I was up for a raise and I was told I didn't get one because I make "exponentially more" than my teammates.

Anonymous

November 6,2023 at 3:46PM UTC

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I was up for a raise and I was told I didn't get one because I make "exponentially more" than my teammates.

For context, am a senior level marketing professional and my 4 colleagues (and my manager) are all 20 years younger than me. My current manager is not the one that hired me, but is a replacement for the previous head of marketing who left due to ongoing frustration with leadership. I've been at this job for 18 months and have had good feedback and annual reviews. Raises were supposed to happen the first week of October and my manager never told me what I was due to get, but she also never told me I wasn't getting one. And when I got my paycheck I asked her over email (her preferred method of communication) if it was a mistake and she never responded. So when I asked her a couple of days later in our 1-1 she informed me that since I make so much more money than everyone else, that she had to "even it up" on the team. She then had a convenient interruption on her internet connection so I couldn't follow up with questions about why since I can't figure out how my colleagues who are much younger and less experienced are being used as a reason to not give me a raise, even a tiny raise. I make under the standard for my role in field marketing and I used to love what I do but I'm stuck about what I can do about this. It feels like ageism. I have lost all motivation to do my work, and I don't know if I should bother bringing it up again or pursuing other avenues like going to HR. It's a small company, 70 people, in the tech industry.

