Ideas for killing my boss?

At the end of last year (December) my pay was a little short
since I had spent some time at home with my wife to help her
out around the house with baby #2. To be blunt, it was $2k short.

My boss then approaches me and tells me that he has a "project"
for me to work on if I'm interested in working some OT. I tell him of course
and he then tells me that if I get this project done by Jan., I can expect
a $2k bump for it.

So I get the job done on time, no problems.

I then notice that the "bonus" money was attached to THIS years salary
and not added onto the total amount from last years earnings.

Weeks later, when I go in to ask for a bump in pay (it's been about 5 years since
my hourly rate has been upped) he tells me that if I would work the full
amount of hours for this year, then he's already (in effect) given me a $2k raise.

How can I handle this professionally? Because the only solution
that keeps popping into my head is to strangle the motherf*cker.

 

Any advice is welcome, aside from telling me to get a new job.

(already on that trail) 

Open door policy, go above him ?

I'm confused.  You're paid an hourly wage but he puts your "bonus" into this year's salary?  How are you hourly and salaried at the same time?

I'm confused.  Did you get the money for the "project" you did?  The "project" and the "bump in pay" are two separate things, right?

I don't know why I'm even asking; I've only asked for a raise once and I didn't get it so I gave notice.

I guess if it's the bonus money, I'd request it in writing and CC: your payroll department. If it's about the raise, I think it's maybe just sour grapes.  But I do think your boss is a dick, for what it's worth. 

did you get the bonus in 07 or 08?  

was the project done in 07 or 08?

GG, I do get paid hourly.

However, there is also a quarterly (salary) amount that I can achieve if I work
the full 40 per week and get all of my work done on time, which I always do.

So say I work 98.88% of the total hours possible, I only get
paid 98.88% of that amount for the quarter. (Minus the difference of
what I've already earned hourly)

The $2k bonus was for a project that started (and should've finished)
LAST year but it was carried over by him into this new years salary.

When I asked for a raise, he told me if I work all of the possible hours,
I've already gotten it in the form of the 2k bonus, which technically is for work that I did LAST year.

Still confused?

Oh, and it's a small company, so no HR dept or sh!t like that.

I'm in this canoe by myself..... losing my paddle. 

 

jackson:

did you get the bonus in 07 or 08?  

was the project done in 07 or 08?

 

Project was given to me at the end of december (right before the "new" business year)

with the understanding that it would be finished before the 2nd week in Jan. 

It took a little longer than planned (thanks to my boss) but I still got it and he put the $2k

on my last year's total salary amount for 07-08.

 

When I asked for a raise last week, that "bonus" money paid to me suddenly turned into

money that "I could consider a raise" if I work the  full amount of hours this year.

 

Make sense? 

 

I'm with Rockinchica.  Your boss is a loser.  Here's the way I understand it:  Dude knows cash is tight cause you're helping out with the family and not coming into the office for a while.  He offers to help you out by giving you a project to complete by a deadline.  You do so.

Separately, you ask for a raise because you haven't had one in five years (which is ridiculous).  He agrees but calls your compensation for the project a "raise".  (After you've completed it, of course.)

So...either:

a.)  You wouldn't have been compensated for the project had you not been given a "raise".

or

b.)  You wouldn't have been given a "raise" had you not completed the project. 

Either way, He's calling your bonus and your raise by the same name and paying you once.

Is this about right?  If so, I guess I'd breech the subject by asking what project you'll need to complete by the end of '08 to qualify for another "raise" in '09.

And this button-down, Oxford-cloth psycho might just snap, and then stalk from office to office with an Armalite AR-10 carbine gas-powered semi-automatic weapon, pumping round after round into colleagues and co-workers. This might be someone you've known for years. Someone very, very close to you.

Yes, he is a loser. No disputing that.

And yes GG, you got the basics down pretty close there.

G.G.:

you haven't had one in five years (which is ridiculous).

 

 

Forgot to mention his reasoning for that point.

I told him that any logical person would say that it's outrageous
to not get a raise after such a long period of time and that it tells me
he doesn't think much of me as a worker.

He then reminded me that my annual amount has been
increased over the years..... (yeah, that was 4 years ago).....

I then asked him if he thought maybe my bills might have increased
over those last 4 years... you know.... mortgage, gas, kids, bills, etc.?
He then went with the "every position here has a set amount we can spend on"
bullshit argument.

Can I kill him yet?

 

aaronious:

I told him that any logical person would say that it's outrageous
to not get a raise after such a long period of time and that it tells me
he doesn't think much of me as a worker.

 

If this isn't enough of a reason to quit, I don't know what is.  Dude, why are you putting up with this?  I know the job market is tough but c'mon... What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?

aaronious:

Can I kill him yet?

I'm with Rost although I get what your boss is doing.  He's one of those skinflint types who feels no remorse whatsoever for paying only what is required to keep people employed there.  He doesn't appear to value morale much.  Basically...you work for Mr. Krabs (or Scrooge if you prefer).

