Help me deal with this unfair situation.
February 1, 2012 1:32 PM Subscribe
On the whole, I like my job. It pays well and has good benefits. It really rankles me, though, that there are employees in my department who are much better paid than me, who don’t deserve to be. How can I get past this so I’m not ticked off every day at work?
My department used to be a self-governing body within a college and, as such, set its own salaries. It was doing very well and could afford to pay its teachers very well. At one point, about fifteen years ago, the college decided to take charge of my department, I assume so that the college as a whole could become more profitable. In doing so, it decided to reduce teachers’ salaries. Most teachers were unhappy about this, and decided to leave. (Yes, they also filed suit against the college.) However, the college decided to make an offer to induce a few teachers to stay – they would be ‘grandfathered’ at their old salaries and asked to take a leadership role in the department. (I know it’s a weird situation – I don’t really want to provide more information that that, though, at the risk of identifying where I work.)
I have now worked here for many years, and have realized that the college has made a giant mistake. (The administration has admitted as much, though their response is basically “what’s done is done, no use crying over spilt milk”, etc.) The higher-paid teachers take no more responsibility than anyone else, and the majority of us who work very hard are paid about half of what they are. I realize that by taking the job I agreed to these conditions, and I have no right to complain, but on the other hand the inequity really bothers me. Is there anything to be done? Should I move on to another job, to avoid becoming more bitter and angry (a path some teachers have already taken)? Is there some way I can come to terms with this situation? Is there any legal action to be taken? (I’m in Canada; YANML.) Please help me deal.
My department used to be a self-governing body within a college and, as such, set its own salaries. It was doing very well and could afford to pay its teachers very well. At one point, about fifteen years ago, the college decided to take charge of my department, I assume so that the college as a whole could become more profitable. In doing so, it decided to reduce teachers’ salaries. Most teachers were unhappy about this, and decided to leave. (Yes, they also filed suit against the college.) However, the college decided to make an offer to induce a few teachers to stay – they would be ‘grandfathered’ at their old salaries and asked to take a leadership role in the department. (I know it’s a weird situation – I don’t really want to provide more information that that, though, at the risk of identifying where I work.)
I have now worked here for many years, and have realized that the college has made a giant mistake. (The administration has admitted as much, though their response is basically “what’s done is done, no use crying over spilt milk”, etc.) The higher-paid teachers take no more responsibility than anyone else, and the majority of us who work very hard are paid about half of what they are. I realize that by taking the job I agreed to these conditions, and I have no right to complain, but on the other hand the inequity really bothers me. Is there anything to be done? Should I move on to another job, to avoid becoming more bitter and angry (a path some teachers have already taken)? Is there some way I can come to terms with this situation? Is there any legal action to be taken? (I’m in Canada; YANML.) Please help me deal.
You need to figure out what you want.
Do you want to be paid more? Find a job that pays more and move there. No one will be offended.
Do you want pay to be more equitable? Find such a position - but realize that you might be paid less than you're paid now.
posted by saeculorum at 1:39 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Do you want to be paid more? Find a job that pays more and move there. No one will be offended.
Do you want pay to be more equitable? Find such a position - but realize that you might be paid less than you're paid now.
posted by saeculorum at 1:39 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Well, I don't know if this will really make you feel better, but you're going to run into some kind of unfair salary situation pretty much anywhere you work. That's just the way it goes, whether you're in academia or the corporate world or whatever.
posted by something something at 1:42 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by something something at 1:42 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I realize that by taking the job I agreed to these conditions, and I have no right to complain, but on the other hand the inequity really bothers me.
Inequity is going to be an issue regardless, if it's not negatively affecting you directly then I don't think it makes sense for you to worry about it. They got a good deal 15 years ago, and are still benefiting from that, whereas you were not given a similar deal, but that happens all the time. Plenty of people in other places benefited from pension programs that no longer exist for new employees or were just generally at the right place at the right time. If you get paid what you think is a reasonable amount for you work then it doesn't really matter what everyone else makes.
posted by burnmp3s at 1:52 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Inequity is going to be an issue regardless, if it's not negatively affecting you directly then I don't think it makes sense for you to worry about it. They got a good deal 15 years ago, and are still benefiting from that, whereas you were not given a similar deal, but that happens all the time. Plenty of people in other places benefited from pension programs that no longer exist for new employees or were just generally at the right place at the right time. If you get paid what you think is a reasonable amount for you work then it doesn't really matter what everyone else makes.
posted by burnmp3s at 1:52 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's a crappy situation because we're psychologically pretty hard-wired to judge how happy we are about our situation by comparing ourselves to our peers (the "keeping up with the Jones's" phenomenon). People who are surrounded by neighbors who earn $200,000 feel poor on a salary of $100,000, but rich if their neighbors all earn $50,000.
