I work at a small plant in the United States. I started working on the production line and after a year applied for and received a customer service position. It's structured so that there's typically 3-4 of us in the regular customer service role (though at times it's been as little as 2 for stretches), then a manager, and that manager has a boss in the sales department. I've worked for the company just shy of 10 years.
About 2 months ago I emailed my boss asking for a raise for the first time since I worked at the company. I've gotten a 3% raise every year since I started in the customer service department after my very pointless “performance reviews” each year, but have never actually flat out asked for a raise. With prices soaring and with the raises I have actually been losing money for the past few years, and realized nobody was going to stick up for me except for me, so I finally decided to ask for one myself. My boss told me “it is company policy to do raises in July,” and after a few more emails (including one to her boss after she stopped responding to me), I finally got her to approve a 3% raise starting in May. I asked for more. She told me 3% was the best she could do, and to make sure I didn't discuss this at all with anybody. My last email the only words I wrote were, “That's demoralizing,” because it honestly was. I did not receive a response back but awaited my raise in May.
This week I got my first paycheck for the first week of May and realized my pay didn't change at all, so on Wednesday the very first thing I did was send an email to my boss asking her what was up. I did not get a response at all. So at the end of the day, I emailed her, her boss, the president of my company (who I am on good terms with), and HR asking them to please rectify the situation and also let me know when I would be receiving my backpay.
Today (Thursday) I clocked in and had an email from my boss, where she said since I only wrote back “That's demoralizing,” when she said she she approved me for a raise starting in May, that I did not agree to the raise. My response back was scathing, and I told her it indeed was and still is demoralizing to continually face resistance every step of the way just for asking for a raise. I made very clear at the end of the email that yes, I do indeed want my raise – why would I turn down money? She responded back, “We will put the raise in as soon as possible.”
At this point, feeling demoralized once again, I let my other coworkers know exactly how much I was making and that I had asked for a raise, and let them know I think they deserved one, too. We had never discussed wages before but they were both thankful I was honest with them. I am not sure if they have asked for a raise today – one of them told me how devalued she had felt since she had had her baby and was no longer working in the office, and didn't know how to ask for a raise – but I told them both that I would be happy to help if they needed it even though I myself was probably not the best person to go to for advice.
At the end of the day, I received an email from HR telling me I had to have a performance review next week, and “your increase will be effective once we cover the review.” So, 2 months ago told I was getting a raise in May, no. Told this morning that it would go in as soon as possible, no. Now I have to have a performance review, where I feel like they're going to be intimidating and imply that I'm not even worth the 3% offered. I've butted heads with my manager before so I know this is going to turn into a shitshow. Just to get a normal raise 2 months early? I've been here 10 years and they're making this such an ordeal.
And I know there's a ton of you out there that would kill to get any kind of raise each year like I get, no matter how small – I feel more than a little gross complaining about this – but I do feel solidarity with everyone on here and I needed to get this off my chest. I hope the best for each and every one of you at your jobs and I hope my struggle helped even one person get through their day. Reading these types of stories are some of my favorite content on this sub.