I'm in a management position at my workplace and been busting my butt especially the last six months working about 55-60 hrs a week and about 6 days/week. Today, I went to talk to the owners (family btw) about my hard work and everything about my job and asked them that I had earned a raise. My bosses (who are never there on a daily routine basis) thought that I don't delegate my tasks and that I'm inefficient at my job. They were very defensive during the one hour conversation from my prospective. I had made a lot of good points to them about my job that had benefited the company (example: saving $25k on going from one vendor to another) but all I have received was "that's part of your job". Another point was about the 401k plan at my workplace that I had switch from a crappy high fee 401k company to Vanguard 401k that has very low fees. This 401k company switch was in my view great for the employees and would help with employee retention and such but in their view as business people it's costing them money each year (about 2-2.5k per year). My business point of view is that you keep the workers happy and they will be in-turn be more inclined to make your customers/clients happy. This weekend that had asked to write all the tasks/duties there and submit it to them for review at my position for the raise or cut in hours. I'm asking for a 20-25% raise at my job and reduction in hours to 45-50 hrs. The company has been around for nearly 20 years and is growing at a steady rate for last 5 years. If they don't offer something that isn't to my liking, should I make put in my notice or just gut it out until something comes up? I'm really financially stable right now and could even live several years without doing any work and travel around for a while. I feel that I'm integral part of their company and would take a long time for them to find a suitable replacement for me with the amount that I'm doing there.
Looks like you have hit that point where you should be looking for a backup plan that will value what you bring to a company. They have gotten a little comfortable in my opinion. When I started feeling unappreciated at my last job after I brought it so much money with no increase in cost and they were trying to jack me on how they were going to pay me, I knew it was only a matter of time that would be treating me crappy on every other aspect. Definitely don't leave till you have new things lined up and ready to go.
So you are asking for a 25% raise and 30% reduction in hours at the exact same time? Uhmm yeaaa, not going to happen.
Another point regarding the 401k plan that is one of the owners signed the paperwork to approved the plan switch. I didn't make or force him to switch...
Be prepared to stay forever and just make the most out of your off hours or downtime. Don't leave without another job offer in place, but start talking to headhunters (usually better than just mailing out resumes), and see if you can get into some night or online classes (with a legit college) to broaden your skill set or just give you something to look forward to at the end of the workday.
OP, you have already made the real decision (whether to leave or not). The question you ask isn't something anyone here can help you with. If you want to make a statement, get out immediately. If not, start looking and stay until you find another job. Based on your comments, sounds like you want to leave right now.
OP, I'd ask for either fewer hours or more money, but not both. If you're as financially stable and valuable to other employers as you say are, contact headhunters and get out of there soon. My friend left his job when he felt unappreciated. It took him 4 months to find another place, but he's happier now. Yes, he vacationed and had a blast in the interim period. Good luck.
Leave and don't do any handover or anything. Let them figure it out the hard way. The last IT guy in my organization left and took all the important shiz with him that he created... left the organization in turmoil for a couple of years.
#1 I'd start delegating more tasks, try to be more efficient, and quit working so much. If you feel like your salary is fair compensation for only 40 hours, then just work 40 hours. That's something you can control, not them. There's more to life than work.
This. Part of being a manager is managing the work to the people. And if you find out from repeated mistakes that you have a bunch of boobs that work for you, then it's time to begin write ups with a long term goal of a getting a better replacement. Or get the bosses to hire an assistant manager to help with the workload if there is really that much managerial work. You're earning your money the hard way right now.
If it's a family owned business, and they are coming across as being defensive, I don't think that you're going to be comfortable there much longer. Had they reacted more open about discussing a raise, even if they we're telling you that they couldn't do anything at the moment is totally different from taking a defensive standpoint! What your asking for is a lot, but that's really not the point, the point is that if you succeed in gaining a raise from them, they will be giving you something that they feel you don't deserve and that they we're forced into giving it to you! You never want to force a raise in a family owned business! They will ride you until they find your replacement! Had you come to them with a job offer from a different company in hand, I'm sure they would of looked at this totally different, now you're an asset that someone else is trying to take away, your value comes from how they perceive you, as an asset or an employee! Right now you're an employee! ....... ....... .......
This is great advice while you're looking for a different job (for leverage or for real). I mean, why do you want more money when you yourself said you're stable? It sounds like you're caught in the rat race and contemplating on ending it all by leaving immediately. Testing the waters also helps calibrate whether your bosses are blowing hot air up your ass or whether the hot air is coming from your own windpipe. Dubious's advice is the best way to transition from a stressful worklife driven by money and appreciation of assholes above you to one that can be more productive, creative and nicer to your personal life. It reintroduces leadership skills and gives you incentive to shore up the areas you're lacking. Learn to let go of the reins a little, develop those below you, and start to limit your hours on your own while your team picks up the slack, a team btw that you somewhat care about to make their 401k easier for them. Boost that win to them. You'll get feedback on whether it was appreciated. I'd also plan a big vacation and start reevaluating what you want to do in the next 3-5 years. Is your last 6 months sustainable? For some people it is. For others it's a stepping stone to something else that may or may not happen. **** that. I'd figure out an exit strategy to what keeps me happy, meaningful, or important for the next 2 years and work towards it.