Time to get serious about the job hunt.  Score some options then give him an ultimatum.  You might be surprised how willing he is to negotiate once you have some leverage.  Right now all you have is a family and a mortgage...and he knows it.  That's a very frustrating position to be in.  Its hard on your psyche and your heart.  You gotta get dead serious about finding something else and turn the tables on the prick.

Of course there is one other possible option.  

 

Maybe you assumed the 2K bump was a bonus and he was offering a raise of 2K (what you got if I read this correctly)  

 

Perhaps it is simply miscommunication.   

Also if the boss can only charge so much because stingy consumers only want to sepnd so much there may very well be a real cap for your position.  Either you get that amout or he needs to find someone else that can do it for the right price.  I'm not paying $10 for a box of wheaties, that puts a cap on the salary of the guy running the wheaties machine.

 

Find a new job.  Find a new skillset that is more valuable.   

 

GOOTS:

Of course there is one other possible option.  

Maybe you assumed the 2K bump was a bonus and he was offering a raise of 2K (what you got if I read this correctly) 

No Goots, it was quite clear that what I was receiving was a bonus.
It was more an opportunity that he gave me to make up for the time I missed over the year,
which I did appreciate, yet I still don't see how he can consider that part
of a possible raise for this current year. The two are and should be separate.

 

GOOTS:

Also if the boss can only charge so much because stingy consumers only want to sepnd so much there may very well be a real cap for your position.  Either you get that amout or he needs to find someone else that can do it for the right price.  I'm not paying $10 for a box of wheaties, that puts a cap on the salary of the guy running the wheaties machine.

Understood. It's just hard to watch someone waste so much every day and not
give a damn about his employees when it comes to taking care of them.

Not to mention, he's unable to see how he doesn't benefit any hiring 2 temp workers to
come in and wait for his instructions @ $12.50 per hour, yet
can't give a hard-working guy with 3x the experience (who's always busy) $1.00 more an hour?

I guess I don't get that.

GOOTS:

Find a new job.  Find a new skillset that is more valuable.   

I'm pretty much on the way out.

I hear the sperm banks pay top dollar....

rost0031:

Dude, why are you putting up with this?  I know the job market is tough but c'mon... What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?

 

 

Let's just say I'm in the creative computer field.... 

 

It IS tough. Half the jobs I apply for either offer NO benefits, or less money than I'm

making now. Then there are the interviews I go to and think I've knocked out of the park,

only to get rejected or never called back. I've been at it for years.

I do some freelance work on the side but as of late, our newborn and 

3 year old have me spinning in circles the second I set foot in the door

when I get home, so my free time is minimal.

  

 

 

Is it too juvenile to suggest the ole thumbtack on the chair bit? Sometimes when you're truly fucked, the campiest thing can be the short term elixir to mental health.  

aaronious:

No Goots, it was quite clear that what I was receiving was a bonus.

 

Then he's a douchebag.  Go find your self a better job doing something you enjoy more.  Maybe do your boss's job. 

G.G.:

I'm with Rost although I get what your boss is doing.  He's one of those skinflint types who feels no remorse whatsoever for paying only what is required to keep people employed there.  He doesn't appear to value morale much.  Basically...you work for Mr. Krabs (or Scrooge if you prefer).

You are correct. Oh, and we prefer Mr. Jew....

G.G.:

Time to get serious about the job hunt.  Score some options then give him an ultimatum.  You might be surprised how willing he is to negotiate once you have some leverage.  Right now all you have is a family and a mortgage...and he knows it.  That's a very frustrating position to be in.  Its hard on your psyche and your heart.  You gotta get dead serious about finding something else and turn the tables on the prick.

I agree.

I've thought about it a lot and I don't think I would even bother attempting
to get more from him if I had a better offer from elsewhere.


Thanks for your advice, GG. I do appreciate it.

GOOTS:

aaronious:

No Goots, it was quite clear that what I was receiving was a bonus.

 

Then he's a douchebag.  Go find your self a better job doing something you enjoy more.  Maybe do your boss's job. 

 

 

Agreed.

 

I would LOVE to be a prick with inherited money, run a company with

serious potential into the ground because of my micro-managed ass and treat

customers who barely speak english like gold and the 10 year employees like dog shit.

 

I'd be able to pay that $300 per week daycare bill!

 

Talk about LIVING! 

 

Slider:

Is it too juvenile to suggest the ole thumbtack on the chair bit? Sometimes when you're truly fucked, the campiest thing can be the short term elixir to mental health.  

 

I did almost take his head off with a snowball last winter.

I was going to throw it over the door to scare a co-worker

who was supposed to come out with me for a smoke.

When I saw the door crack open, I launched said snowball.

When I let go of said snowball, my boss stuck his head out of

the door and got a nice pile of snow down his back.

 

He wanted to tell me I had a call on line 2.

 

I apologized for it but it was a small form of justice prevailing. :) 

That's great!

If your boss isn't too intuitive in the internet world, may I suggest mailfool.com? Send an email prank where you can fake who it's from. It's juvenile, but it can work. It's worked on me before. You can see thru it though if you dig into the spoofed email, but for the casual emailer, they could get fooled bigtime.