Is this a big slap in the face? (profit, employers, job)

[Wartrace]

Originally Posted by cottMAN98405cc

im not accountant, but im pretty sure at the end of the fisal year. that business trip can be written in the company taxes since it is indeed a business trip. While your raise can not. Making that 4k trip a bit cheaper i think

Salary/wages are a business expense which are also deducted from gross income.

[ChikidII]

Originally Posted by Suncc49

Are these items being purchased with their company accountants?

ALOT of small business owners don't understand that the Company isn't their personal checkbook.

I once had a client who spent 5,000 to 10,000 a month on personal Suits and paid his yacht Captain on the Company books. Guy probably ran 700,000 annually in personal expenses through the Company. I got fired, but who wants clients who are willfully risking you jail time, lol.

There is an IRS form you can file to anonymously report Tax Evasion. FYI.

However, this is a small business, so either define your responsibilities and slowly scale back all the extra work or vote with your feet.

Why does a Company of 6 need human resources?!?!

We all do.HR work. Its an HR consulting firm. I do HR research.

[nctecchie]

One side:

When the economy was better, I used to fly business class to Europe quite a bit. Its definitely a nice perk and is much easier to work on the flight. Quite a bit of business can get done on a flight.

Your company was likely subject to a salary increase / bonus freeze. Its not just your increase, but everyone's - so the actually amount is much higher that they are holding back (its not just $900 but 10's or 100's of thousands of dollars).

Non-food Travel expenses are tax deductible for a business. Employee compensation is subject to payroll taxes.

The other side:

The executive should not be flying business class if there is a spending freeze. That is irresponsible and insensitive - and quite frankly insulting to fellow employees that are making do with less.

I'd recommend that you take your emotion and extra effort and put it in your pocket for now. Definitely don't waste any more energy on this topic - it will only make you frustrated. Don't talk about this to any other employees. Start / Keep looking for another company - you can definitely do better. If you come across a situation where there is a promise for a raise in the future, prior to accepting the job you can ask the hiring manager to outline what you need to do in order to get the raise in terms of concrete objectives - better yet, you can propose a 90 day / 6 month plan with objectives - at the end of which you get an increase.

Good luck - and stay positive - rise above this.

[Suncc49]

Originally Posted by ChikidII

We all do.HR work. Its an HR consulting firm. I do HR research.

Then branding and marketing your product could fall under your duties... You are the expert on Human Resources Consulting correct?

Network with your clients, you never know they may need an HR Person full time.

[lifeexplorer]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

In a normal economy you would've been outta there with a hefty raise when you got your next job. Unfortunately this is a different type of economy and employers know they can take advantage of their employees.

That is what they are doing.

Take advantage??? I am an employee myself but I firmly believe that the only advantage the employer can take is what we allow them to take.

If you are on a work visa and the employer purposely pay you less than what you two have agreed on because they know you can't leave to work for another company due to visa issue, then that's "taking advantage."

In OP's case, she agreed to take the job at the amount. The performance review is never a guarantee of giving more money. If the OP doesn't agree with the compensation, the door is right there. It's not "taking advantage;" it's just different opinion on compensation.

Just as an employee, don't ever think you "deserve" anything when come to compensation. You don't. You only deserve what the employer wants to pay you. You also have the freedom NOT to work for the employer while they have the freedom NOT to employ you.

It is a free world. You don't like the pay? Walk. You don't like the pay and still decided to stay because whatever your situation is? Well, since you agree to the arrangement, nobody is taking advantage of anybody. So be happy with your agreement.

[Squirl]

I totally understand the OP's frustrations and think its a good idea to look around for another job. But a couple of thoughts. I won't fly coach to Europe, either. Its too long a flight and physically I simply cannot deal with tiny coach seats for that long a flight. Also, since your boss is an HR consultant, his job is to always market his business. A long overseas flight in business or first class is a great opportunity to interact with executives....a good networking scenario.

[manderly6]

You will drive yourself crazy with that kind of thinking. Wait until you work at a company that actually decides to buy a jet for their executives to travel on and then pinch pennies. It will make that $4,000 vs. $900 seem insignificant.

It is one thing to worry about how much you make (and of course everyone should care very much about that), but it is completely different (and fruitless) to try and justify what a company spends on item XX vs. what they are paying you.

[sas0814]

Yes that is a huge slap, these companies suck these days.
Next time I get hired, I know what to do.

[lovetheduns]

Originally Posted by bobtn

Companies treat salaries different from T&E. Remember, Employer FICA, Medicare, Workers Comp, Life Insurance, etc go up proportinately with salary increases. While 4k is expensive for a plane ticket, T&E expenses have nothing similar where other expenses go up. Plus, its an extremely long flight no doubt, so I blame no one for paying for more leg room on such a trip. If it were a 700 mile trip, I could understand the "suck it up and go coach" mentality.

Agreed-- my company had a policy that a trip over 8 hours from the gateway city was business or first class. If you were not in a gateway city that was over 8 hours but you had to be at work immediately upon landing-- it would be business/first.

As someone who has "saved" teh company money by leaving a day early flying in coach sometimes and working pretty much immediately-- it is exhausting to get to an office after being crammed in a plane coach seat and expected to go to work in a different time zone and all of the other unfun stuff that went along with the trip, extra early check in, customs, transportation issues, etc.

Salaries are a complete different story. If his trip is a company paid pleasure trip you would have a right to be offended, but as bobtn said T&E is very different and more than likely the ability to function at that level to customers/meetings/etc probably has by far a greater return on it than just the cost of the airfare.

[Davros]

Originally Posted by ChikidII

In all honesty I dont partucularly like the job, but I don't hate it. My original plan was to wait a year and reevaluate everything. I understand this happens in corporate America but I work in a company of six people. I would think there would be more appreciation in a company so small.

I hear flying coach to Europe really sucks. (I've never left our shores, myself).

He may get $4000 worth of work done in the comfort of business class that he wouldn't have been able to get done sitting like a sardine and listening to babies crying.

I wouldn't take it personally. Presidents of companies don't generally fly coach to Europe, I don't think. At least he isn't leasing a private jet.

A raise is a bonus for working hard. You should work hard anyways so you don't get fired. Think about it. You're getting 33K plus benefits and you're getting all worked up about $900 ? I mean, really, emotions can be powerful, so you really got to back up and think rationally.