Tl;dr: it's a 0.4% increase.
I work in the public sector and started at the bottom of the pay scale. That was okay because I understood that there is a pay progression scheme based on performance. This is more than we had in place in my previous charity jobs, in which progression was impossible.
So I work my socks off, go out of my way to improve our service. I continually received “outstanding” performance reviews from my manager and praise from senior management.
“It's been a long time since we've had someone so competent in this role”.
“The service is the best now that it's ever been”.
After a year and no word, I had to ask about the pay progression scheme. I'm told that the progression scheme has been frozen this year due to Covid. Some staff had been redeployed due to Covid and as such their performance couldn't be monitored against the normal targets.
Okay, damn. Maybe in a year's time then?
It's been 2 years, I asked directly if I could move up my pay band. The cost of living has increased, I'm a single person, I'm still living with my parent. I won't be able to get a mortgage on my current salary.
It took 4 months for senior management to get back to me with an answer: no. “The organisation doesn't have the money”.
I can still get a pay rise via the standard yearly pay progression scheme based on my performance, though! So just wait for that process to happen, they say.
My personal development review comes around, and I come prepared with pages of information about the things I've done in the role and the difference I've made.
0.4%. That's how much my salary went up.
I've lost all motivation.
Move job, you say? Well I'm trying, but I don't know where to go. I've worked in third and public sector my whole working life, and the better paying jobs are in private.
I just wanted to get this off my chest.