Promotion with Less Pay and more hours

Golfman25

Trusted Information Resource
Had my review today. Good news, I am getting a promotion to Corp QE and working 50 hrs instead of 40. Then an 1800 a year raise. The very unfortunate side of this is that if I stayed where I am and just worked 45 hours a week I would be making 7K more on a hourly rate. The only change to my current job is helping another plant - which will take me an hour a week.
How do you suggest I approach this? It is totally not fair as the raise isn't even close to what the other Corp QE's make and I have just as much experience as them. The only difference is that I am a girl.......

I think you might be comparing apples to oranges. If you're currently working 40 hrs, how can you stay in the same job and work 45 hrs? What future opportunities does the Corp QE provide? How do you know the circumstances behind what the "other" Corp QE's make? I would think longer term. Good luck.
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Had my review today. Good news, I am getting a promotion to Corp QE and working 50 hrs instead of 40. Then an 1800 a year raise. The very unfortunate side of this is that if I stayed where I am and just worked 45 hours a week I would be making 7K more on a hourly rate. The only change to my current job is helping another plant - which will take me an hour a week.
How do you suggest I approach this? It is totally not fair as the raise isn't even close to what the other Corp QE's make and I have just as much experience as them. The only difference is that I am a girl.......
Couple of items strike me from this post:

  1. You can double check with the employment people at your state government or with the IRS, but I am VERY sure the job you describe for the promotion is NOT exempt and therefore you would have to be paid time-and-a-half for every hour over 40. Do NOT trust an HR person in the company to give you an accurate answer -- countless lawsuits are filed every year against companies that claim "wage slaves" are exempt workers, but the criteria are very clear (see quote box below)
  2. John Broomfield is correct that everything can be negotiable. Do not let everything hinge on salary dollars if you can pick up extra benefits that come from a different corporate account (clothing allowance, insurance, car allowance, extra paid vacation, paid education, paid membership in professional organizations, expenses paid to trade shows and association meetings [to keep current with the profession], more frequent reviews and raises, etc. etc.)
  3. As part of the negotiation, you need to ASK what the wage rate range for the position is and what criteria must be met to reach the top of the range
  4. It is not unheard of for there to be a gender bias in wages. You have to have the courage to broach the subject - you need to arm yourself with salary surveys for comparable jobs in comparable locations and industries to bolster the case you should be paid for the job, not low balled because of your gender.
Executive Exemption
To qualify for the executive employee exemption, all of the following tests must be met:
  1. The employee must be compensated on a salary basis (as defined in the regulations) at a rate not less than $455 per week;
  2. The employee?s primary duty must be managing the enterprise, or managing a customarily recognized department or subdivision of the enterprise;
  3. The employee must customarily and regularly direct the work of at least two or more other full-time employees or their equivalent; and
  4. The employee must have the authority to hire or fire other employees, or the employee?s suggestions and recommendations as to the hiring, firing, advancement, promotion or any other change of status of other employees must be given particular weight.
Feel free to contact me via Private Message if you need to discuss details in a non-public forum.
 

Hershal

Metrologist-Auditor
Trusted Information Resource
Had my review today. Good news, I am getting a promotion to Corp QE and working 50 hrs instead of 40. Then an 1800 a year raise. The very unfortunate side of this is that if I stayed where I am and just worked 45 hours a week I would be making 7K more on a hourly rate. The only change to my current job is helping another plant - which will take me an hour a week.
How do you suggest I approach this? It is totally not fair as the raise isn't even close to what the other Corp QE's make and I have just as much experience as them. The only difference is that I am a girl.......

When I hired on at my previous employer, a VP told me if I was not building my resume, I was not serving the company.

Use it as a tool to advance, even if elsewhere.
 

harry

Trusted Information Resource
If you want to negotiate, do it from a position of 'strength'. Meaning, you must try to find out as much information as possible - information pertaining to why they give you such an offer, about possible changes or restructuring or business re-orientation in the organization.

