Threat for a raise?

PhotoSmurf wrote: ↑ Employers rarely respond favourably to "threats".

Find a better method of conveying your value proposition to your employer.

vanclty wrote: ↑ Some of you may know of my previous thread. I was hired as a data entry guy, but now have expanded into data analysis. Economics degree, stats/computer science background. I get paid sixteen an hour (the lowest among all my employees apparently), I am looking for at least 21-25 total. I am definitely not looking for $1 raise.

So I finally got management to give me performance review as early as coming week(previous thread others told me to ask for raise), since my probationary period is now over.

i run data analysis. So tableau/power bi reports/developer, modelling data. In addition, i got legacy software (where we pull our main data from) to work with SQL database and then tableau. It was difficult but I found a way (corporate wouldn't share know-how with regional base that I am part of. So I figured if corporate got it done, there must be a way for us too and I spent days testing to find solution).

My management has been impressed with data. Before they had no knowledge of anyone's productivity, sales - like one certain days we had people coming in to work to do nothing (literally nothing). The executive of course didn't know because he didn't have the data in front of him. So the executive now is involved and wants me to refine dashboards and add even more data to it. Then I will present to all the regional executives. Their future goal is to expand this to our regional location, 5 locations covering some 1000 employees.


Now I work 5 days a week, i don't get paid overtime (management refused when i started new). But I continued to work because I enjoy what I am doing. So I work 7 days a week and staying longer after hours. This means I get paid an average of $10/hour once i spread my earnings over the hours worked.


So I don't know how to bring the issue of wage with management. It is certain they're going to save at least $50k (for just one department in one location only). I don't think it will be appropriate to say that I refuse to expand it to other locations unless I get paid more. So I think more along the line of "either pay me or the rollout will be very slow as I dedicate max of 8 hours a day."

In addition, the management is only allowing me to do all this. They refuse to let me get help from other departments. Like what the hell. I know it's $100/month license, but I have to dig through a lot of lines of codes to model our database. I don't mind working single-handedly, so I will definitely want to say that add more people to this project or pay more. While likely scenario is they give more support instead of raising wage, there is sensitive data I have access to which they may not want to share with everyone else.


Finally, if I leave the company to actually work as a data analyst elsewhere, this entire project is dead. They have no one in entire region who knows how to pull data. They could fire me and make me hand over all my work, but I doubt they can find someone else for sixteen/hour to dig through all my code to understand how I modeled things. So I have something major here, I just don't know how to present myself to ask for appropriate value for work I do, the knowledge and the man-hours I am putting in.

vanclty wrote: ↑ That's why I am asking here for advice, to find an appropriate way to ask for a raise while subtly making them aware of my importance. Right now I feel they think that since my work is doable, it is easy. They don't know how many hours i put into it, which i will tell them during performance review.

If they still don't budge, then of course I will use the experience i gained here to find myself a better place.

FedExpress wrote: ↑15 years ago when I was in a similar situation as I went to the Director I reported to and requested a re-evaluation of my comp package because I felt I was no longer working on the scope of work I was brought on for (but my projects were now more complex and aligned with what senior team members would manage). He agreed but the VP at the time did not. I didn’t get the raise and within 8 months I left for a senior position with another organization.

Just ask - say that you were initial brought on for data entry which your current compensation reflects; but now the scope of your work has changed and you would like to see your compensation adjusted to meet that. They may ask you how much you are looking for so you better have a $ figure ready. If they say no, don’t take it personal and start looking for another opportunity. Whether you want to see your project through and gain the experience is up to you.

mrwally wrote: ↑Everyone thinks they are worth more than they are getting paid.

First, if you aren't getting paid OT, stop working OT.

Second, if you really are worth more money, find a company that is willing to pay it. You may be surprised that your "skills" are not as highly in demand as you think they are. Sounds like you've been there 3 months? The company managed before you, and I expect they'll be fine after you are gone too.

vanclty wrote: ↑
Sure they were managed before me, but as I put, they're losing money. So they can continue to lose money while I'm gone or maybe pay me more.

mrwally wrote: ↑
So you are saying your work was directly responsible for turning an unprofitable company into a profitable one in 3 months? If so, getting a raise shouldn't be difficult at all.

I expect you think your data analysis is a little more important than what it actually is. Management often knows what the problems are even before the fancy graphs are shown to them. It's making the changes that are sometimes difficult.

If the company is not making a profit, maybe paying you more isn't even an option right now.

vanclty wrote: ↑
Finally, if I leave the company to actually work as a data analyst elsewhere, this entire project is dead. They have no one in entire region who knows how to pull data. They could fire me and make me hand over all my work, but I doubt they can find someone else for sixteen/hour to dig through all my code to understand how I modeled things. So I have something major here, I just don't know how to present myself to ask for appropriate value for work I do, the knowledge and the man-hours I am putting in.

vanclty wrote: ↑ The way you're coming off, it's like no one needs to use business intelligence because all companies know where they're losing money and the executives don't need "fancy graphs". Which baffles me, why this management wants me to do graphs for them if they know which department and which person is causing them loses.

vkizzle wrote: ↑ He has dev skills and would start with a base salary of $80K in my company.

hierophant wrote: ↑ I also don't understand why you're working extra hours for free and on weekends. There's a few things wrong a) why would they pay you more when you're working for free already? b) I say this with love, I swear but you need to get a life. Work isn't everything - you need to find something else besides work. Honestly, I would find another job. Even if they give you a slight raise I don't think they know how to respect/treat/motivate employees and you're just going to face more of this. You obviously have marketable skillsets, self-motivated , strong worth ethic...but you also devalue yourself by putting their needs before yours (i.e. working for free...you're more worried about the project dying than about not getting paid lol). Anyways, you should have no problems finding a job. Keep this job while you look for something else and stop getting so emotionally invested- that's your problem right there.