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Subject:Re: Where is the ceiling in TW? From:Jo Francis Byrd <jbyrd -at- byrdwrites -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 18 Jan 2001 21:31:06 -0600
You make a valid point, John, but....
...In this particular situation, the person made the right decision. I
was there, I saw the people and the environment. You have to judge each
situation as it comes, but as a rule (and we all know there are zillions
of exceptions to every rule) if you are not a valued employee until you
want to leave....maybe it IS time to leave!
Jo
John Posada wrote:
Jo...this is not always the case.
The department where I'm contracting was in a situation where they'd lost
all of their writers (3 FTs) and I was the only one left (contractor). Is
so happened that my contract was closing, I'd interviewed, and had two
offers (and my manager knew about them). My supervisor asked me if I
would renew for awhile...they brought it up, not I. I said yes, only
under the condition of 10% rate increase and the option to telecommute 2
days a week. They accepted it (within the hour).
Two weeks later, my supervisor was fired (for performance), but I was
kept with no changes in rules or added work. BTW...yesterday, about 10%
of the company was layed off to cut expense and I'm still there, with no
change in rules or work load (and yes, I've spoken to the new manager
that was brought in 2 weeks ago and no change is anticipated).
I think the issue is not whether you placed them over a barrel, but
whether at the new level, are you still as valuable as you were at the
previous level (and didn't rub their noses in it).
The person you gave as an example. If she had looked at it objectively,
she would have seen the increase as not their paying her too little, but
her not knowing her value from the beginning and having negotiated for
it. That was HER problem, not theirs. Now, if during this piling on of
the riches, she had turned to them and took less than the maximum she
could have gotten (maybe only double the salary), not only would they
have carried her out on their shoulders, but they would have understood
that she was a class act and have treated her so.
When you have your employer over a barrel, take a little less than the
maximum they are offering. You'll get it back in spades later on.
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