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AnonymousNovember 6,2023 at 4:14PM UTC
If it's not stated in their policy then this could be a case of ageism.
I'm not sure if your agency qualifies but:
The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The Act, which applies to all ages, permits the use of certain age distinctions and factors other than age that meet the Act's requirements. The Age Discrimination Act is enforced by the Civil Rights Center.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment. The ADEA is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Before you go the complaint route you might want to review the compensation policy to see if pay equity is a factor. In the raise category you may want to see what goes into the decision of whether raises are granted. If you have met those requirements then you should have been entitled to a raise.
Finally, while this may be disappointing do not let it keep you from doing your best work. If this company does not appreciate you and are not interested in compensating you the way you deserve then find a better option. Don't ever be afraid to do what works best for you. Good luck. Sometimes these things happen so we can move otherwise we would stay in a place too long.
AnonymousNovember 6,2023 at 7:14PM UTC
If video links can be shared here, this situation reminds me of the famous experiment with capuchin monkeys by Frans de Waal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg
AnonymousNovember 6,2023 at 5:53PM UTC
Situations like this rarely end up with a great answer. If you’re not already looking for a new job, it’s time to start.
AnonymousNovember 6,2023 at 6:32PM UTC
This is super frustrating and I'm sorry. As a hiring manager myself, I get a lot of pressure from above to even out the pay scales on the team, so I think it's corporate pressure. I'm sure some leader read about it in Forbes.
AnonymousNovember 6,2023 at 6:50PM UTC
I understand your frustration but keep in mind that many companies have salary caps in place. If you are at a senior level and have been with the company longer while the majority of your other team members do not have the same tenure, then you likely do make much more than them and she likely is trying to balance out compensation levels. If you want to make more, and feel that you are being underpaid, consider looking for a new job vs going to HR.
AnonymousNovember 6,2023 at 7:10PM UTC
It's now time to escalate to HR to gain clarity since you were not advised of the CAP on your earnings due to the team's compensation band.
Looks like you've maxed out you earnings potential. You should have been warned.
AnonymousNovember 6,2023 at 7:11PM UTC
A similar thing soured me on a job in higher ed. I was hired at the top of my hiring scale, and my boss kept my merit raises out of reach by "raising the standards based on my experience." So the only thing I did wrong was have a birthday? She was a horrible person. When it became apparent that my evaluations were BS and my supervisor wasn't willing to work with me on actionable feedback to improve my salary, I went the route of all the available HR-type responses. What began as innocently asking what I could do for bigger raises became systematic bullying and me fighting back through official methods and unofficial methods (back-stabbing, I'm afraid to admit). Eventually, I was let go, but by then I was happy to go.
You probably can't do anything about this if you can't prove illegal ageism (difficult to do). Best bet would be working on your skill set and finding another job while doing all you can to preserve a good severance package if the lack of motivation turns into performance problems they can use against you.
I'm sorry to hear this happened to you, but since it's a fresh thing, I'm also happy to see you reaching out for advice. I wish I'd had someone tell me how hopeless my situation really was.
AnonymousNovember 7,2023 at 2:06PM UTC
I had this thing (legitimately) happen to me once with an employee who worked for me. He was acquired through a merger with another company and made nearly $20K more than I did. While I did give him something, it was (at the time) about half the COL), and he complained on his way out of my office about how he just got a pay cut. Unfortunately for him, he was overpaid for the market with highly specialized skills that only a few companies needed.
I pay close attention when I start a new job where I sit within any salary band for the position because this is an unfortunate consequence of being at the high end. It is also essential to know whether the company's salary range is competitive with similar positions at other companies. The longer you stay in a job, the harder it is to know this because you tend to fall out of the habit of checking where you stand, except when your salary is supposed to be adjusted. The other consequence of being at the top of the salary band is it puts you high on the list if the company needs to cut back by laying off workers. At a time like this, they aren't looking at the quality of the workers. They are looking at how to get the most significant cutback with the fewest workers. The highest-paid (first) and the lowest performers (next) are always the first to go.
For you, I'm not sure what to tell you. If it bothers you this much, you might want to start looking elsewhere, but I understand that the tech industry is pretty tight right now, especially in non-tech roles. If you get an offer, you could potentially leverage that for your employer to match but be prepared to leave if they don't. The sad truth is that if they can't even give you a cost-of-living raise, then they won't counter to keep you.
AnonymousNovember 7,2023 at 4:47PM UTC
Thank you for your input. It seems as if my situation is not the same as yours since I was not an acquired employee, I was hired at the rate that I’m making currently and it was a lateral move for me at the time to improve my work/life balance. Actually, it was a bit of a pay cut since I walked away from an annual bonus in favor of an equity payout within 3 years since the company is positioning for acquisition. I was not given a “salary band” during the hiring process. I was not advised that my pay would be dependent on those of my colleagues (nor should it be). My query was not toned in any way to detract from my much younger and also great-at-their-jobs colleagues. The bigger question I have in response to your comment is that wouldn’t you be upset or “bothered” by working your tail off the same as my colleagues was met with a slap in the face of being paid more than others? Of course I’m looking for a new job and I get it that the market is tight. However, at 52 years old (a dinosaur as it seems), I have a depth of hard-earned experience and talent which does not justify being dismissed by the excuse of salary equity when it was never discussed before in my humble opinion.
AnonymousNovember 9,2023 at 12:14AM UTC
