6G Celicas Forums

So, I'm not sure exactly how the world of employment goes, but recently I was given a task that was above and beyond my job description. Now normally I wouldn't be so anal about a new task that let me flex my experience muscle, but I've been working for this company for almost 5 years, and I've been waiting for a raise for the past two years. Every time I ask they come up with reason for delaying my salary increase. Now the last time this happened I was told I would be given a review in August. So, fricken August is almost GONE and I'm still sitting here with no review - and quite honestly I'm tired of asking.

Anyways, back to the story - they gave me a task (firstly they assumed that I would be able to do it and that I would do it, didn't even ask). Well it consumed my time, and needless to say I fell behind in my ORIGINAL tasks. One of the reviewers even had the nerve to say the rough draft didn't look very professional (I almost lost it and told them to PAY a professional then!) Anyways the project is done; I fell behind in my work, and I'm still not getting paid anymore to do all this extra work (which I have friends who do it for a living and get paid mad $$$'s)

So I'm thinking about sending the company I work for a bill for the work that I did beyond my paygrade/job description. I've done some research from businesses that do this fulltime and got a few quotes from them (the project I did was a half-page ad - incase you wanted to know) I took the average price and then charged $10 less.

I'm irrate - in case you can't tell, but what I'm really wondering is: do I have a right to bill them for it? Am I stepping out of line, or am I sticking up for myself in my ****ty workplace?

I can't tell because my opinion is bias - can you guys provide some insight??

What should I do?

This post has been edited by KAOS: Aug 20, 2008 - 6:00 PM

Your job sucks - and I'm sorry for that. Unfortunately it's a harsh reality in the workplace - we're often asked to do things that are above and beyond our job descriptions, and rarely are we fairly compensated for it.

Don't send a bill to your job for the work you did unless you have a strong desire to be fired. It would be extremely unprofessional and inappropriate for you to send them a bill or even say anything about it at all. You can look at this in one of two ways: 1, it's an opportunity to show that you have a good work ethic and that you're willing to take on and learn new skills, or 2, you work for a bunch of punk-ass mo-fo's who pay you less than you're worth and will constantly try to take advantage of you. If option #2 is the perspective you have, then you need to keep your mouth shut, suck it up and find a new job. If option #1 is your perspective, then you should ask what it is you could have done better on the report or whatever it was so that next time you can improve. Maybe part of getting a raise is learning how to prioritize tasks and learn new skills - in which case it sounds like you might have fallen a bit short on this one.

I'm SO not trying to be a b1tch - sorry if it totally comes out that way. I've worked for all kinds of people in my life, and if there's one thing I've learned it's that some of them are just testing you and some of them are just total dix and will take advantage every chance they get. You have to tactfully be able to advocate for yourself in either situation though.

the way i see it is that it's your job, they pay you to work for them. put in the time and make them wanna pay you otherwise they can just get someone else.

i couldn't have said it better myself.

If you company is really dickin' you arround like this, for years w/o pay raise nonetheless, than i'd take a gander at what else is arround. Because once a company knows they can treat you like the work-horse, they will. And personally, i have no problem being the work horse; provided i'm paid for it

I'd say to check out MONSTER.com and compare your salary to the makings of others in your field. Then decide if you want to keep this job or do something else.

G/L

What kind of work was it and how was it beyond your capacity? If it was work that could have potentially been unsafe (because you lacked experience/training) we have the Workplace Safety Insurance Board and their entire job is to flip out over **** like that. Its great but honestly I never have dealt with them even though I should have.

If you can't have some fun with bureaucracy, than try and find a new job (which will be tough to do since you are in Alberta, and migrants from Ontario are stealing all your jobs )

Bahahaha - I am a Jr. Network Administrator; so no, the task wasn't dangerous at all - and we all know that we have the right to say no to dangerous tasks. At the same time it wasn't beyond my capacity - but in any Network Administrator job description you will never find "Graphic Design Artist". I didn't go to school for that, I have no formal training for that; and its just lucky for them that I like to dabble with it. However, when they expect professional results out of me in that area; thats when I tend to get a little defensive.

The fact is; they paid a professional company in prior years to do this sort of advertisement/website work and now all of a sudden they decided that the in-house IT could take care of everything; unfortunately tripling my workload, but not my paycheck. We're barely scraping by with what I make now - with the Mrs. on mat leave, I'm pretty much the sole bread-winner.

Regardless GRFFGIRL you are the voice of reason and I'm pretty sure in hindsight; I was just venting. That was exactly what I needed to hear, even though I could care less if I get fired at this time.

Its just too bad I love my job and what I do... but hate my employer.

That's totally the worst place to be - to love your job and what you do but hate your employer. It sounds like you need to start looking around for a new job—but my guess is if they're having IT guys do design stuff to keep it in-house, then your economy sucks as bad as ours does (damn you people from Ontario stealing our jobs LOL) and finding a new job will prove challenging at best.

