How do you guys handle it when a relatively good employee asks for an outrageous raise? I just had a guy who is being paid $18/hour ask me to be paid $28/hour. He’s a decent worker, but really not particularly skilled at anything. I have much more skilled employees that make less than what he’s asking for. This person does mostly odd jobs throughout the business. He said he came up with that number because represents a 10% raise for each year he has been here, though the math clearly doesn’t work on that; he would be at less than $24/hour even if I had given him a 10% raise each year.
I agree he deserves a raise, but that amount is crazy. I can hire much more skilled and competent people at that rate. I’m somewhat indifferent to whether he stays or goes, but I don’t see him really quitting as he and my office manager are a couple, and they like to commute to work together. I can handle things if both of them quit. Life would be less fun for a bit, it’s not the end of the world. I don’t see any real scenario where they will be otherwise able to work together like they do now.
What I’m hearing is he’s a good employee you haven’t given any raises to the whole time he’s been there and now you’re surprised he wants what he feels he’s worth. Based on 2k hours at $18/hr he’s pre tax at 36k. He’s living in poverty.
If this is even close to accurate give the guy $23 to $25 and change his life for the better. Or you will have to replace him and as others have pointed out get to retrain a new that will want $25.
The only thing outrageous is how you are treating a dedicated employee 🤷
Kind of sounds like he is mediocre at best. And what he feels he’s worth and what the books say he is worth are two very different things. So the business owner should just “give the guy $23 to $25 and change his life for the better?” I don’t think you have ever owned a business and were required to meet not only a payroll but all the additional overhead. You can’t just “give the guy…” That’s what the government is so good at doing but just doesn’t work as well for a business trying to stay afloat.
Here is the problem. Rampant inflation has caused there to be a fundamental inability for business owners and employees to really understand each other.
The business owner may not be able to afford to pay $25 per hour. And the job may not warrant that. And that does not mean the business is not viable, either. As I know that’s the go to of the antiwork crowd.
The problem isn’t wages, the problem is prices of rent, food, cars, and other necessities to live. But those entities that are ripping people off have made all of the antiwork crowd believe the problem is small businesses not paying enough.