I have been offered a raise which would make me the employee with the highest earnings in my team. One would think I should be happy but I’m more scared and uncomfortable.
From my experience on the job the highest earners are always on top of the list to be let go when sh-t hits the fan. I am a long timer at the company but still some 8 years away from my pension. On the other hand money hasn’t been tight lately, my house is paid off and I don’t carry any debt.
To be perfectly honest I just want to reach my pension and not go through the pristraion of looking for a new job at this age. I am seriously thinking of declining the raise. Has anyone don that?
13 replies (most recent on top)
Take it. That number then becomes your bottom amount for salary negotiations while looking for a better job.
What pension are you talking about????
Don't overthink it.
Take the increase!
Take the raise. You cannot control layoffs. Refusing the raise will raise a lot of questions. This is not normal behavior. If you tell your manager why you are refusing, your manager will NOT say that your refusal will ensure your employment. No manager will ever say your job is secure for the next eight years. The only thing you can control is you. Start looking for another job. That you can control.
Ummm...please except your blessings. The cost of living is going up. Your employer wants to pay you more. Get your money. If you feel like you don't need it day to day, increase your 401k contribution and save it.
You never know for certain unless you see the payroll but here is what i know:
- I’m the team lead for our team, have been for five years or so.
- I’m a higher level than the others, again been that way for ~five years. I’m at the Lead level, while the others are at the Senior or junior levels.
- A few others have told me what they make.
So i’m pretty close to 100% certain. If you know your team and your management well enough, it’s usually not too difficult to figure out who they believe are the top performers and who is likely compensated as such. Starting spot would be job title and level of responsibility.
If i expand it out to director level, i would assume there are 3-5 others with similar titles/responsibility that likely make more than i do. Maybe i’m wrong and I make more than them, but i would think they would have higher expectations and responsibility of me if that was the case.
Are you thinking clearly? That approach may make some modicum of sense if WF were the only employer left in the World. Have some faith in your abilities to gain another job if the situation so demands. Or you wish to move on.
how do you know for sure you are the highest paid?
You are overthinking it. Every time I had to lay someone off, it was based on headcount, not salary. Managers would rather pay a rockstar twice the amount of lower performers, than to have a team full of folks who are underperforming. The only time when I ran into salary being too high was during hiring and the candidates salary requirements could not be met.
I’ve been the highest paid on my team for some time. Three others have been let go, I still remain. It isn’t as big a factor as you think.
I wouldn't decline it. There are no guarantees in life. What if they cut your entire team and you didn't take the raise?
Never. Wouldn't turn it down. Take the money and sock it away in case you do lose your job. Income impacts social security payment. Refusing it won't protect you. I, too, have felt like I have had a target on my back from time to time. Unfortunately, that's what working for WF does to you.