I'm looking for a job elsewhere, but while I look, I'm curious what y'all recommend. After 6 years of working here, prepping the labs for undergrad students to do their chemistry experiments each week, I've finally asked for a raise. I receive a yearly merit-based raise like the rest of faculty and staff, maxing out at 3%, but usually between 1-2%, lowest I've gotten being 0.5% during Covid. With cost of living increasing by like 7% yearly nowadays, needless to say, it's not sustainable. I started working here when rent where I lived was $600/month, and now it's just over $900/month. All of this to say, I need a legit raise.
So, back in November 2021, when my supervisor quit and the college started looking for a new lab coordinator, they had me take on a few of his old responsibilities, while other people took others. I got his old office (I don't normally have an office at all), and was told it would likely remain mine since whoever they hired would need an office in a different building the Chem department also uses. I took the opportunity to ask if I could also get a raise, since I've been here for 6 years without asking for one, was told multiple times when I saved people's asses that I should remind them to give me a raise later, and I was taking on more responsibilities now.
I got very little in the way of answers, but I WAS told I should make a list of my responsibilities from when I started, and for now. I did, and submitted it. I was told to talk to the new head of the department. I did, and she said that University Policy was that raises in pay were title-based, and they'd need to promote me to a new position in order to give me a raise. But they were more worried about hiring a new lab coordinator right now. I said okay, let me know when you hire someone, and we can talk then.
They hired a guy, J, who has turned out to be a bit of an ass, but the details on that are for another story about why I'm looking for work elsewhere. I asked the department head again if she was able to get me a raise, or promote me to a higher lab tech position. I started out as a Lab Tech 4, and there's no such thing as Lab Tech 1-3 here, so I know they can just create a Lab Tech 5 position and promote me to it, but she said the only way I was going to get a pay raise was through the merit-based system, which was not her responsibility. I emailed HR, and they put me in contact with the department in charge of that. I got the same answer.
I've been running around trying to get an increase in pay to a living wage for months, and I've realized that, between the profs and lab coordinator always acting like their fuck-ups are my fault, the lack of pay increase, the students constantly trying to kill themselves with broken glassware and acids, and the willingness of the college to exploit my coworkers and I, this place just isn't worth it. We're the cheapest 4 year University in the state, and it certainly feels like it, with the crap that goes on around here.
I'm looking for work elsewhere, but in the meantime, do you guys have any advice?