Comments on: Chocolatey goodness

By: thehrd

thehrd — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:41:01 +0000

@class factotum – I think rather than things being better, it is more a question of what people are used to. There are expectations that have been built up over years. Whilst we can show the company situation, they will show rising fuel costs, rental prices etc.

@teresahrgirl – I’m actully planning on giving them fake chocolate…..but don’t tell anyone.

By: class factotum

class factotum — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:21:05 +0000

Teresa, it was my assumption that the pot was smaller and that the union wanted more than their share. But yes, if they deserve more than the others, they should get it. Although how you decide that all employees in one group should get the same pay raise is beyond me. And why an employee would want to tie his fortunes to those of his colleagues if he was at all on the ball is even more beyond me. Now, if you are an underperformer, the system works great.

I worked for a company where certain staff groups were automatically ineligible for the highest level increase (there was “exceeds expectations,” “meets expectations,” and “needs improvement”). Employees in the legal dept could never get the “exceeds” rating, which made them ineligible for the 4% increase or whatever the associated raise was that year, plus the impact on bonus. That is unfair and lazy.

By: teresahrgirl

teresahrgirl — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:17:33 +0000

oh HRD, just give them the damn chocolate if they are worth the chocolate.

If they aren’t worth it, can you prove it?

Ok, another more sensible approach maybe to disclose the budget. Telling everyone what the pot contains may help your negotiations. Or is that a little naive to think that smart people can divide the pie with the best contributors getting the biggest pieces even knowing that it shrinks everyone else’s?

By: class factotum

class factotum — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:41:41 +0000

My dad used that phrase, “snookered.” He also told me not to take any wooden nickels, which nobody under 30 seems to know about.

I would disagree that there is no undoing of the Nutella (which is no downgrade as far as I’m concerned), but maybe that’s because I am in a non-union environment. My husband’s vacation has been slashed, his salary frozen and there is no bonus this year. His department is short and will not hire, so he is doing the job of more than one engineer — more work for the same pay. (He came to bed at 3:45 last night.) Our attitude is Thank God he has a job.

My unionized Delta airlines pilot uncle has seen his pay cut over 30% and he is just hoping to have a pension when he retires in a few years.

Are things that much better on your side of the pond that the unions can make demands?