Retention Bonus BS....

[old medic]

Even before Covid, DW line of work has been shorthanded. They began hiring new folks at more than she was making and adding a sign on bonus. She finally got a nice raise last year, and this year have added a Retention Bonus... BUT... has to sign a promise to stay for 2 years or has to pay it back. She stayed all through the hard times, doing more than just her job, Training the new folks who were getting paid more than she was.... INCLUDING SUPERVISORS....
yes it ticks me off....

 

[Gumby]

It's just business, not personal. Payroll is just another cost of production, and employers would prefer to minimize that cost as much as they can. So they will pay employees the minimum amount necessary to get them show up in the first place, do their jobs and not quit. That's why we should all strive for financial independence, so we don't need to put up with the BS.

 

[retire48in2018]

unfortunately many times today, to realize your worth/value - you have to go to the open market and get a new job from another employer

It’s sad that you have to do that, as many companies will minimize raises to existing employees, but pay sign on bonuses, and more salary to get someone on open market

 

[braumeister]

It's just business, not personal.

Yes, not uncommon at all.
I remember when my wife was asked to agree to stay through the Y2K thing, which involved an enormous amount of work. But they nearly doubled her salary for those two or three years (her last ones at the company), so she was OK with that.

 

[target2019]

Reduce your effort?

 

[Koolau]

unfortunately many times today, to realize your worth/value - you have to go to the open market and get a new job from another employer

It’s sad that you have to do that, as many companies will minimize raises to existing employees, but pay sign on bonuses, and more salary to get someone on open market

Yeah, my Megacorp had to tempt new empl*yees with better salaries than they were currently paying folks who had w*rked there for a couple of years or more. It cost Megaorp their best performers but the more average folks were not willing to up-end their lives (after buying houses or putting kids in schools, etc.) to keep up with the price spiral of the early 70's. It was practices like that which let me know that Megacorp was out for Megacorp and I had to be out for myself. Better to learn that early than late. YMMV

 

[Koolau]

Reduce your effort?

Yeah, I saw that happen - a lot. Of course, that was not a way to "get ahead" either. To an extent, at Megacorp, you had to make your own way - create your own niche that people recognized as being needed. Doing that eventually separated the winners from the also-rans. But in the early days, it was not fun seeing the "new kids" come in at higher salaries.

By the time most folks are in place for a couple of years, the golden handcuffs have already been affixed. Each year, they get tighter. Just sorta the way things are.

 

[ERD50]

yes it ticks me off....

It's just business, not personal. ..

+1 There is no point and nothing to be gained by being 'ticked off'. Negotiate from a position of strength for what you can get.

 

[old medic]

By the time most folks are in place for a couple of years, the golden handcuffs have already been affixed. Each year, they get tighter. Just sorta the way things are.

Great way to put it.... She is a State Employee and already qualifies for a reduced pension, just would leave to much behind to change now.

 

[Aerides]

She can say no? The idea of leaving "too much" behind is exactly what they are trying to get to be the outcome.

She can say, that's insulting. Pay me my worth for my current work, or perhaps I'll just leave now.

 

[target2019]

Great way to put it.... She is a State Employee and already qualifies for a reduced pension, just would leave to much behind to change now.

Then she should sign. If she leaves before the date, they'll claw back...

Being a state employee has its advantages. But it is probably true that benefits dwindle as time passes, same as megacorp.

Even though my spouse is just part-time, I hear about the strategic negatives. For me that is a positive, in that I am not the focus of the negative. Lol, small wins or whatever you want to call it.

 

[brett]

That is exactly why it sometimes pays to change employers. New job, more pay, promotion.

Never happened where I worked. People were mobile. We had to always pay competititvely in order to retain good employees...and attract new talent.

 

[Koolau]

That is exactly why it sometimes pays to change employers. New job, more pay, promotion.

Never happened where I worked. People were mobile. We had to always pay competititvely in order to retain good employees...and attract new talent.

My Megacorp back-loaded so many benefits that it was difficult to leave. Outstanding people might feel comfortable searching for better salary/benefits, but those of us who were even above average had a lot to lose by bailing for an "unknown." YMMV

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I worked in local government and we had this issue also. It was a nightmare for managers/administrators I can tell you that!
Is your wife in a union?
The county I worked for at the time this started happening ended up implementing a longevity pay scale. That way employees who had been there for 10+ years got a bump in pay every 5 years after 10 years-if I am remembering correctly.

Always training new people costs a lot of money and if you administer high risk programs like I did - there is also an increased risk of liability.
Someone up thread said it was just business-I would say it is just bad business.

 

[brett]

My Megacorp back-loaded so many benefits that it was difficult to leave. Outstanding people might feel comfortable searching for better salary/benefits, but those of us who were even above average had a lot to lose by bailing for an "unknown." YMMV

It was similar for us even though salaries were very similar for long term employees and new hires, adjusted for experience, skill, edu, etc.

One issue that we would stress when hiring was total compensation. Benefits, car (if eligible), ESPP, DB, options.

We had the gold standard of benefits, pay for performance bonus, an excellent ESPP, and a reasonable DB. My bonus' and stock options together in my last six years far exceeded my salary. And the former bumped up my DB by 30 percent.

It costs a lot to find, onboard, and keep good employees. And the cost of hiring the wrong person, by the time you find out, can be very expensive.

 

[OldShooter]

I find these discussions kind of silly, having spent a career in management.

• 1. There is a reason that the job market is called the job market.
• 2. People, including both individual contributors and managers, make mistakes in handling the employer/employee relationship. Some are really dumb.

Really, that is all you need to know.

 

[rk911]

Yes, but does it tick her off?

 

[old medic]

Yes, but does it tick her off?

Not as bad as a few other things....

 

[old medic]

I worked in local government and we had this issue also. It was a nightmare for managers/administrators I can tell you that!
Is your wife in a union?

I was in Local Gov to and yes we had the same stuff to deal with. I helped train many new medics that got a little experience, than went to bigger county's and started at more than I was making.
Union is a 4 letter word around these parts.

 

[old medic]

I find these discussions kind of silly,

I almost didn't start it just to complain, but some replies have helped put a few things into perspective.

 

[MarieIG]

Reduce your effort?

I don't see where (at least in this thread) OP mentions what his wife does for a living. But - if she has a job where people's lives are on the line - I certainly would not endorse this recommendation.

 

[old medic]

I don't see where (at least in this thread) OP mentions what his wife does for a living. But - if she has a job where people's lives are on the line - I certainly would not endorse this recommendation.

As a Juvenile court officer, she defiantly has an effect on kids lives. She has a passion for it.

 

[MarieIG]

As a Juvenile court officer, she defiantly has an effect on kids lives. She has a passion for it.

Then I expect that she will continue to give her all. Please extend to her my thank you for her dedication.

 

[Badger]

I was in Local Gov to and yes we had the same stuff to deal with. I helped train many new medics that got a little experience, than went to bigger county's and started at more than I was making.
Union is a 4 letter word around these parts.

And this is not exclusive to business or government. As a tenured professor with 25+ years experience teaching Anatomy/Physiology I was making less than beginning RNs that I had taught. The plus side was they left me alone to do my job and I had the pleasure of seeing my students become successful. Salary wasn't my motivation and I figured out that it is possible to save/invest for a secure retirement. No regrets here.