I understand the frustration, but I have never had any company disclose during the hiring process how raises will be calculated in the future. The only company that would do this operates under a collective bargaining agreement. Salary equity adjustments can happen anytime, and you most likely won't be notified before they happen (although it does happen.)
When I was doing this at that specific company, the managers were given a pool of money for raises. For the guy in question, he didn't work his butt off but spent half the day in my office complaining about anything that was bothering him that day. I couldn't give him COL because the market and the company's salary bands wouldn't support it. I wasn't suggesting that your situation was the same as mine. I'm just trying to provide you with a view from the other side of the desk.
GirlBossanova934974November 7,2023 at 2:07PM UTC
So you are probably a far more productive employee than your co-workers and now Management has decided to count that against you. I would be looking elsewhere for another job, starting today. This usually ends very poorly for the more experienced employee. This company is not valuing your services. Sooner or later, you are probably going to be let go. Your previous manager gave up and took off. That told you something right there.
AnonymousNovember 7,2023 at 7:14PM UTC
Raises are not guaranteed in most employment situations, and a lot of times the best way to make more money is to find a new job. We're also in a pretty terrible economy/job market, so there's something to be said for being grateful you aren't being laid off -- but I totally understand the frustration of knowing your work is worth more. I'd recommend letting it go because it's not ageism. You make more than others, the company isn't in a position to pay you more right now, and they likely will just tell you to be grateful you have a job. Do your work without going above and beyond, and use that extra time/energy to start looking elsewhere!
AnonymousNovember 8,2023 at 1:50PM UTC
Could you ask for a bonus instead or for them to pay more of your health insurance (thinking they don't already) or more vacation days.
I was in a similar situation once and asked for an incentive in other ways. I said I understood that maybe my pay couldn't increase this year, but could they acknowledge my accomplishments in another way.
Joycelyn M. SiameNovember 8,2023 at 1:51PM UTC
I want to start off by saying that no one has brought up age, except for you... So ageism does not seem to play a role here. However, I do think that there is bias because you have a higher salary. Bonuses and raises should be based on performance, and the reasoning your manager provided is not ethnical to me (I am not an HR professional). I would do as one of the people before me stated, and do the bare minimum. Do not give more than your role requires you to do, and look elsewhere. If they are going to award other people, who may not be working as hard as you, on the basis of salary, look for a job that will value you more. Or, speak to HR and see if the reasoning is a fair one; I don't think it is.
AnonymousNovember 8,2023 at 1:58PM UTC
Age does not have to be explicitly mentioned to be a discrimination factor.
And I'm in a similar position... my colleagues are 15-20 years younger - including my SVP. ( I'm happy with my rung on the corporate ladder and quite honestly, have had enough "people managing" in my life. )
Whether you get a bump or not, the BIG issue is telling you why.... and I would absolutely take it to HR.
Suzanne CoppolaNovember 8,2023 at 3:31PM UTC
I disagree. Do not take it to HR unless you’re willing to leave or be pushed out. HR is not there to help you; they’re there to protect the company. Address it with your manager without bringing age into the conversation and then be ready to look for a new role if you don’t get an answer that works for you.
AnonymousNovember 8,2023 at 2:38PM UTC
Can they compensate you another way? Additional days off or bonus pay?
Raises aren't guaranteed but at least a cost of living increase should be given.
AnonymousNovember 8,2023 at 3:26PM UTC
Sounds like ageism could be a very real factor here. I’m not liking the reasoning they gave you. It just doesn’t sit well with me. Raises should be based on merit, and performance - not age. Even a small raise would be better than telling you you’re out of luck because you make more than they do. I doubt HR would be much help to you, here - odds are they’re very aware of it and supported the decision - after all, they’re the keepers of all things pay/benefit related. Most employment attorneys will talk to you for free to
help you decide whether there is a case they may be able to help with. Could be worth a conversation. Been through a very similar situation and I can say that ageism is very, very real in the workplace. I can understand the hit this takes to your motivation— and a good leader would have thought of that, too before making such a ridiculous statement.
AnonymousNovember 8,2023 at 3:27PM UTC
You would know better than me, but what is the financial status of the company? I'm kind of wondering if they're trying to leverage a certain amount of funds instead of an overall percentage increase. It sounds like there's a lot of turnover also. I would think money problems first, ageism second.
Yvette NsengiyumvaNovember 8,2023 at 3:49PM UTC
Wow! Interesting
AnonymousNovember 8,2023 at 4:36PM UTC
I don't think this is necessarily ageism, but it is surely an inexperienced leader who cannot explain why and how your good work is rewarded. If you feel you have been singled out ask for a reasonable increase and also COLA- cost of living, if you don't then you are essentially working for less than you did last year. Take time to think through whether this employer is the right place for you if they are comparing you to those who may not be performing as well. Internal compression and internal equity matters some but should not be the reason to have you sit unnoticed if you are truly a star.
Kim PfeifferNovember 8,2023 at 7:06PM UTC
F that. Compensation is generally confidential so how would your coworkers know
Kathleen FuellNovember 8,2023 at 7:18PM UTC
I would check in with HR, and just say that since you are newer, you would just like an explanation as to the compensation review and awards are calculated each year.
Mary PoolNovember 8,2023 at 9:27PM UTC
I would take it to HR and ask for a detailed explanation. If raises are based on performance, you deserve an explanation. One time my raise was given to another because "they had a family to feed and I had no children." I wish I had gone to personnel and fought for my raise.
AnonymousNovember 9,2023 at 3:15PM UTC
She seniority doesn’t matter any more? Of course you make more, you’ve been there longer. Time for a job search.
Liz MilneNovember 9,2023 at 4:54PM UTC
I would email her again, asking for more clarity on the reasoning, pointing out that you earn more because you not only add value to the business, but you've been doing so for a long time, finishing off by saying that you're disappointed to receive no raise at all: that it feels like an insult? Something like that? and follow up weekly until she replies/ ask for another meeting, preferably in-person...