I’ve been at my current job for 9 months now. My job is a very niche job that requires a college education but also requires hard physical work, a cdl, and lots of travel. I accepted it because I graduated right before the pandemic and desperately needed something to get some type of experience. My starting wage was $20/hr with scheduled raises based on experience and competency and getting my cdl. I have not gotten my cdl yet but likely will shortly. I work 60+ hours a week, regularly spend 2-3 nights per week in a hotel on average, and have also put up with many safety violations that I’m working on forcing my boss to address.
Since getting hired, all of my coworkers have quit for better opportunities, my boss got promoted and replaced with the biggest idiot ever created. My job has an extremely high turnover rate and extreme difficulty hiring anyone since anyone qualified for it doesn’t want to do it, especially not for $20/hr. We’ve hired 3 people since everyone quit. We’re a nationwide company, but my branch is by far the best performing. Most branches have 1-2 people working in our capacity, if that. Some literally have zero at the moment. My department is an essential part of our operations.
I’ve been running stuff since January. I’ve literally trained my boss on a number of things. I’ve been passed up for a promotion given to someone less knowledgeable than me (to be fair, he’s been there for a couple months longer than I have so I understand). Half the jobs we do can’t be done without me present. I requested an interview for a supervisor position in my department that has been open since at least January but was turned down, despite no other leads in the hiring process. I literally overheard my boss telling his boss that he plans to hire someone out of college once new graduates enter the workforce.
We just got a new hire last week. Like 2/3 guys hired since I started, he absolutely refuses to travel overnight. He’s been vocally resistant to many of the jobs we’ve had to do since he started and has already quit once. My bosses have begged him to stay and are absolutely bending over backwards to keep him. I don’t have a problem with him, because I agree with him on most things. But the problem is he’s making $8/hr more than I am and isn’t willing to do most of the jobs we have to do. He has more experience than I do and a cdl, but accounting for the raises I would receive for that he’s still making $5/hr more than me. Obviously this is quite the slap in the face.
When the timing is right I plan to ask for a raise to $25-$30/hr. I want to take a couple weeks to see what the plan is for this new guy, if he sticks around, and also take some time to sweet talk my boss a little. I’m looking for advice on how to do this