Employees with unrealistic expectations of their worth or position expectations aren’t worth working with. It is a sign that they aren’t thinking clearly or that if they have the opportunity they will leverage you in an emergency. Get rid of him asap. Couple’s at work are another red flag. If they ever decided to steal from the company, they would be in a really good position to do so.
I’m in the Bay Area as an electrical contractor. I start apprentices at 25 in the first 90 days probation period. If they have the attributes I need in an employee, I raise them to 30/hour with insurance and 401k.
I do raises and bonuses based on what the individual has accomplished. If I can leave someone on a job site after providing material and a walkthrough with minimal callbacks, I’ll bring them to 35/hour. If they can do their own material runs with guidance from me over the phone, they can make 40/hour. If they can get to a job site cold with a job detail and customers phone number, I’ll pay them 50/hour. If they can sell, and design jobs with little direction, I’ll pay them 60-65/hour plus job commission. Nobody gets raises just because they exist on a payroll.