Kansas Crimson

So if you recall, back in June I asked for a raise. I was just sorta sowing the seed, and knew it would take a while.

But now it’s been 5 months. Plus I just hit my 3 year anniversary at work. I sort of pumped the brakes on the convo until now because, perhaps most significantly, everyone’s quitting but me. I’m the only staff left in the department.

Now it’s trying to leverage that in some weird game of chicken with the management. Anyone have any insight?

Also I’m gonna try to candidly share stories from work here, cuz sometimes management is so clueless that I swear I’m in an episode of The Office.

Loyalty does matter. And now that everyone has left your department, there is more room for you to get a raise compared to paying multiple peoples salaries.

careful .... perhaps everyone else left your department because of you?

Whoa, that’s a lot of devil’s advocate downer pity.

I kinda doubt it though, considering all my coworkers have complimented my work ethic. If anything, they’ve faulted me for caring too much.

Theyve also all complained about our manager, who, though a sincere and hard working person, is fairly incompetent about basic managerial tasks - training, planning, organizing, executing, stuff like that. There’s a big difference between working hard and working effectively.

Indeed, coworkers have told me to be careful about being loyal to a management that may not show any loyalty in return.

My two big selling points are 3 years of loyalty at a company and in a market in which turnover is otherwise yuge. I’m the only full time year round employee they got left. Also, I’m the only fly fishing guide who is still willing to work in the shop (vs being on call). That’s a trade skill that’s not always easy to come by, and one necessary to a destination fly fishing resort - especially cuz we’re about to be endorsed by one of the biggest fly fishing brands in the business.

(General consumer question: if you were in the market for a destination fly fishing trip, what would your impression be of a fly fishing outfitter with no fly fisherman working in the fly fishing shop?)

But management is notoriously short-sighted here, and may not realize that or even bother valuing it. But now it’s time for them to shit or get off the pot.

But I’m being optimistic. I think I’ll get a good raise. If not, please expect an OFFICIAL OUSDAHL IS FUNEMPLOYED thread by Christmas.

Like I have been telling a number of my graduating Seniors, it is an employee's market right now. Employers are desperate to find warm bodies to do the work, so, if you have skills and experience, this is the time to hold out for what you want in terms of hours, compensation, and responsibilities. When faced with a choice between being chronically understaffed and having to compromise with good employees, the choice is usually pretty simple. I say go for it.

Oh yeah! A day in the life:

so I’m in the middle of a two week vacation. My manager overbooks reservations and asks me if I can come in. It happens to be a down day where I’m in town in between two trips so I say sure.

She schedules me to come in at 1:30. The morning of she calls me in a panic asking me to come in earlier cuz she booked another reservation but has no one to staff it.

While I’m out with guests, she starts blowing up my phone saying I NEED YOU TO COME BACK RIGHT NOW FOR ANOTHER RESERVATION. I say uhh sorry but I’m already with paying guests right now, what am I supposed to do?

Then at the end of the day, she asks all the staff why they never responded to her email inviting everyone to a going away party for another staffer who is leaving. Everyone says, we never got an email. Turns out, instead of sending it to her staff, she sent it to all the managers instead.

So we go to the restaurant. We’re starving so we put in food orders when I get there. While we were waiting, a ton of apps come out cuz my manager ordered them for everybody but just never told anyone.

Ugh this job sucks.

Anywho, I’m off to San Francisco!

Enjoy Frisco.

I had some vacationus interuptus this past week too.

Watch out for human feces on the street.

Sounds like you are in a perfect position to ask for a substantial raise when you are the only person your manager can rely on. I would set up a meeting with your manager when you get back from Frisco, point out how much you are doing (I mean you came in while on vacation), you have obviously taken on a lot more responsibility and you feel you deserve to be more "adequately" compensated. Have a dollar amount in mind (don't go over the top, but ask for more than you think you will get). Then it will give your manager an opportunity to counter with a lower amount (which is what you were probably expecting in the first place) and it's a win-win for everyone. Your manager will come out of the meeting knowing she has made you happy and she "negotiated" less than what you were asking, so she'll look good to her supervisor. Do it.

Got the raise!

And not a 6 months too late.

I’d say drinks are on me to celebrate tonight, but I’m sick. I guess if anyone wants to come over and chug cough syrup, hit me up!

Also, the GM pulled me aside last week and said the in the near future they’re creating some kind of fly fishing administrative position and it’s mine to loose (you know, since it’s an outfitter with 300+ employees and I’m the only one who knows or does a thing for fly fishing...)

Congrats ousie

Nice work

Good work ous.

Bravo, Ous!

Thanks everybody! NyQuil shooters all around!

It wasn’t as much as I asked for, but that’s why I asked for more than I expected to get.

And in a telltale exhibit of (lack of) professionalism, I’m guessing the gm and my manager have failed to adequately communicate about the wage raise and the pending promotion/title to come.

So guess I still have a card to play, right?

gotta go from hounding my manager to hounding the gm now too! Let’s hope for a thread bump in another 6 months.

Congrats ous!

Sweet!

only had to sleep with how many coworkers?