Any advice!!

27 Comments

1. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 1:22PM UTC

   Sorry this has happened to you, and I’m disappointed that companies still think they can bait and switch internal candidates like this. This is why people leave, and workers job hop. It is to their benefit to do so - within reason.

   Take the position while you are looking for something else, give them two weeks notice, and don’t look back - you deserve to work somewhere that treats you well. It will cost the company again, but this is the market they’ve created.

2. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 5:41PM UTC

   How was this a bait and switch? Doesn't sound like the annual salary was even discussed as part of the negotiation. Who accepts a job offer without the salary? Heck, I think I'm worth another $100k in my current position...doesn't mean my company will pay me that!

3. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 1:29PM UTC

   Where is your proof that there was a bait and switch? She made assumptions and signed a document she didn’t read or fully understand. I think it’s more likely that she completely misunderstood the situation.

4. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 1:26PM UTC

   So to be clear….. you are saying the hourly rate on your offer letter increased your annual salary by only $5?

   I work in HR compensation. I would go back to the recruiter for clarification. About anything you had questions on. It is better to ask these things before you sign an offer letter but it’s not as bad as asking after you start the job.

   If you feel like you need more money, benefits etc you need to say do now before you give notice to your old job etc.

   Different states have different rules about what has to be in an offer letter and some do not require an offer letter at all.

   There is still time to “right the ship” but it becomes harder to do after you start.

   Last, for most jobs in the US the magic number is 2080. Meaning if you multiply the hourly rate (if given) times 2080 you get the annual salary. Or if you are given an annual salary you can divide it by that to get your hourly rate for comparison. You would also need to know if it’s an exempt position or non exempt. If the position is exempt and they are paying you $75k that means you are there till the job gets done, no matter how many hours it takes. If you are nonexempt that means after 40hours in a week (or 8 hrs in a day in some places like CA) they will be required to pay overtime. That makes a difference. Hope you find this helpful.

5. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 12:32PM UTC

   It reads a bit difficult but what I gathered from it was she was only gaining $5/hr more.

6. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 2:51PM UTC

   That’s how I read it, too. That’s about +$10k per year which, while it’s not the expected +$20k, it’s still a huge bump, especially if you’re moving up pay grades internally!

7. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 1:38PM UTC

   Yes, i have experienced this when I was young and naive.

   I ended up revoking my acceptance when I figured out the math. I learned my lesson.

8. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 1:51PM UTC

   Stop!

   Your position is two grades higher. Take the opportunity as experience then you can not feel short changed.

   You sometimes take a loss for a win.

   You do the job well you have reference & experience that can be taken anywhere.

   The point is even if you suffer the extra 5 dollars for a year or two you would be walking away with a lot more in the end.

   End Goals

9. Zeecil KimmelAugust 8,2023 at 1:05PM UTC

   I agree wholeheartedly. This is a great way to find out if you like this type of work and if you can do it. You can gain knowledge and experience. Look at this as an internship and a lesson and when you feel you have learned all you can move on with your new title to get the raise you will fully deserve.

10. Megan LeasherAugust 7,2023 at 2:30PM UTC

    This is a tough one. I would consider asking for an amended offer letter that spells out the information that is missing. If they push back on this, that could be telling in its own right and might guide you on what is the right thing for you to do next.

11. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 1:27PM UTC

    What’s “telling”? She screwed up and now if the company doesn’t do what she thinks she’s owed it’s s bad company? This is what makes employers gravitate towards automation and AI. She needs to accept responsibility and reality. That’s the only reasonable advice.

12. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 2:47PM UTC

    I want to make sure I'm following this narrative correctly: you interviewed and accepted a position without discussing the actual salary? It sounds like you made an assumption that the salary for this new role would be $20k higher, based on your own research? Did this ever come out in your negotiations with the recruiter?

    You can try to go back to your recruiter to discuss this salary but you already signed the letter accepting the position.

    I'm sorry this happened to you, this is a really hard lesson to learn. It sounds like this could have been avoided through a conversation with the recruiter so you were both on the same page about the salary.

13. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 3:43PM UTC

    Always caution on what you think you're owed. As you said you'd be new to the position, not a subject matter expert. Lesson learned to not discuss that prior and to notice that, and also the offer letter? What did it even say if not what was missed in it? So many lessons. Even with the degree you're new to the position, not experienced, there's a major difference. IMO. Too many out there who want to jump into a 'research of wages' and don't have the pov of learning it may not be the top wage or medium but a bump. This is a response without actually knowing specifics. Worth a conversation with your leaders though.

14. AnonymousAugust 7,2023 at 5:52PM UTC

    Is it with the same company? Not all promotion letters have that much detail. My recent promotion letter had salary and new title and labor grade, all other aspects (vacation, etc.) remain the same.

15. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistAugust 7,2023 at 6:21PM UTC

    YOU SAID: "I thought it would be a $20000 increase. I determined that by looking at similar job titles like mine."

    Why, specifically, did you think you would be getting a $20,000 increase? Please describe the salary discussions during the interview process.

    YOU SAID: "I had to do my own calculations I discovered this was not a salary, but hourly wage"

    Was the status of the position - exempt/non-exempt - discussed during the interview process?

    YOU SAID: "I felt bamboozled by the actual pay. I don’t know how I missed this, and I know I short changed myself and I felt deceived."

    In what way were you bamboozled?

    I don't know how you could be both deceived and have short changed yourself. In what way were you deceived?

    YOU SAID: "the offer letter says nothing about vacation time, benefits, no specifics."

