I get a pay raise every year. It's small, usually around 2% but it's something. I really don't know, but I think everyone at our small hospital gets a yearly raise. It doesn't even really keep up with inflation.

I don't think so. Our small company generally does spot raises, primarily based on merit. Their philosophy is basically, "doing your job" doesn't merit a raise. Accepting new responsibilities, going above and beyond for some reason, learning new skills are the types of thing raises are doled out for. Those raises are frequently just days after the "event" and often retro-active back to the event. Sometimes, depending on the financial outcome of the year, they will pay VERY significant bonuses that are worth far more than most raises. It seems that in periods of wage growth in the economy they may do a general raise, but that is very rare.

We get a cost of living raise every year usually. About 3%. Not much but it's something. I appreciate it. I think that companies would be more likely to maintain quality employees if they offer raises,even if just small ones for cost of living. It shows they give a hoot. Pay rates should at least be evaluated yearly.

What should happen and what does happen are completely unrelated. I have worked for large corporations as well as smaller, mom and pop places and annual raises were never a guaranteed thing at any of them. Neither were COLA increases. Raises were always based on merit or performance, not just the employee's dependable presence over the course of the year. Even a promotion did not guarantee a salary increase.....you just got a new title but not necessarily more money :-)

But most of these did pay an end of year bonus to all employees if a profitable year.

Do you fill a job role that requires specialized training or education? If you left, would it be hard or easy for them to replace you? The fact that you've been there without many features many expect and require (periodic reviews, raises, enhanced opportunities) may mean that they figure none of these things need be done for you.

You can always ask for a raise, and if it's been awhile, you should. It may be that to get one, you'll need to find a new job. It seems like familiarity aside, this one is lacking in some important ways and maybe getting a new job would be the best alternative anyway? Good luck.

Ask for it. At the end of each year the agent I presently work for I have to ask him to review and put numbers together for the upcoming year. I didn't do it this year because he put the agency up for sale and I didn't think it would take long to sell. I'm still here and he of course didn't offer to increase or review. Instead I have taken a few days off here and there.

What were your terms of employment? Does the Company "get a raise" every

year...or do they have some years a lot better than others? Do some

Departments (if this applies) get raises more often than others? If so, why?

Do some employees seem to get more raises? Is it "hush, hush" when other

employees get raises? Is there a bargaining unit in your company? Lots

of variables. But, most of all...what were you told/promised when you

took the job?

Fair labor practices should allow for an employee to expect fair compensation. Reviews and performance incentives should have been discussed at the time of employment. COLAs are usually not performance based (just ask any government employee or retiree or military retiree about those). COLAs may be announced at any time and are usually across the board for all employees.

Opportunities for advancement also should have been discussed with you along the way and you should have asked at the time of employment as well as at every opportunity to do so. If you feel stonewalled, it’s time to go looking elsewhere.

Long ago and far away I worked as a temp while looking for something permanent. While somethings change some of the practices still happen. I always asked about various conditions of employment. Some gave automatic raises depending on length of service but could give bonus or other increases such as reaching a higher salary level quicker which would raise your income but were not promotions. There was one that would only give increases if the employee asked for one. I was told that if you did not feel you were qualified for an increase why would management. Others only gave increases to the lowest level employees to keep their salaries just above minimum wage when the minimum wage increased. Much would depend on your length of service but if you want an increase you should talk informally with your supervisor but be aware that it could backfire. If you have never requested a review or increase management may decide you are a unsatisfactory employee so to be on the safe side start checking out other employment.

Illinois has a teacher shortage. The state legislature just passed a bill that will bring the minimum wage for "teachers" (not defined in news reports) to $40K by 2021 with COLA adjustments after that. Prior to this it's been...$10K! Ye gods!

So someone could go work somewhere and 15 years from now, be paid the same?? That's crazy.

The international company at which my son works, does reviews every 18 months. If there is a raise, it is given at that time. There is not always a raise. This is a very sound company but they are just that way. He's been there now for over 18 years and has gotten many very good promotions. So, he's not in a dead-end job; it's just a company that is very frugal.

Do you think employees should get a raise each year, even a small raise?

No. I agree what Idstarr said. Doing the same tasks over and over again doesn't merit a raise in salary. Give those kind of employees a yearly bonus.

Here's a very simple analogy.

The guy or gal who takes your order when you order your burger, fries, and soda. That person is a great employee, is friendly, etc. But that job is only worth a certain amount of $$. If that person wants to make more $$, then learn how to make the fries. Now you can take orders AND make fries. Want to earn even more? Learn how to make the burgers. Now you can do three different skills.

That's a very simplistic explanation.

