coldfusion, SQL, Java, ActiveX, you had to understand and be able to interpret parts of the Municipal Government Act, proofread, distribute, receive and manage legal agreements for access to the server system I supported, do tech support for the users of the system, troubleshoot any problems, attend the steering committee meetings, go on the road and promote the system, and talk to the Chief Administrative Officer in all 359 cities, villages, towns, summer villages and rural MD’s and counties in Alberta, plus their associated assessors, fire station personnel and admin staff if they used the system.

                The system allows the municipalities in the province to electronically file and use land assessment and education equalizied assessment data, fire reports, financial reports, and other related publications and dealings with that department.

                So yeah, it was stressful. I quit, now I’m broke but at least doing something I like doing…

                If I wanted to, I could job canvas in the US and find a position as a DBA for anywhere from $60K to $90K a year, but I don’t — because I don’t want anymore corporate BS. I’ll take my knowledge and build my own company, my way.

                #527046

                dragonmedley wrote:

                CherylKaufman wrote:

                as we all know no pharmaceutical rep is unattractive

                I dunno about that. The one time we had the reps at head office, I don’t recall thinking, wow, what a nice looking bunch, but I didn’t think yuck either 🙂

                And who said you’re not attractive, huh, huh? Those pictures of you looked fine to me.

                Maybe it’s a self perception thing but I think being 6’1″, used to be 165 now weigh much more than that might scare some people- I’m like the female bouncer they send after the docs that DON’T prescribe our drugs in order to encourage them to do so in the future!

                And Snap- that’s just BS crap!!! Your job sucked way more than mine does.

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