In which hobgoblinn rants at the injustice of the universe

[hobgoblinn]

Our company got bought out, as many of you know, a little over a month ago. At the time, our division still had not received its raises, though our reviews happened the same time as everyone else's. We've been asking about them, and our nominal manager, really a glorified programmer with the title "team lead" has been procrastinating and putting us off.

We may get some movement on that next week when the new overlords will be in the office here-- I finally sent a message to their HR about it and they're looking into it. But what I've been hearing is that because our "lead" didn't turn reviews in for us asking for raises before the buyout, we probably won't get anything. Even though the useless Billing Dept full of high school dropouts got a raise, we will not. Not even cost of living, much less merit. Even though without us there would Be No Company. Even though they've been saving the salary of one useless manager all year (since we got our crazy last one fired, for cause) and have avoided hiring the 2 programmers we need to replace just to get up to "moderately understaffed." Even though we are all being paid about 25% under the Bottom of the scale for programmers in this area.

I stay because I usually like the work, the freedom to come and go as I please, and because I don't have a degree that looks like on paper I'm qualified to be a programmer. My programming skills are very uneven, and there are embarrassing gaps in my knowledge. And I really Hate to interview and look for new jobs. Really, Really Hate.

So, yeah, some of my problem is of my own making. That's not so much why I'm mad-- just background.

So, today, our Lead tells us we can go onto the new benefits site and opt for life insurance now that they've put our salaries into their system. And he mentions his changed slightly. Up. But "just a couple of hundred bucks, no big deal."

My salary is unchanged. So's everyone else's. I guess he was hoping ours would have changed too, to save him from his dereliction of duty here. He was kinda hanging around the 9th circle of hell (being the double cube I share with M, my partner in crime, whose salary also is unchanged. ) And I said to him, with a very nice glare, "I'm still bitter about not getting a raise this year. Maybe you had best repair to your office until I get over it. Sir." I don't think he'll be over hanging out with us for a while.

Had I known the billing dept got its raise when I said that, I might have done physical violence. Ah well. I'm also very ticked that this guy has made no effort to see that we had the proper job titles in their system or ours, where we might really have slotted in to their scale somehow. And he got a raise out of it and we didn't. And I can't help but wonder if the clueless young man did it in part because he didn't want to seem to have people almost at his level in the org chart. Just so we wouldn't jeopardize his own possible raise. Which seems to have worked out. For him.

I on the other hand, have a negative bank balance until tomorrow and can't afford to buy groceries until then, much less gas to get out here every day.

In good news, "In Loco Parentis" is up over 10K hits now. It's passed "Lost Boys" even in hit count now, with less than half the chapters. Of course, I know some people have to go reread previous parts because my updates are so slow, to remember what was going on in earlier sections, while "Lost Boys" was really posted in a couple of big chunks, over a couple of weeks. Still seems odd to me. Though maybe my assessment of relative quality is influenced by the fact that one's done and one I have no idea how it will end up, or how good it will be.

Hope everyone's having a better day than I. On another positive note, Wee Hob gets confirmed tonight.

Comments

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

13 on Monday. Here, they apparently do confirmation in 7th-8th grade, and often run the preparation classes every other year if they don't have a lot of kids doing it. So he was up for it this year. Most schools run their own confirmation classes, so it's really just a few who don't attend parochial schools who need to get worked in somehow. They combined 3 parishes to get 11 kids for this one-- 3 from our own Cathedral Parish.

[empresspatti.livejournal.com]

Seems to me that you should have a talk with Team Leaders Boss. He was rewarded for not doing his job on time and you were penalized for a good review, yes?

Stick up for yourself. You are worth it.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was reward-- I think it was dumb luck that his job title warranted the push upwards. We'll see what happens next week.

[antennapedia.livejournal.com]

Fundamental disconnect here: he failed at his job and gets a raise, and you guys are punished for his failure? Seems completely wrong, and something that should get pushed up the chain.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

Sadly, it's SOP in the old company, a fact I have long known. We'll see if the new Overlords will be different. Their employee handbooks and code of conduct seem to indicate that they are, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. At least we may have a chain to push it up starting next week, when the overlords will be on site.

[heron-pose.livejournal.com]

::hugs::

I won't suggest that you push it up the chain, because where I'm from, that will just mean a big pile of nasty landing on your head, when you least expect it.

Whipped, that's me.

::hugs again::

Ain't payday grand? and yay for Wee Hob!

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

You are indeed correct. I was Wondering what that lovely smell was, in fact. And not altogether unexpected.

Thanks for the wee hob cheers.