Perhaps the way forward for you is to try to change the peer-set you're comparing yourself to. Are you being paid less than most people at your stage of your profession with similar qualifications? If so, then it's time to start looking for another job, obviously. If not, then you're doing fine. Think of your older co-workers as essentially people who won the lottery a while back. Their good fortune is really irrelevant to your situation.
posted by yoink at 2:00 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Perhaps the way forward for you is to try to change the peer-set you're comparing yourself to. Are you being paid less than most people at your stage of your profession with similar qualifications? If so, then it's time to start looking for another job, obviously. If not, then you're doing fine. Think of your older co-workers as essentially people who won the lottery a while back. Their good fortune is really irrelevant to your situation.
posted by yoink at 2:00 PM on February 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I would look around at the academic-field employment statistics of PhD. holders. It is not a pretty picture. In New York, it's incredibly common for non-tenured professors to have their salary dramatically lowered with little-to-no warning.
Without knowing the details of the administration, I can't advise you to fight it... but if you feel like the college would be receptive to it, by all means address your complaints. Otherwise, concentrate your energy on building up your portfolio and academic reputation. When your college does decide to dole out raises, you'll be in a good position to receive one.
posted by oxfordcomma at 2:05 PM on February 1, 2012
Without knowing the details of the administration, I can't advise you to fight it... but if you feel like the college would be receptive to it, by all means address your complaints. Otherwise, concentrate your energy on building up your portfolio and academic reputation. When your college does decide to dole out raises, you'll be in a good position to receive one.
posted by oxfordcomma at 2:05 PM on February 1, 2012
There is always inequity in the workplace. Even if everyone is paid the same for the same job, there will always be differences in how much each individual contributes. I work in an environment where salaries are fixed and there is really no way for anyone doing X job to be paid more or less that anyone else doing the same job. Staff still bitch that 'so and so doesn't deserve to be paid the same as me, because I do so much more work'.
What burnmp3s says is correct - forget about what others get paid and judge how you are valued by what you get paid. Yeah, it can suck sometimes, but such is life.
posted by dg at 2:06 PM on February 1, 2012
What burnmp3s says is correct - forget about what others get paid and judge how you are valued by what you get paid. Yeah, it can suck sometimes, but such is life.
posted by dg at 2:06 PM on February 1, 2012
It's worse when the people who get hired after you are getting paid much more. That's also very common.
Maybe you can find solace in the fact that you're not facing that situation.
posted by alms at 2:09 PM on February 1, 2012
Maybe you can find solace in the fact that you're not facing that situation.
posted by alms at 2:09 PM on February 1, 2012
Use it as a launching pad to your next post.
This. Some people make their money being in the right place at the right time. Most people aren't so lucky.
The way to make money is to move to a new job. This is often the ONLY way to make what you're worth (and if you find it impossible, then you're already making what you're worth -- or more).
posted by coolguymichael at 2:16 PM on February 1, 2012
This. Some people make their money being in the right place at the right time. Most people aren't so lucky.
The way to make money is to move to a new job. This is often the ONLY way to make what you're worth (and if you find it impossible, then you're already making what you're worth -- or more).
posted by coolguymichael at 2:16 PM on February 1, 2012
Yeah, the only way to keep moving up is to keep moving. Once you get to the bitter stage, it's really hard to pull away gracefully. You'll never get paid more where you currently work.
posted by mleigh at 2:41 PM on February 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by mleigh at 2:41 PM on February 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
Sounds like the administration is not willing to do anything about it.
If they would be receptive, you might get some of the other teachers together and gather statistics about average salaries for teachers and the number of people who have left in recent years due to this situation, to make a business case for equalizing the teachers' salaries. But only do this if you think they would be willing to listen, if it would be worth the anger of the higher-paid teachers, and if you think this would get you more money in the end rather than just getting the higher-paid teachers less money.
There's probably no good solution at your current job.
posted by chickenmagazine at 2:52 PM on February 1, 2012
If they would be receptive, you might get some of the other teachers together and gather statistics about average salaries for teachers and the number of people who have left in recent years due to this situation, to make a business case for equalizing the teachers' salaries. But only do this if you think they would be willing to listen, if it would be worth the anger of the higher-paid teachers, and if you think this would get you more money in the end rather than just getting the higher-paid teachers less money.
There's probably no good solution at your current job.
posted by chickenmagazine at 2:52 PM on February 1, 2012
I'd suggest you remind yourself that your salary is based on what it costs to hire someone to do your job, or should be.
Sensible organization pay people in a position based on what the market demands they pay to fill that position. That's not perfect, obviously, and there's a bazillion things that impact that - particularly in academia there's a lot of intangibles that offset what's usually a lower dollar figure than a similar job in private industry.
If you leave that position the college will have to pay someone else X dollars to take the job. If X dollars is above what you're getting now then you have grounds to be irked and perhaps you should address it by leaving or negotiating. If X dollars is way below what you make now - like, presumably, those overpaid cohorts of yours - then you should thank your lucky stars. They might be golden handcuffs but as restraints go, gold beats barbed wire.
What your cohorts make compared to you? Irrelevant. They got lucky. You might feel a flash of jealousy when someone else gets two Snickers out of the vending machine rather than just one. You might feel lucky when the person in the lane next to you gets rear-ended and you don't. But neither are things you should be exerting huge amounts of energy gnashing your teeth over. They're random chance. Sometimes it breaks your way, sometimes it doesn't.
