I understand that it’s a common practice for a manager to lose budget $$ if they asked for a certain amount of money and they didn’t spend it all. It’s incredibly frustrating as an employee to ask for a larger raise and not get it but then see a manager spend tens of thousands of dollars unnecessarily on hardware or software or contracts just so they can get approved for the same amount of money next year. Not only is it wasteful for the company, but it’s a slap in the face for employees. It says, hey we actually could find the money to pay you more, but we choose to needlessly buy stuff so upper management can approve of our inflated budget next year.
Sometimes hardware/supplies are cheaper. Sometimes you are able to finagle a deal. Sometimes you have years you might need more money. But when it comes to pay raises…. Somehow that’s the most impossible variable to change.
Managers and upper management always preach that decisions are always “for the good of the company”. BS- if it was then decisions between mid level managers and upper level directors wouldn’t have to fight for a budget each year by manipulating needs and needlessly spending money.