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Most companies have salary grades. Ask to see what yours is and what the range is. If you are near or above the median, you're likely paid similarly to everyone else. If they refuse to or cannot show you the range and you think you're underpaid, you are.
As for people thinking it's ok for a company to fire someone for dicussing compensation, you're wrong. An employee has every right to do so if he or she so chooses to.
Why are people siding with the company about not discussing pay? That rule benefits the employer and not the employee. If your being underpaid comparable to others wouldn't you like to know it? I know a difference can make a difference when it comes time to to tap that 401K at retirement time.
I say make as much as you can while you can. Do people think employers don't know what the market rate is for compensation? It's ok for them but not for the employee. SMH..
I was in this position once. I knew that I was being grossly underpaid for my job responsibilities. It was a relatively large organization though and I was gaining valuable experience in my field, so I stuck around for a few years to learn everything I could before moving on. I suggest she keep her mouth shut and apply for jobs. If she gets a better offer she can use it as leverage for more pay from her existing employer or just move on. The org knows they are underpaying and getting a deal right now. If she's worth the extra pay, they'll pony up. If not, or if they think they can get someone else to do the same work for cheap, they'll let her walk. Either way, she'll come out ahead.
You have to know that bosses don't like to lose good workers because it reflects badly on them as if they have done something for good people to leave. Not just that, replacing someone who performs well is a big headache because there is a very good chance that the new person won't do as well and it take awhile to train this person.
If she's significantly underpaid compared to her peers they are never going to give her a raise to bring it in line with the market if she is at a company of any size. She likely falls somewhere in an established pay grade and they aren't going to deviate from that unless she is a magical admin that walks on water.
The only way I could see it happening is if she stayed at the same company for a long period of time and through the magic of employers almost universally paying less for talent they already have versus those they bring on board just got way behind with what the market is currently paying. Even then, her manager would have to justify a 50% pay raise (the approximate difference between $33k and $50k) which, unless she literally turns staples into gold, is never, ever going to happen.
If her peers are making $40-50k why would you give her advice to go negotiate and hope to get a 10% raise? So she can make $36k and be only slightly less underpaid? Why would she possibly bother to do that? That makes absolutely no sense.
Number one rule of employment is that you NEVER discuss your income with anyone who doesn't have a need to know. Friends/colleagues DONT'T have a need to know. Ever.
Name a company that would ever, ever(!) follow your rule doing business, You can't, because there are none, because that is awful advice.
You will never find a company that doesn't know what the competition is charging for similar goods or services. That doesn't at least have a good guess of what competitors margins are. That doesn't have at least a good guess of what competitors are paying for their materials, employees, and other overhead. There are companies whose entire existence is to provide this information to other companies so that they can make educated and appropriate decisions in the highly competitive arena that almost all businesses operate in.
Highly competitive just like... the current job market.
And you are telling us that as an employee collecting your own intelligence is bad? So you can't make your own educated decisions about whether you are being paid market rate?
I'm sorry. I'm not attacking you personally, but that is top notch stupid advice.
Companies have those clauses because by keeping employees in the dark it helps to keep their costs down. It keeps employees in line.
And what does discussing your pay with your friends have to do with anything? Discuss away. It's interesting to see what others make doing similar things, or doing different things in different fields. Again, the more you know and all that good stuff. If you can't handle a normal, adult conversation like that then you have serious emotional and maturity issues.
I pay my secretary (err, "Administrative Assistant") a lot less than that. The market rate for secretaries is nowhere near $40-50k where I live. More like $25k. And unlike your friend, my secretary knows not to complain because she's easily replaceable. She feels like she's lucky to have a job, which is the way it should be in today's marketplace.
First thing I think, is that all of those assistants should be fired. Never, ever, ever, talk about your salary. That is a big no-no. This is exactly why.
It's not the other assistants' fault that your friend didn't negotiate higher pay. Maybe they have more experience. There's a ton of reasons their pay might be higher, or hers lower.
She wasn't unhappy til she found out about it. That isn't unfair; the only thing wrong here is that they blabbed.
This is exactly why stores shouldn't make their prices public. Everyone would be happy overpaying for that new TV until they find out they can get it 25% cheaper down the street. But see, if nobody discussed prices, then everyone would be happy! They would be getting ripped off and wouldn't know it and that's great!
And that's great for... who? Oh, that's right. Not the guy buying the TV. And not the admin getting ripped off by being severely underpaid.
And so what if she doesn't have the same experience? Let her go apply somewhere else. If it's an experience issue then she won't find higher pay. But at least now she knows to check.
You my friend can feel free to let employers take advantage of you, but don't expect others to follow your path. I wouldn't.
I pay my secretary (err, "Administrative Assistant") a lot less than that. The market rate for secretaries is nowhere near $40-50k where I live. More like $25k. And unlike your friend, my secretary knows not to complain because she's easily replaceable. She feels like she's lucky to have a job, which is the way it should be in today's marketplace.
Which it should be to... make it easier on people like you?
Don't look for better wages! Don't look for a better environment! Don't look to improve your station in life!
That's right. You're lucky to have a job. You stay right there, doing my junk work while I pay you peanuts. That's the way it should be in today's marketplace.
It's people like her who enable people like you to improve their life. It only works for you if there are people who don't know any better, keep their head down, don't make waves, and let life pass them by.
If she's significantly underpaid compared to her peers they are never going to give her a raise to bring it in line with the market if she is at a company of any size. She likely falls somewhere in an established pay grade and they aren't going to deviate from that unless she is a magical admin that walks on water.
The only way I could see it happening is if she stayed at the same company for a long period of time and through the magic of employers almost universally paying less for talent they already have versus those they bring on board just got way behind with what the market is currently paying. Even then, her manager would have to justify a 50% pay raise (the approximate difference between $33k and $50k) which, unless she literally turns staples into gold, is never, ever going to happen.
If her peers are making $40-50k why would you give her advice to go negotiate and hope to get a 10% raise? So she can make $36k and be only slightly less underpaid? Why would she possibly bother to do that? That makes absolutely no sense.
Go find a job somewhere else that pays better.
I couldn't have said it better. I agree with everything.
Even if her manager was on board with giving her a 50% raise, the HR department would need a business justification for a 50% salary increase. The HR dept, HR VP, HR SVP, manager's VP, and manager's SVP would have to approve it also. All it takes is one person in the chain to say no. She would be back to square one.
Which it should be to... make it easier on people like you?
Don't look for better wages! Don't look for a better environment! Don't look to improve your station in life!
That's right. You're lucky to have a job. You stay right there, doing my junk work while I pay you peanuts. That's the way it should be in today's marketplace.
It's people like her who enable people like you to improve their life. It only works for you if there are people who don't know any better, keep their head down, don't make waves, and let life pass them by.
Absolutely disgusting.
It's a free country and she can do whatever she wants. Just don't blame me, or come crawling back to me, if it turns out that the grass really wasn't greener on the other side. I've seen it happen before.
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