    What was the discussion around these items during the interview process? We do not detail those issues in the offer letter. I have a large PDF document that I send to candidates during the interview process. They are not included in the offer letter because they are company policy and the same for everyone. And also complex - I couldn't paste a 40 page document into an offer letter. What's included in the offer letter are things specific to that candidate or job - base salary, bonus structure, potential start date, information around being eligible for a company vehicle if that's applicable.

    YOU SAID: "doesn’t even compensate for the degree I have."

    I'm not sure what you mean by this. There is not a salary band for some with a degree and a different salary band for the same position for someone without a degree. I'm currently working on a position that requires a PhD or a Master's and the comp is no different depending on the degree the candidate has.

16. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 12:20PM UTC

    Why did you sign a document that did not have all of the necessary details spelled out? Always get it in writing. Always. Reread what you did sign and see if there is room for a new discussion? Take this as a learning for the future - don't sign if you're not happy with what's written. Ask questions before you put your pen to paper and get a revised document you are happy to sign.

17. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 1:07PM UTC

    If this was within the company, there are often limits to the percentage of a raise, even if you jump pay bands. Ours is 15% or baseline for the position/band, whichever is higher. I've managed to get exceptions a couple of times for people who were moving to my department by jumping a band, but there are limits. It's usually easier to get more money for external hires (though not always and I didn't get my last external hire as much money as I preferred).

18. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 3:22PM UTC

    I forgot to add that average salaries include people who have lots of experience in the role. People who just meet the minimum qualifications typically start at the low end of the pay band whether they are internal or external. Since you jumped two bands, you're likely less experienced at that level than other people with the same title. I was in a similar situation at one point and it irritated me that other people whose work I knew were making so much more than me without actually working more or even at a higher level, that's the way it goes. I was able to get substantial raises as my experience level grew.

19. EMILY KIKUE FRANKAugust 8,2023 at 3:57PM UTC

    First of all, don't panic. This happens a lot because we get overwhelmed by the amount of info coming at us. If you like the role and like your colleagues and supervisors, do some market research to find out what a realistic range is for the work you do. (Be sure to take where you live and work into consideration.) Then begin a list of your education, skills, and accomplishments. When you have all that, ask your boss for a meeting and lay out the details. Ask if there is room for negotiation and when that might happen. If the answer is no, start looking again. You will absolutely burn out if you work very hard for relatively low pay. But the answer may be yes, so know what you would feel good accepting, and then make sure that you get things in writing and take time to review them before signing in the future.

20. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 6:08PM UTC

    Any consideration of how this will look to her boss? She JUST interviewed, for and accepted the job and signed the paperwork. Coming back now, before she’s even proven she can do the job, much less well, after getting a $10k/year raise is ridiculous and that is how she will be perceived.

21. AnonymousAugust 10,2023 at 6:42PM UTC

    I completely agree! The train left the station when the OP agreed to the original offer. The optics of this negotiating tactic are NOT good!

22. AnonymousAugust 8,2023 at 5:35PM UTC

    Firstly, offer letters don't have information about vacation or benefits because those are subject to change sometimes every 6 months or annually so don't take that as a bad sign. Ask for the details of that and they should provide this to you. When put over a full year the $5.00 per hour more equals $10,400 which is a significant increase and if you are paid hourly and therefore non-exempt and able to get overtime. Dependent upon your state this may mean time and a half as well. Check into that with the DOL or EEOC in your area. Exempt employees usually hold administrative, professional, or executive positions. They're “exempt” from the FLSA overtime regulations and, therefore, not entitled to overtime pay. Nonexempt employees are typically paid hourly and perform more manual or technical duties.

    Not knowing which area you fall into do your homework and look up the code for the work that you do and if you believe the company has incorrectly classified you as hourly then you might file a complaint with the EEOC.

    https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm

    Frankly, if you are properly classified getting a 10K raise in this tough market is a good thing, I would stick it out and then just be sure you review the employee handbook, find out about PTO, Vacation - accrued or not - accrued means every paycheck you should see how many hours you get for vacation that you earn per paycheck, and when reviews and bonuses are given. Give it a chance you may be making too much of this up front. A delay in starting is fine because they may be doing things like ordering equipment for you or doing some other pre-work to get you set up or onboarded. If you truly are miserable about this, keep looking and decline the offer before you start.

23. BethBAugust 8,2023 at 6:01PM UTC

    Why are you putting the onus on the company? It’s on you for not clarifying this when interviewing. They didn’t deceive you.

24. AnonymousAugust 9,2023 at 1:11PM UTC

    I am very confused after reading this. It appears that you did not ask the right questions in the interview. You should always ask what the salary is or provide your salary expectations. You should also always ask for clarification in the interview about things you are concerned about or things that are important to you, such as PTO time and benefits. These things are not always going to be brought up unless you initiated it. In addition, the Company did not pull one over on you, you did it to yourself. Im really sorry for the bluntness but you have to make sure you are asking the right questions and have a clear understanding of the position you have applied for. Researching the average salaries is not a good way to determine your salary. You have to ask.

25. AnonymousAugust 9,2023 at 1:45PM UTC

    Why didn't you sort out the compensation prior to accepting tge offer? How did you think it was $20k increase and it came in at hald that?

26. AnonymousAugust 10,2023 at 12:51PM UTC

    Tough love here but this is not a case of deception. You signed an offer letter and if it did not describe salary and benefits, etc in a way you were comfortable with then it was on you to define what you needed to know in order to negotiate and sign. I feel like bamboozled and deceived are really strong words for a misstep on your part.

27. AnonymousAugust 10,2023 at 6:30PM UTC

    100% this