Raises?

[Cat]

Anyone out there getting them? I know the economy is bad but I haven't had a raise in 2 years and same goes for my husband, he is actually coming up on 3 years. His boss isn't giving them right now but every year during his review he has been given outstanding in every catagory.

I know some people just want a job right now but I get the feeling that some companies are making money and just using a bad economy as an excuse so they don't have to give raises. Both companies we work for are as busy as ever and have been for over a year.

[sunbunny]

My husband got a nice raise not too long ago. Maybe 2/3 months ago.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

I got one recently, but I make very little anyway. Still, I'm very thankful just to have a job and get any sort of raise.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

My husband got a nice raise not too long ago.

And that's what she said.

[Kettle]

the blessing of my last contract being terminated is that the next role the company gave me inflated my rate by 30%. just have to save it though since they can't guarantee work like when i had the contract.

[PanthaSan]

Traditionally, my company hands out cost of living increases and merit raises annually based on getting a good review.

Our thought is that the employee shouldn't suffer because of the economy and keeping the good ones is worth a bit more.

Last year, one of our biggest customers (Chevron) asked all of it's business partners to reduce the billing by 10%. Our competitiors reduced payroll (pay rate reductions) and their employees took the hit. Our owners didn't touch employees pay and took the hit themselves.

That's why there is always a long line when we are taking applications.

[JakeFlake]

We just had our salaries restored to what they were prior to the downturn. That is the best we can hope for. I need a new job, though.

[natty]

The economy in general should have nothing to do with specific businesses. A company on my floor is exploding, starting to fill up the floor below us as well. There's no reason they shouldn't be giving raises to their employees.

If the company you work for is treading water then I can see it, but otherwise using 'the economy' as an excuse is lame.

[X-Clown]

I got one recently, but I make very little anyway. Still, I'm very thankful just to have a job and get any sort of raise.

This

[Speed]

Don't look for much until some of the economic uncertainty goes away. Surely until after the tax increases(or expired tax cuts) and the first of the year when all the new health insurance premiums go into effect. You must consider, what would you be doing if you owned the company. Look for a lot of restructuring. I do agree that many conpanies that were considering lay offs or relocation CS and data entry centers overseas now have made those decisions, and not in our favor. It is just a matter of survival.

[Kettle]

the easiest way to get a raise is to give it to yourself by increasing the number of allowances on your W-4. you may not get that big check at tax time, but you'll have more money the rest of the year.

[JakeFlake]

The economy in general should have nothing to do with specific businesses. A company on my floor is exploding, starting to fill up the floor below us as well. There's no reason they shouldn't be giving raises to their employees.

If the company you work for is treading water then I can see it, but otherwise using 'the economy' as an excuse is lame.

Yes, we are treading water. I work for a very small college that doesn't have a lot of money anyway, so they did it as a precaution, which nobody really agreed with, but we didn't have a choice.

[TheSaint]

whats a raise? never had one...

i just have to sell more.

[Johnny Rockets]

I know some people just want a job right now but I get the feeling that some companies are making money and just using a bad economy as an excuse so they don't have to give raises. Both companies we work for are as busy as ever and have been for over a year.

I totally agree with that. I was lucky that although my raises were cut in half, they didn't stop. I did notice that any new people that we bring in now at a similar position as mine are being brought in at about 25% less than what I started out making 10 years ago. Many companies are starting people out at less because people are desperate and will take less.

I did recently read how things are changing though and there a lot of people on the move from one company to another in the Charlotte area because they went a couple of years without raises and decided to start job hunting. Now many companies are doing extraordinary things just to retain these people.