Man Complains That After Working In A Company For 18 Months, He Hasn't Received A Single Raise Or Promotion
He believes in fair pay and worker's rights.
Yan Krukau / Pexels Kenneth Maxwell has worked in the same corporate marketing job for over a year and recently decided to approach his boss about the way he’s being compensated for exceeding expectations in his position.
The corporate worker complained that he hasn’t received a raise or promotion after working at his company for 18 months.
“I’ve gotten no cost of living adjustment, merit increase, promotion, nothing over that 18 months. I have gotten absolutely zero changes to my compensation; I have no growth plan, I have no idea what’s going on,” he said. “I’m having a one-on-one with my boss this week,” he explained. “I know it’s not a great job market and we should all be so blessed and grateful to even have a job, at all, but I’m just not buying that."
He addressed the higher-ups at the company in a hypothetical manner saying, “I feel like you need to create an incentive for me to stay if you want me to continue working hard and being happy, you need to take care of me.”
Maxwell explained his plan to utilize corporate language for emphasis when meeting with his boss. “The language that I’m going to use in this one-on-one is, ‘You do not accept 0% growth for our clients. Why are you asking me to accept 0% growth for myself?’ I have no idea how that’s gonna go, but I felt like it was pretty powerful language."
Photo: Mikail Nilov / Pexels
Maxwell posted an update on his plan to advocate for himself at work, sharing that his boss moved their meeting to an earlier date and time.
Unsure what the meeting change meant, Maxwell wondered if that move was designed to throw him off.
He took a moment to thank people for the attention and helpful comments he received on his initial post, saying, “I’m not a professional TikToker; I come on here periodically to rant and share my feelings and see if anyone is in the same boat.”
He also responded to comments claiming he had unrealistic expectations, noting, “Everyone’s situation is different. What’s true for me is not necessarily true for [you] ... everyone’s relationship with their boss is different. Every company does things differently. So, I’m just speaking to my unique situation.”
“I’ve been at this company for 18 months, gotten ‘exceeds expectations’ on every review. I’m a high achiever person, so I’ve really been going above and beyond over my time there,” he said. “I didn’t think it was an unrealistic ask” to expect a raise.
His perspective on job satisfaction and compensation is in line with Gen Z's attitude toward corporate behavior, and how companies should treat their employees.
Maxwell revealed the way he framed his approach, saying to his manager, “You know I’ve really been exceeding your expectation, going above and beyond my time here. I just want to understand, is a [cost-of-living adjustment] something we do? Why haven’t I had a merit increase already, or even had the conversation about that yet?”
“I was able to learn a little bit more, gather some more data about the company, and now I can make my own decision on how I want to move forward that’s best for me,” he said.
Photo: Edmund Dantes / Pexels
He reported that his manager said, “We haven’t had a conversation about my merit increase yet because of the ‘business needs’ and ‘the climate’ and ‘everything’s been frozen for the last couple of cycles,’ so, he hopes to have a more positive conversation with me in March of next year.”
Maxwell did find a slight silver lining in the conversation with his manager.
Although it wasn't the resolution he hoped for, the meeting offered Maxwell professional insight. “It was a good exercise in voicing what I want, using firm language to stand in my truth and demand what I deserve.”
“I really believe in worker solidarity. We’re all closer to being homeless together than we are [to] being a billionaire,” he concluded. “I just think these companies get away with ripping us off a lot, and we should be really confident and direct in saying, ‘That’s not okay, give me what I deserve.’”
Maxwell gave a final update that was less positive, saying that his company had a town hall meeting where they announced record profits.
At the end of the meeting, “someone asked, ‘Will we be getting a Christmas bonus this year, because we normally get one; we haven’t heard anything about it yet,’ and someone came off mic and giggled, ‘No, sorry.’”
His posts and his perspective take a stand against what he called “The Great Corporate Gaslighting of 2023.”
Maxwell knows his worth and wants to be paid for it. He believes that everyone deserves fair compensation, even in a climate of economic downturn, major inflation, and high cost of living.
While his expectations aren’t being met by his current job, he’s doing the right thing by advocating for his professional needs.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers workplace issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.