So I just had a moment that just belongs in this thread.
My team works a major account for one of the biggest government contractors in the country. Our pay has been frozen for the last 2 years. It is also one of those situations where there are very few people as part of the prime contract holder and the super majority resides with sub contractors.
Today my subcontractor had the prime director of the project on the call. Our big question as you might guess was pay increases. Well it read like a 3 act play from a capitalist bard.
Act one. Acknowledge that pay is the main reason for morale lows and attrition. Fine so far you can read exit interview answers from HR.
Act Two. Blame not getting raises on the bureaucracy and red tape. Like anyone on my side has not heard that a million times over. A bunch of people paid way more then I will ever see gets to decide if the peasants are worthy of extra rations. Yawn how many times have we heard this.
(Interlude At this point I heard all of this a million times before working as service provider)
Act Three. This is where the boss miscalculated. I can not believe this happened. Seriously leave this at act two and you would have been fine. HOWEVER this is where the boss goes off script and interjects his own opinions.
The boss says. “Do I think everyone should get a raise….No. The top 20 percent based on X metric and Y metric. I can go for that.”
I heard that and my jaw hit the floor. Because at that moment I realized even if the bean counters approved the money. There was no way we were seeing much of anything. I am in a good place and can afford to buy my time. Others are not as fortunate. I was just like you think your attrition is bad now? Just wait a few months where people are going to get offers and start actively leaving.
I never thought I would be a participant in something worthy of this glorious reddit page. Yet here I am not believing what I just heard.