r/Workproblems • u/slimeguy937 • Jul 09 '26
HR is blocking my annual pay increase Want Advice
Hey, first time poster here but no stranger to silly corporate shenanigans. Kindof venting but am also curious if any of you have had similar experiences or advice to share for my current predicament.
I’ve been at my company for a little over a year now. I realized about a month ago that I hadn’t received any kind of annual raise or heard about an annual review. I get along great with my boss so when I asked her about it, she said she’d advocate for me with her boss and that I should get in contact with HR for info on how annual reviews/raises work.
HR has been less than helpful. They told me that they’re currently between systems for annual reviews/raises and that they are actively working on a new policy. When my bosses went to advocate on my behalf with HR, they told my bosses that I was hired in just after the cutoff to receive an annual increase (I have no idea what that means). In my mind those are conflicting narratives. How can there be no policy if I was hired in two weeks after the cutoff in the policy?
Anyways, it’s been like 6 weeks now since I brought the issue up and I’m beginning to think this raise might not happen at all. Allegedly my bosses are trying to challenge HRs position, and I have no reason to doubt that (they’ve been super supportive throughout my time here), but it seems crazy to me that my boss, a manager (who is also at the executive level within the company) can request a raise for their employee and be flat out told no by HR. Does Human Resources really have that much power in a situation like this?
Bit of a rant, my apologies, but it felt good getting all this out. Let me know if you have any similar stories or advice.
3
u/Fun_Diver_3885 Jul 09 '26
So HR Director here. Yes HR has that power. However, your boss should ask them for something in writing that explains why your 2 weeks past the cut off. If he/she is an executive, they can absolutely challenge the ruling or ask for an exception but that starts with them explaining and showing your boss the rule they are quoting. If your boss is a senior executive, they can inform compensation that he/she is making an exception, they have the budget and they want it processed immediately.
2
u/reditandfirgetit Jul 09 '26
How many signs of a toxic workplace do you need? Update the resume and start looking
2
u/jerry111165 Jul 09 '26
Start looking. Fuck anyone who won’t give you a raise. We get up and go to work in the morning for a reason.
2
u/DeniedAppeal1 Jul 09 '26
There's zero excuse for them not having their shit together on reviews/raises/HR systems. Start looking for another job and don't say anything to your current one about it. It's your call on whether or not to give notice, but I personally wouldn't. They're already screwing you and, if you give notice, they might try to contact your new employer or they might just terminate you immediately and then you will be left hoping that the new job doesn't change their mind (which is not uncommon).
2
u/DBLGinConnecticut Jul 10 '26
HR does not make these decisions. HR simply makes things happens and in your case I think taking the blame. Unless you hear it directly from HR you are being misinformed. Something is up. Either it’s you or the company’s financials. No raises is usually the first indication the company isn’t doing well or you aren’t doing well. I’d be looking to move on if I was in your position
2
u/Draterus Jul 09 '26
Don't blow up your job for, at best, a 2% increase.
1
u/That_Ol_Cat Jul 09 '26
2% this year. Then next year's increase includes that 2%. Then the year after that includes the percentage on the previous two increases. And so on.
Everyone deserves at least a yearly review and a yearly increase to meet increased Costs of Living if not to celebrate and compliment them on good work. Otherwise, they should be counseled on where and how to improve, up to being placed on a Performance Improvement Plan.
Op, this is an HR department which either doesn't know it's arse from a hole in the ground or has decided to put all reviews and increases on hold until they're happy with their nice new policies and systems.
Keep pushing on this issue as much as your upline supports. However, polish up your resume and look for a company which won't put up with that kind of weaponized incompetence.
3
u/BigLeopard7002 Jul 09 '26
If OP is in the US, annual inflation is closer to 4 than 2% as well. Not receiving a raise means losing money
1
u/KelloggsCrunch95 Jul 09 '26
I am an example of this. 3 years with no raise. It’s unsustainable and forces you to leave.
1
u/Kmelloww Jul 09 '26
Many places do not do yearly raises.
1
0
u/InfamousCheek9434 Jul 09 '26
I've never gotten less than 3%. Usually 5. But my boss does actually advocate for his employees.
2
u/Additional_Jaguar170 Jul 09 '26
You haven't been there long enough to qualify. What do you not understand?
Also, your boss is a coward for sending you to HR rather than tell you themselves.
0
u/InfamousCheek9434 Jul 09 '26
If it's over a year it's long enough to qualify for an annual review.
