To preface: I work as a barista for a local coffee shop that has 3 locations, and it owns roastery.
My co-workers and I have been asking for raises, especially since there’s no on-board training other than shadowing.
We all have individual meetings with our boss to discuss raises. I asked for $16/hr, as I currently make $15/hr (which is our starting wage). I’ve also been working for them for two years. Two other coworkers who have been here for 6 months also asked for raises the same way. We all had good performance reviews and during mine there was no mention of a raise. So I asked my boss afterwards about my raise, and he told me we’ll discuss it soon, then he goes off to another country for a month.
I talk with my coworkers and find out the two that have been here for 6 months got dollar raises and are now make $16/hr. So I ask my boss through our company messaging board to clarify if I received a raise or not, and this is what he says:
“Sorry for the delay in responding. Unfortunately, no, we aren't able to give you a raise at this time. Sorry for the disappointing news. Your next raise will be the 5% annual raise that kicks in a year after whenever your last pay increase was, which in your case was January 1st of this year. So, January 1, 2023 your rate will increase to $15.75. Sorry again we can't make an exception for it to happen earlier!”
So by the beginning of next year I’ll still be making less than my coworkers who ended up getting raises? It’s such bullshit. I also cannot stand his use of passive voice as a rhetorical device to make it seem like it’s out of control, when he can literally do whatever he’d like as an employer. I can’t keep waiting around for my employer, who clearly doesn’t value my labor, to keep stringing me along. I deserve to be treated better and appreciated more.
Also, to clarify, I’m glad my coworkers ended up getting raises because we all deserve them. I love my co-workers and enjoy working with them, but at the end of the day that is not enough. I’m upset that I put two years of hard work for nothing. I’m in the process of looking for work, and once I do I’ll never look back.