Every job, no matter what kind of job, has a limit to its worth. Being a brain surgeon is highly skilled, requires a ton of education, etc, but the salary for that job isn't endless. It does have a max. A pilot? Extremely important occupation. My life and the rest of the passenger's lives are in that person's hands. But it has a max too. Both a surgeon and pilot don't have the capacity to earn a ba-zillion dollars. They're both very important occupations, but they do have a cap to their value. No job has an endless salary cap.

So no, I don't think people should earn a raise every year. People need to be recognized and compensated for their contributions, but to continue to pay people more and more for the same job skills isn't practicable. Give those employees a bonus, or an Amazon gift card.

I may never get a raise again. Minimum wage went up in this province and nobody gave raises to their employees to reflect that. The only people who got the wage increase was those making less than $15 an hour.

I, however, may never see another pay raise again. The company I work for caps everyones positions. My position is not supposed to make more than $17 an hour. I was given a good raise a few years ago by another manager that brought me well above that amount, then I got one or two small raises after that. I make way more than the company thinks I should be making. We get our raises in Feb/March each year. I have a new store owner and a new store manager. They don't give raises to those of us they feel already make too much money. It makes me upset considering I've seen the wage chart and know what the store manager makes. Prices in the stores and property taxes, etc go up every year. Yet my wage is sitting at what I made 2 years ago because my boss doesn't like giving raises period, but refuses to pay his employees over the pay cap (which he can do if he chooses to do so). Those little tiny wage increases once a year show appreciation for a job well done. Even our Christmas bonuses are just a $20 gift card for the store we work at so he really doesn't lose a dime. I usually give those away.

I don't think this is a topic where it's possible to generalize. Lower level or retail or clerical, and administrative jobs (as in the old days might be called general office or secretarial jobs, with no gender stereotype implied) do have a market ceiling. It's not that high. Depending on the company, annual raises might not be given or expected. A performance or seasonal bonus here and there would be well received but especially at smaller employers, compensation is usually below market. Larger companies pay more as a general rule, even for people at this level.

Higher level managerial, supervisor, technical or professional type jobs are different. Usually more training and preparation are needed, much more responsibility is given, and measurements of performance are usually done and not hard to do. Raises and bonuses for performance would be expected, otherwise the person may not stay, in favor of another employer with more generous compensation policies.

" Being a brain surgeon is highly skilled, requires a ton of education, etc, but the salary for that job isn't endless. It does have a max. "

I'll guess this was said hastily. For a majority of practicing professionals, especially in law, medicine and other types of professional healthcare, finance, etc., you can think of their comp as being like piecework pay, not salary. They're paid for what they do, item by item.

OP: "So someone could go work somewhere and 15 years from now, be paid the same?? That's crazy."

Sure that could happen. Nothing would keep the employee from leaving if he or she chose to. I agree with sephia above. If you want more money, go get a better job that you have the skills for.

Do you believe there is a law or entitlement involving raises? Then I would love to hear about it, but that does not seem to be the case in the real world.

I always love the "you can always get a better job" especially because when you have worked for a company for many years 16-30. Either no one wants to hire you or they think you are a problem employee and it has been suggested that you find other employment. Up until late 30's mid 40's that might be a good suggestion but after that age you will find it very hard to even receive your previous salary much less a higher one. This may not be true in some fields for higher management or someone that is outstanding in a particular field but not for most employees. That comment also tells me that the poster is young and has not had older friends or relatives that struggled to find another job even part time after a certain age. Offers are also based on what it is perceived as what your past salary was.

Yes, everyone should get COLA raise yearly.

Perhaps it is because I am a fed retiree and receive SS but has anyone other than myself noticed that most employee COLA's are actually computed at a fraction below the actual government listed COLA that most businesses use?

" has anyone other than myself noticed that most employee COLA's are actually computed at a fraction below the actual government listed COLA that most businesses use"

I don't know if the word "most" is reasonable to say or not, but yes, I've noticed that over the years.

The BLS Consumer Price Index is a rough estimate to produce an indicator. It's not an absolute measure. The direction of change is what matters, not the amount. It's based on prices in larger urban areas. Prices that are weighted in a way that arguably the end result applies to no one.

One factor, as an example, is that housing cost is based heavily on urban rental rates. It gives little weight to such amounts in smaller towns. Should a renter in a small town or even a low cost of living city benefit because rents moved higher in San Francisco? Should someone who already owns a home and isn't going to be buying a new one anytime soon have their Social Security income adjusted up for such changes? Such examples are too numerous to mention. Why is a percentage used if salary changes use a CPI factor? For reasons like this.

Other than for employees covered by union contracts, employers in the for-profit sector rarely stipulate or guarantee that cost of living adjustments as the BLS will be given every year. It's lower paid employees who might benefit but more importantly, higher paid ones would be penalized. The funny thing is, many situations (like social security or government/non-profit employers) will adjust salaries upward for some percentage of a CPI rise, but never adjust such same payments downwards when the indicator declines.