Caterwauling

I wanted to ask a question re: reviews and the retro-pay process.

Jan. 1, as you know, was my six-month anniversary, and per verbal discussions prior to my starting here, my title and salary were to be bumped up, upon favorable review. This was the main reason I took the job, as both were (and will continue to be) a step down (but a desperately needed step for me, unfortunately) from my previous employment experience.

At the Nov. 21 manager’s meeting, you had broached the subject of evolving the review process into a focal point process, in lieu of anniversary-based reviews.You had mentioned that retro checks would come in July, retroactive to the date for which the review was scheduled. It was my understanding from that meeting to await further instruction and to not share this info with staff until it was time to roll it out, but I have heard nothing more about this since then, and I wanted to voice my concern.

I would like to know if I am an exception to this rule, as my duties are supposed to expand as part of my transition from (lackey) to (goddess in training) of (The Veggie Patch Gazette). I guess my question is, am I to take this promotion without an accompanying salary adjustment? It has been frustrating for me to go from making $(a shitload) plus awesome benefits (including more personal time, 21 hours of overtime each month, and a reduced-cost lease in the city) at my old job to $(poverty level) here where the standard of living is much higher than to which I was accustomed. Again, I know it was my own decision to do this, but I was prepared to struggle on $(poverty level) for six months, not for 12 months, and accordingly, if I am to remain at $(poverty level) for the coming half-year, I am going to need to make some hard decisions that will affect my life as well as (The Veggie Patch Gazette) in the very near future. Unfortunately, that better salary came with higher blood pressure, but still, some days I’d prefer to pay my rent on time (without a late fee), as now my blood pressure is high for financial instead of professional reasons.

I’ll spare the details of the fact that my car is about to be repossessed, but I implore you to take into consideration that unfortunately, when someone like me is nuts enough to take such a reduction in salary and responsibility, well, the bills don’t reduce themselves accordingly. 🙂 A retro check, while a lovely idea in theory, will not help me to keep my car or my rent paid in a timely manner.

I am sitting on skills that I am not even using. I was a *brilliant* (I think. haha) grantwriter in my “past life,” and money is still rolling in to my old agency from proposals I submitted last year. I loved working on (Club Med-icated)’s press conference and could do so much more public-relations-related items, given another opportunity. I am bursting with ideas for how to improve our publicity efforts as well as (The Veggie Patch Gazette)’s articles and website. In short, I am attempting to convey that I have a lot to offer that I am not even using, and that with added opportunities to shine, I would be well worth spending the extra salary money on. 🙂

Anyway, if I am completely off the mark and am truly entitled to my promotion/raise this month, I thank you for your time for listening to me rant about something that has been festering in my mind since that Nov. 21 meeting. If I am not entitled to my six-month review/promotion/raise that was originally promised to me, well, I suppose I will jump off that bridge when I come to it, but I really hope you can help me to help put (Club Med-icated) on the map. This place has the potential to be great, and I would like to stick around to be able to help make that happen.