And like I said, golden handcuffs beat some alternatives but they're still handcuffs. Your better-paid coworkers might really despise their environment but feel constrained to stay based on better pay. You may not be able to work up the energy to overtly pity them but you might think on it a bit if you need to better cope with your jealousy. They might envy you your more competitive and recent skills and your mobility.
posted by phearlez at 2:53 PM on February 1, 2012
Sensible organization pay people in a position based on what the market demands they pay to fill that position. That's not perfect, obviously, and there's a bazillion things that impact that - particularly in academia there's a lot of intangibles that offset what's usually a lower dollar figure than a similar job in private industry.
If you leave that position the college will have to pay someone else X dollars to take the job. If X dollars is above what you're getting now then you have grounds to be irked and perhaps you should address it by leaving or negotiating. If X dollars is way below what you make now - like, presumably, those overpaid cohorts of yours - then you should thank your lucky stars. They might be golden handcuffs but as restraints go, gold beats barbed wire.
What your cohorts make compared to you? Irrelevant. They got lucky. You might feel a flash of jealousy when someone else gets two Snickers out of the vending machine rather than just one. You might feel lucky when the person in the lane next to you gets rear-ended and you don't. But neither are things you should be exerting huge amounts of energy gnashing your teeth over. They're random chance. Sometimes it breaks your way, sometimes it doesn't.
And like I said, golden handcuffs beat some alternatives but they're still handcuffs. Your better-paid coworkers might really despise their environment but feel constrained to stay based on better pay. You may not be able to work up the energy to overtly pity them but you might think on it a bit if you need to better cope with your jealousy. They might envy you your more competitive and recent skills and your mobility.
posted by phearlez at 2:53 PM on February 1, 2012
If you want a job that pays better, go ahead and find one.
Your irritation is at the people you think don't deserve to be paid more, but you have to remember, you're not in charge of figuring out who deserves what to be paid. In your professional life, if you move through companies and other universities and job situations, you should keep in mind that the salaries have very little to do with meritocracy (except maybe in sales or something commission-based).
Their salaries aren't any of your business. Pay attention to improving your own salary and figuring out how to make more money (if getting a higher salary is really important to you).
posted by anniecat at 4:46 PM on February 1, 2012
Your irritation is at the people you think don't deserve to be paid more, but you have to remember, you're not in charge of figuring out who deserves what to be paid. In your professional life, if you move through companies and other universities and job situations, you should keep in mind that the salaries have very little to do with meritocracy (except maybe in sales or something commission-based).
Their salaries aren't any of your business. Pay attention to improving your own salary and figuring out how to make more money (if getting a higher salary is really important to you).
posted by anniecat at 4:46 PM on February 1, 2012
Instead of comparing your salary to a group of people who got lucky, compare your job, salary, working conditions, etc., to others in your field. You have a job in academia; already you are a winner. If you are paid below what other colleges pay, ask for more.
Then compare yourself to people who have to work at both WalMart and 7-11, just to make ends meet, and who have no health insurance, and are 1 car repair from disaster. and you can keep going. To many, many people, you look really lucky. Born in the US (or some country that is fairly privileged), educated, with a good job, etc. You can't control what those lucky few make. You can control what you pay attention to.
posted by theora55 at 5:48 PM on February 1, 2012
Then compare yourself to people who have to work at both WalMart and 7-11, just to make ends meet, and who have no health insurance, and are 1 car repair from disaster. and you can keep going. To many, many people, you look really lucky. Born in the US (or some country that is fairly privileged), educated, with a good job, etc. You can't control what those lucky few make. You can control what you pay attention to.
posted by theora55 at 5:48 PM on February 1, 2012
This happens all the time in academia. Departments might have hired one at the best salary they could offer at the time, which might have been less than they were able to offer people hired before or after one. Many universities have equity raise programs--are you sure yours doesn't? Talk to your department chair.
If you could find another similar position that made a better offer, you could use that to pressure the administration into giving you a pay raise. If it didn't work, well...you'd have options.
Don't stew about this silently. Just don't gripe aloud about other people earning more than you who don't deserve it--keep positive and focus only on your own situation.
I won't join the chorus of "You should feel lucky you got a job in academia!" because conditions in academia are slowly deteriorating and are likely to get worse as universities lose state funding and turn into degree mills, and many academics find that they might be happier and better off in the private sector. (Consider that you might be one of them.)
posted by tully_monster at 6:14 PM on February 1, 2012
If you could find another similar position that made a better offer, you could use that to pressure the administration into giving you a pay raise. If it didn't work, well...you'd have options.
Don't stew about this silently. Just don't gripe aloud about other people earning more than you who don't deserve it--keep positive and focus only on your own situation.
I won't join the chorus of "You should feel lucky you got a job in academia!" because conditions in academia are slowly deteriorating and are likely to get worse as universities lose state funding and turn into degree mills, and many academics find that they might be happier and better off in the private sector. (Consider that you might be one of them.)
posted by tully_monster at 6:14 PM on February 1, 2012
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Otherwise there is nothing you can do - perhaps get involved in your union and use it as a way to improve working conditions for everyone?
posted by By The Grace of God at 1:38 PM on February 1, 2012