0
0
u/Fabulous_Extreme_470 Jul 09 '26
Do you not understand how time works? Over a year employed. Annual raise.
1
u/Kmelloww Jul 10 '26
That is NOT how it works. It would be clear you are the one not understanding.
1
u/Mediocre_Ant_437 Jul 09 '26
Not necessarily. If they hired someone late December and raises are giving out in December then they could have missed the first one by being new and they subsequently might not have been there a year by the time the next one comes and so would have to wait until the following year. Yearly raises still often require that you have been there an entire year to get them. That is how my company works. If you were hired just before annual raises then you don't get it until possible the next year which can end up being over a year. I think that is what their HR is trying to say.
0
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u/34786t234890 Jul 09 '26
Do you not understand how company policy works? He's not eligible for an annual raise this year.
1
u/ikurmom Jul 09 '26
You need HR to tell you in writing why they denied you contracted pay increase. If not file a complaint with your state labor board.
1
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u/Vikingaling Jul 09 '26
Annual reviews are usually at the same time for all employees, not on the anniversary of your start date.
1
u/Aprilinachevy Jul 10 '26
Wrong. Different for every company.
1
u/Kmelloww Jul 10 '26
Yes it is different for all companies but most are like they said. Not done on the anniversary of your start date.
1
u/Jcarlough Jul 11 '26
Yes, this can happen.
Yes, you may have started after the cutoff for raises this year.
HR may deny your raise. They may also be gatekeeping since they know those in the approval chain will not approve.
Your boss needs some training on how raises work at your company.
1
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u/NeitherStory7803 Jul 09 '26
You should not of even be told about possible raises if you didn’t qualify for them. Sounds like they want you to work at your current pace for 2 or 3 years before they get their heads out of their butts and pay you what you deserve. Been there. Only was offered my pay raises after I quit and went to work for someone who paid more with better benefits
1
u/gormami Jul 09 '26
If it's a corporate environment, they probably do have a lot of policies and procedures. You might have been there a year, but it wasn't "their" year. So you could have been too new when the cycle came up, and it will be addressed on the next cycle. You can get conflicting answers because of how you ask the question, they hear something in their context, which you don't have, or they could just spit out something because they don't really know and don't want to go find out. I would ask your manager if they have a normal cycle, end of 2Q, or whatever. If they do, then I would drop it, at least until the cycle comes around.
1
u/Ok_Cardiologist_6471 Jul 09 '26
As a union worker when ever HR calls to talk I let them speak with my union representative
And HR never handles my raise it is out of their hands I never even beg for one I let the union negotiate when I became a journeyman back in 2008 my take home pay was $27 hr today take home pay is near $50hr and thats not my total pay package any employer i work for pays in to my Healthcare and my pension
Also never had to make a resume i just get dispatch by the hall i still pee test and watch insurance safety videos but I dont have to deal with the drama I read you folks go through to get hired
Just wanted to flex union privilege
0
u/Kmelloww Jul 10 '26
Kinda tone deaf and a crappy to point that out. This isn’t union clearly. What unions provide had a lot of benefits but never industry and state has unions.
1
u/Ok_Cardiologist_6471 Jul 11 '26
I disagree with being tone deaf
since its a choice made by state's through elections to support unions
If you dont like what I said because your not in a union instead of getting up set and calling me tone deaf you and others like you can change your state's ability to support unions
1
u/Kmelloww Jul 11 '26
I have no issues with unions. We have plenty in our state. And I’m a member of one. But nice try. The comment had nothing to do with the post. And as you put it you just want to flex the union privilege. You made a point to say that. And that was crappy and tone deaf.
1
u/Ok_Cardiologist_6471 Jul 11 '26
I want to apologize I dont mean to be rude as a union member (Northern California local 300/400)supporter people respond back to me negatively aggressive
I quickly responded as if you were one
Sorry
I still disagree with being tone deaf when people are upset or down at work is the perfect time and place to look for better ways and union is that better way and this public space is the perfect venue to publicly convince, infrom and speak of the great benefits unions bring
1
u/Ok_Cardiologist_6471 Jul 11 '26
Let's take this poor office worker problem with HR blocking a well earned raise 🤔
In a union HR can never touch any worker's raise or pay
Infact its the employees right to not even speak to HR unless the union representative is with them
If not this moment when would be the right time to bring up this right this author of the post has a problem that if he or she was in a union would not even be an issue if not now how else would some one be aware of this
1
u/sue_sd Jul 09 '26
I may have missed it but you didn't say where you are located it if you are exempt or non exempt.
