Performance Evaluations

[The Burgomaster]

I just finished giving a performance evaluation to our Executive Administrative Assistant.  I won't go into all the details of the evaluation.  Let's just say she is a conscientious, loyal employee who has (as all employees do) a few areas she needs to improve.  Nothing drastic, just the normal stuff.  Anyway, she did not get a pay increase.  This is not unusual because pay increases have been sporadic at my company over the past 3 or 4 years.  However, I believe everyone here is fairly compensated . . . in fact, I'd almost say handsomely compensated.  Anyway, the Executive Administrative Assistant (and don't be fooled by her title . . . she's not a high-powered professional with amazing skills . . . she is not significantly better than any other Administrative Assistant who ever worked here . . . her title simply means she makes travel arrangements and does filing for the owners of the company) told me it was a "slap in the face" not to get a raise.  She makes $25.22 per hour and works 32 hours per week.  We have asked her many times to increase to 40 hours (which would be more than $52,000 per year), but she wants to have Mondays off.  Her responsibilities include answering the phone (the main number only rings about 1 or 2 times a day . . . most people call employees on their direct lines, thus avoiding the switchboard), making travel arrangements, sending and receiving FedEx and UPS packages, doing light to moderate filing, photocopying, printing, and ordering office supplies.  Am I crazy or is she being unreasonable by getting so upset?

[JayJayM12]

She sounds like she is DEFINITELY paid quite well for what she does, so I don't think she should be too upset.  However, I understand WHY she is though - we all would like a raise, and she probably convinced herself going in that she would definitely get it, so she took it personally that she didn't.  Again, I don't think she SHOULD get upset, but not surprised that she did.  I think she seems to be getting paid plenty for what she does and it sounds like you explained it very reasonably (might have been different if you just said "you're not getting it, now get out of my office"), so she is definitely overreacting a bit...

On another note - I'm turning you into your boss for being on badmovies.org at work!!!   

[Flick James]

I would say yes, a bit dramatic. You never know what else she's got going on in life though. She could be in a relationship where she feels underappreciated and so she's projecting it into this situation. I'm not saying that's what it is, that's just an example. Perhaps she's been used to regular raises in her career and sees it as par for the course and anything short of that means she's undercompensated.

Overall, though, she needs to take into consideration the economy and the fact that this is going on everywhere. My wife does way more than her and is very undercompensated, and she used to get regular raises and that has slowed down considerably. Same at my job. So, I would say "a slap in the face" is definately melodramatic.

[The Burgomaster]

Part of this is because the owners have pampered her in the past.  She's sort of the "owners' pet."  Now, however, they are beginning to regret giving her special treatment in the past and they are completely behind me regarding the "no raise" decision.  Unfortunately, she has already been spoiled.

[JayJayM12]

Well, then she's DEFINITELY out of line! 

[indianasmith]

I have a master's degree and make $27,500 at my day job.  She should count her blessings.

[The Burgomaster]

I have a master's degree and make $27,500 at my day job.  She should count her blessings.

How about if you come over here and shake some sense into her?

[indianasmith]

Last time I tried that she stalked me for months!

[Killer Bees]

She is definitely being paid well for the menial tasks she's performing.  And with a bad attitude as well.  Lots of people want big bucks without having to do anything.

Tell her she's lucky to get that.  $25 an hour is a very liveable wage and she should be grateful for it.

If she doesn't like it, tell her that Starbucks is always hiring at $16 per hour 

[RCMerchant]

I work in a factory. In Michigan. At a non-union plant. I've been there 26 years. I make $11.25 an hour. I'd go try to find another job-but THERE ARE NONE. The Republicans killed the unions here. The Democrats are lazy. WE are f**ked.
Living in Michigan is akin to the Great Depression of the 1930's. The people who have-ain't helping. The have nots don't have a snowballs chance in hell of getting ahead. I live in a rural area-I can safley say that 25 % of the people in Van Buern County are unemployed-if not more. 50% are working-like myself-but are still below the national poverty level. Go up north-Flint is a ghost town. Decatuer is Meth City. Lawton is Meth Valley. Hillrats cook meth for money. Biggest income for them here. In the last month I've seen 6 people I went to school with go to prison for cooking meth. My co-worker Tom stopped his heart and died-another blew himself up.
I'll stick to my whiskey and work my ass off 50 hours a week-but-dammit-It p**ses me off when someone who is well off b***hes-try doing without-then b***h.

[Jack]

Our office manager does about what she does, plus all the billing and accounts receivable plus a million other tasks.  And works 40 hours a week.  For about the same money.  People are just like that;  some say humanity invented language for the sole purpose of b***hing about stuff.  Work is the biggest part of life for most people, it doesn't tend to be the most exciting thing in the world, people gripe and complain.

[Paquita]

I'm a Compensation Specialist at my place and $25.22 is about as much as an Administrative Assistant should hope to get ($16-$22/hr is typical) and that rate would be good for a TRUE Executive Assistant.  I don't think you're being unreasonable either, many companies haven't been giving annual increases in the past few years anyway, she shouldn't feel entitled. 

[ghouck]

Lol, in the past year, I lost my job, spent 9 months unemployed, and now am working for about 70% of what I WAS making, but I'm not b***hing.

Add in the fact that I've not gotten laid since sometime in 2009, and some might say it kinda sucks.

She should cowboy up and deal with it.

[RCMerchant]

Lol, in the past year, I lost my job, spent 9 months unemployed, and now am working for about 70% of what I WAS making, but I'm not b***hing.

Add in the fact that I've not gotten laid since sometime in 2009, and some might say it kinda sucks.

She should cowboy up and deal with it.

 
I got laid in the summer of 2009. By a glass eyed woman. I ran into her today-I might get laid again! Yippy skippy!
Yeah-f**king sad....I take it where I can get it....

[ghouck]

Lol, in the past year, I lost my job, spent 9 months unemployed, and now am working for about 70% of what I WAS making, but I'm not b***hing.

Add in the fact that I've not gotten laid since sometime in 2009, and some might say it kinda sucks.

She should cowboy up and deal with it.

 
I got laid in the summer of 2009. By a glass eyed woman. I ran into her today-I might get laid again! Yippy skippy!
Yeah-f**king sad....I take it where I can get it....

Then maybe we should, , ,uh, ,, well, , ,nevermind...