I Got Ripped Off At My Annual Review

Liz Ryan

Dear Liz,
I had an annoying situation come up at work and I’m not sure what to do about it. I’ve been in my job for three years. I just had my third annual review. Every year I got a good review.
I get the highest marks. I think annual reviews are a waste of time but my boss always tells me “Keep doing what you’ve been doing.” I’ve missed maybe three days of work in three years. I just don’t get sick very often and I like my work.
This year at my review my boss “Sal” said “I’d give you a bigger raise but we’re limited by our budgets. I’m giving you the maximum, which is four point five percent.” I said fine. I don’t want to make a big deal about my raise. Everybody could use more money but I can pay my bills. I didn’t complain.
I got my raise in my next paycheck, retroactive to my review date. Then I heard through the grapevine that other people got six, seven and eight percent raises. I play on the same softball team with one of my co-workers. He showed me his payslip.
He got a seven percent raise. I asked him if there were any special reasons why he got more than the maximum. He said “There’s no maximum. Sal gives some people more and some people less. You do a great job, but Sal knows you’re not going to say anything about whatever raise he gives you.”
Now I’m mad. I’m not sure what to do about it. I appreciate my co-worker for filling me in. I feel like an idiot for accepting Sal’s version of things. What should I do?
Thanks,

Dear Marshall,
Anyone could understand why you’d be upset to learn that Sal lied to you about the maximum pay raise available. Now you have to ask yourself “How much does this slight matter to me?”
I don’t know how much you get paid, but if you’re getting paid $65,000 per year then the difference between a 4.5% increase and a seven percent increase is about twenty-five bucks a week after taxes. You could certainly talk to Sal about it, but whether you do or not, there’s a lesson for you in this experience.
Everybody gets to decide how much they care about money and how firmly they’re willing to push for a pay raise at annual review time or any other time. Your softball buddy told you that Sal knows you’ll be content with whatever pay raise Sal gives you.
If your principal goal at work is stay on Sal’s good side, you’ve got it made already! If your goal is something else — for instance, to get the recognition and compensation you deserve — then it makes sense to broach the topic of Sal’s miscommunication with him directly.

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If you decide to do it, here’s how it can be done.
You: Sal, do you have a second?
Sal: Sure, what’s up, Marshall?
You: Sal, remember my annual review?
Sal: More or less.
You: I was pleased that you said I’m doing a good job.
Sal: You are.
You: You said that I was eligible for a four and a half percent increase, and that was good news. My understanding was that four and a half percent was the maximum raise we could get. Since then though, I’ve talked to several people who got bigger increases, like seven and eight percent, so naturally that’s disappointing.
Sal: Who told you that?
You: I think we should synch up and get me the rest of that increase, since you said that my work is excellent.
Sal: Let me see what I can do.
There is something wrong in your company if a manager can write a performance review that calls your work “Excellent” and nobody in HR questions the less-than-excellent salary increase attached to your review.
Now is a great time for you to reflect on your goals.
Do Sal and the rest of the leaders at your current job still deserve you? Do you want to work in a place where you have to get inside information to keep your boss honest about pay matters? I’m voting no!
Think about your career, Marshall, and about what your next step might be after this job. Maybe you’ll decide not to talk to Sal about the two-and-a-half-percent salary increase he withheld from you.
Maybe you’ll lift your sights higher and decide to find a job that deserves your talents more than Sal does. Sometimes Mother Nature sends us her messages in unexpected ways. Our job is to listen to them!
All the best,
Liz