You can gather more by talking to people in HR, your superiors, your colleagues and the Wikipedia reference-linkGrapevine (gossip).
 

John Broomfield

Leader
Super Moderator
Job simplification, automation and globalization destroy good wages unless you re-educate and re-skill to add value in other ways.

This malaise extends to us using our tablets to consume instead of learning coding to create.
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
My observation is that the QE position, especially in a supplier quality role, tends to be a revolving door based on the stresses and thanklessness of the position. Maybe that is why the pay is low; maybe also the expectations are low as it can sometimes be a low level starting position for fresh graduates versus the hourly wage for skilled longer-term workers.

Wes is correct that many employers improperly define salary positions. The U.S. Department of Labor has published a Fact Sheet on "Wage and Hour Division" to help sort that out. Please note the Fact Sheet has links to other fact sheets that give more details based on types of jobs.

I would hesitate going to the HR department with this kind of pay/salary vs wage question, as they either know what they are doing and might not take kindly to your calling them on it, or they might not know what they are doing and not take kindly to your telling them their business. :2cents:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also has Compensation Survey data that might help you. I have often read that women too seldom negotiate - that is one factor pinned to the wage gap. Of course there are two sides of the negotiating table and I was discriminated against for many years. I used the position as a stepping stone, and accepted tuition assistance with the opinion that it was a type of compensation. We can decide how to feel about such things.

My best to you!
 
T

tori2432

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I am in a unique position to say the least. During my review, my boss said all the QE's should be working 50 hours a week and it says so in the handbook - actully it DOES NOT SAY THAT! I checked! The position description also only says 40!

Working 50 or even 45 hours a week this year is impossible due to having a child hopefully via IVF. I cannot take the chance of additional stress if this is to work out. I am highly skilled and my boss really appreciates my skills and assistance. I think I may have the upper hand at this. I have listed my planned negotiations in order.....
1. Hourly pay and 40 hrs week
2. Hourly pay and 40 hrs week with VPN to work at home if necessary
3. Salary and 40 hrs week with VPN.
4. Retain current title at hourly and 40 hrs week.

I always get my work done and work over when it is necessary. The new HR Director is all about retaining the best, I hope he really means it.:cfingers:
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I am in a unique position to say the least. During my review, my boss said all the QE's should be working 50 hours a week and it says so in the handbook - actully it DOES NOT SAY THAT! I checked! The position description also only says 40!

Working 50 or even 45 hours a week this year is impossible due to having a child hopefully via IVF. I cannot take the chance of additional stress if this is to work out. I am highly skilled and my boss really appreciates my skills and assistance. I think I may have the upper hand at this. I have listed my planned negotiations in order.....
1. Hourly pay and 40 hrs week
2. Hourly pay and 40 hrs week with VPN to work at home if necessary
3. Salary and 40 hrs week with VPN.
4. Retain current title at hourly and 40 hrs week.

I always get my work done and work over when it is necessary. The new HR Director is all about retaining the best, I hope he really means it.:cfingers:
Good luck on the negotiations. I hope you have success with the in vitro procedure -- in my experience, people who work that hard to become a mom make excellent parents!
 

John Broomfield

Leader
Super Moderator
Tori,

Your negotiation plan and priorities looks like an excellent start.

I wish you the very best in securing a win for your family, a win for your employer and a win for yourself.

John
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Your boss misquoting the handbook is not a good start to something like this. I smell something...

Based on your plans for pregnancy I am not sure such a "promotion" is a good idea. Would this move place you low on seniority that might make you vulnerable for layoffs? I see two good reasons for staying put for now.

The delicate thing is, of course describing your reasons. You probably would do as I would, but I want to stress in any case that I would not, EVER tell him I am planning to conceive. It isn't his business and pregnancy, whether we like to admit it or not, sometimes factors in getting/keeping jobs and/or promotions.
:2cents:
 
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