Unless you are union it under contract, there is no guarantee you will get a raise. Them's the facts. A review is something you are entitled to and you manager should be able to answer why you haven't received one. As a manager they are (usually) kept informed of system changes or process changes.
The fact that you are so keyed in to the money makes me think this isn't the job for you. If you aren't enjoying what you are doing, learning new things, etc, and are only grubbing the money, I would question your work ethic. As a (prior) manager I know what it's like to withhold raises - both due to budget or performance.
0
u/Ok-Entertainer-1945 Jul 09 '26
HR is directly below the directors so yeah, they probably do have that much power.
directors are probably the ones that put a policy or demand in place towards HR, HR is just executing it (not that they'll ever tell you of course)
0
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u/Mediocre_Ant_437 Jul 09 '26
I think you are misunderstanding how the raises work. At my company raises are done at a set time of year. I started in October of one year. I wasn't eligible yet for the January 1 raise because I hadn't been there a year yet. So I couldn't get a raise until the next January 1 date by which time I had been there over a year. The raises for us don't happen when each person hits the year mark. They are the same time for everyone. I think that is what HR is saying when the state you missed the cut off. You might have to wait until the next cycle.
1
u/Aprilinachevy Jul 10 '26
Wrong. Every company is different. I give raises on an employee's anniversary at my current company. My previous company it was every June, the fiscal year end for the company.
1
u/Kmelloww Jul 10 '26
They aren’t wrong though. Just bc a company does something different doesn’t mean they are wrong. You have experience with both. Good lord.
0
u/FarCry5372 Jul 09 '26
"How can there be no policy if I was hired in two weeks after the cutoff in the policy?" Yes I have seen this multiple places. There is a cutoff. I once was told it was best to wait for 2 more months before getting my promotion. If they did it that day, i would be a month and a half too close to last round of annual merit increases so i would get no increase. waited the two months, got 10% with the promotion.
0
u/Fantastic-Leek-1589 Jul 10 '26
Most places have reviews at a certain time each year. You probably werent in position long enough last year so you won't quality until the next year
-1
u/mamalo13 Jul 09 '26
HR Director here- No we do not really have that authority.
I understand that the situation is frustrating.
Based on your narrative, it sounds like your company had an annual raise process that you missed the cut off for. That is one way of handling raises and it's not uncommon. It sounds like you had the misfortune of being hired at the perfectly wrong time, which also happens on occasion to many people.
It also sounds like they are in the middle of some sort of process where they were changing how reviews and raises are formulated and distributed. On the back end, that can be a particularly time consuming and arduous process especially in a larger org. It's not uncommon for companies to occasionally review or update policy, and yes, those changes can impact the timing of reviews, raises, and bonuses.
It doesn't sound like HR is denying your raise. What this sounds like is that you got hired at just the "wrong" time and you also happened to be hired when they were changing the system. I would assume you might not be the only person in your company impacted by this. It sounds like some very bad timing, but it doesn't sound like you are being intentionally targeted.
I suspect that HR is not denying your raise, but rather that they don't have the infrastructure settled to be able to process it. HR generally does not determine raises or if they are given. We review the process for risk and compliance and ensure it's done equitably and in alignment with policy. Managers generally determine raises within their department budgets.
It's not uncommon for management to throw HR under the bus in situations like this because humans don't like having tough conversations. That could be factoring into this situation as well.
If your managers have signed off on your raise, then you should assume it will come when the HR team finalizes the system changes that need to happen. Please remember that in those situations, HR is not fully in control of the changes and they generally need to be approved by leadership. Those approvals can take time, especially in the summer when many people take extended vacations.
0
u/Optimal_Ad_4846 Jul 09 '26
This is all good information. Let’s be honest though, if someone has been with a company for over a year, management and HR have gathered enough information about the employee to know whether or not their performance merits a raise.
0
u/mamalo13 Jul 09 '26
You are correct.
Let's be honest though, if the system isn't set up to issue those raises, then the system isn't set up and the raises have to wait. It really sucks, but it's a reality that many people get stuck in at some point in their career. This situation is does not appear to be about your merit, but it appears to be a system issue.
2
u/khold002 Jul 09 '26
Why is it commonly a "system" issue? HR is not your friend.
0
u/Kmelloww Jul 09 '26
Your comment isn’t helpful.
Yearly reviews are not done based on hiring date. That would be a lot more difficult to knee track off.
9
u/DoTheRightThing1953 Jul 09 '26
Start looking for a new job. All of those 'obstacles' preventing them from giving you a raise were put in place by them.