I'm in the reverse boat as you - I'm a designer but since our IT guy doesn't support Mac, and we're the only Macs in the place, we have to do our own IT. I don't mind doing it though. And no, I'm not compensated for it fairly... I'm not compensated for my regular duties fairly, for that matter. My pay SUCKS. But it's a trade off... I get to spend half my day on here fcuking off and no one who matters notices and those who notice don't care. Good think I'm good at what I do!

holey crap, that's a situation i was just recently in. And i was in a similar boat as you (as a Chief though) Having admin. come in and telling me that my cooking style and the way i ran my kitchen was ridiculous. And as head chief i ran night's so that i only required 1 other person at best, and the dayshift untill lunch. I was working my ass off and was involved in a car accident. When admin came into my kitchen and told me to take the back-brace off; i did some things and walked out the door

I was stupid for that though, and it left me and my (at the time) prego gal in a bad way. I was fortune enough to find a new job quickly though.


X2, all day long

- I hear that. Because I'm the Administrator - I don't get sites/services blocked. Works out nicely...

X3, I do this at home too

Hahah people notice I'm doing it. I'm probably going to get in **** :'(

Me and Griff are at work.

If you get caught messing arround online at home, you'll get in sh!t?

And i thought my gal was b!tchy.

This post has been edited by D-Man: Aug 21, 2008 - 12:49 PM

I have to do all my "surfing" at work cuz I get in trouble if I spend time on the computer at home... hahaha.

my gal used to get mad about me playin on the internet at home; untill she realized that I could goto the garage or get drunk instead. Now she wish's i'd just play online.

I'm Senior Management in a medium sized corporation and I can tell you that what you just described seems exactly like the kind of test we like to call "sink or swim" - unfortunately for you it sounds like you sank and then to make matters worse you feel cheated because of it and are also taking critisism badly. You say your due up for a review [which does not necessarily require an annual raise BTW - where did this notion that you are supposed to automatically get a raise every year come from? Raises are intended to be earned for, you guessed it, taking on new responsibilities. Did you know that you can also have your pay decreased as the result of a review?]? Sounds to me like they needed someone, decided since you were up for review and dabbled in the field anyway they were going to throw you in and see if you could swim [In other words, handle that new job while still maintaining your current responsibilities].
However, you sunk. And then complained about it.
In my company you'd be placed on probation, given 90 days to show you're abilities and at that time you'd recieve an additional review and either found worthy and given a raise or found lacking and either continue with your current level and pay or given your 2 weeks notice.
It sounds harsh and I'm not your boss so I don't want you to think I'm coming down on you but I thought since noone here has given this perspective I should be the one to show you from the other side of the fence what you look like [To the people that pay your check BTW - important people in your life].
Bottom line - noone owes you a regular pay increase and you get paid for 8hrs [assuming] a day - as long as you're not being asked to clean toilets [maybe even if you were] - suck it up and do what's asked of you. You have a child on the way.
And BTW - You're boss doesn't require you to like him, he doesn't pay you to like him - he needs and pays for work. That's all that's owed between a employer and an employee - work and compensation.

This post has been edited by DEATH: Aug 21, 2008 - 1:23 PM

Hahhaa - thats not a bad idea... she made the mistake of allowing me to get a bunch of upgrades for the Yeli Celi - so we'll see what she thinks when I'm spending all my time in the garage for the next little bit... lol

PS - I have every intention of raising my new little girl as a grease-monkey... lol No barbie dolls for her, just wrenches and fast orange! hahaha. (mom's not gonna like that either... )

This post has been edited by KAOS: Aug 21, 2008 - 1:23 PM

Yeah, that's what i said, but my little girl is too pretty to be forced into being a tomboy. I'll let her do her thing, but before she ever gets a car, she'll be required to know how to do everything leading upto a swap

^ exactly. Which is why any of you will RARELY see me online on weekends, or after about 5 or 6pm PST. Home time is for at home.

Edit: Death - I just read your post. Basically, that's just guy-speak for exactly what I was saying. I was even thinking "sink or swim" when I wrote it. I just didn't say it because I was being... tactful.

Kaos: how about you make you AND the wife/gf/whatever happy and get her the play kitchen AND the play tool set. That way she'll get to choose for herself, AND be well prepared for ANYTHING life has to throw at her!

This post has been edited by GriffGirl: Aug 21, 2008 - 4:33 PM

NO!! home time is for to do all the repairs on your car because you just printed out a 180 page wiring diagram to ensure that you'll even make it to work the next day

This post has been edited by D-Man: Aug 21, 2008 - 4:44 PM

It's killing me but I...Have...No...further ...comments.
Tact? What's that?

It's something god graced you with but you're too much of a punk to admit to. That's why you have people like me in your life. To call you out on that kinda stuff.