Categories
Antiwork

How do you respond to a CEO who refuses to give cost of living adjustment in this time of unprecedented inflation?

In my sector, nonprofits in DC that rely on grants, it is customary for organizations to provide all employees with annual cost of living adjustments (COLA). The funders even expect the increase in multi year budgets. This year, however, the CEO is refusing to give any COLA to staff citing a “tight budget” after providing staff with 3% increase last year. We are a staff of just 9 employees and with inflation at a crazy 7%, I think getting no COLA is outrageous. Your salary is practically worth less. I spoke to the CEO to convince her and she claims COLAs are never guaranteed and the organization provided it last year during the pandemic even when most places did not. She suggested that we could do 1.5% increase now and if things improve for us income wise we may add another 1.5% mid year. I’m never a fan of employers…


In my sector, nonprofits in DC that rely on grants, it is customary for organizations to provide all employees with annual cost of living adjustments (COLA). The funders even expect the increase in multi year budgets. This year, however, the CEO is refusing to give any COLA to staff citing a “tight budget” after providing staff with 3% increase last year. We are a staff of just 9 employees and with inflation at a crazy 7%, I think getting no COLA is outrageous. Your salary is practically worth less.

I spoke to the CEO to convince her and she claims COLAs are never guaranteed and the organization provided it last year during the pandemic even when most places did not. She suggested that we could do 1.5% increase now and if things improve for us income wise we may add another 1.5% mid year. I’m never a fan of employers saying “let’s see how income is later in the year before I give you what you deserve now”

Do I just accept it and let it go and keep fighting for the COLA for the staff?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.