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“Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.” – Pete Seeger

There are times in your career when your loyalty to your employer and your enthusiasm and dedication to your job are put to the test – and one of them is when you discover, either accidentally or otherwise, that a new hire with less experience than you is being paid much more than you. This discovery stings very sharply, and if you’ve ever been at the receiving end of it, you know it’s hard to ever feel the same about your employer again, no matter how cordial and even enjoyable your working relations have been in the past.

The truth of the matter is that almost every organization in the world is forced to raise salaries for new hires in order to keep up with external market rates. While it would seem that the fair thing to do would be to hike the salaries of those who have more experience and have been with the company a good many years, it’s often not done because of financial constraints and other factors. And so every experienced employee faces this unpalatable situation at some point or the other of their career, and they’re left with two choices – they can stay silent and accept their situation without kicking up a fuss, or can talk to their employer openly about it and ask for a pay hike. The second option could again lead to one of two things – your request is accepted and you’re given a raise, or it is denied. And if you’re denied the raise, then you have two choices yet again – quit your job and find a new one, or stay on even though you’re now disgruntled and disillusioned with the system and the unfairness of it all.

If you don’t get a raise, your initial reaction fueled by the adrenaline of righteous indignation is to throw in the towel and quit – however, if your livelihood is dependent on your job and you don’t have other offers pouring in, then the solution is not as cut and dried as it would seem. If you stay back, you also have to face the fact that you’re always going to feel as if your employers are taking you for granted and that you’re not being valued as a loyal and long-time employee. And if you’re in a senior position and required to train and guide the newcomers who earn much more than you do, it’s a pretty awkward situation that could lead to some uncomfortable and even antagonistic moments.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem, and the decision to be made lies on your individual circumstances and your frame of mind. However, there are a few factors that can make your choice a little easier:

If you have a better job option, take it after researching it thoroughly – you don’t want to jump from the fat into the fire.

If you think you can find better options, stay on at your present job even as you keep looking out for a new one – there’s no sense in quitting before you’ve lined up some security for your future.

If you don’t find anything else, find a way to stay on at your job and also get something in the bargain – if your work record is exemplary and if your organization thinks you’re too valuable to let go, they may be willing to compromise a little and give you a raise in a month or so; so negotiate a deal with your boss, and use your brains to work things out to your advantage.

Problems at work are bound to crop up every now and then – if you’re aware of their possibility and prepared to deal with them, you don’t really have to worry too much when they do happen.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Chris Jacobson who writes on the topic of Criminal Justice Degree Online . Chris can be reached at his email id: [email protected]

Good luck in your search.





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