Mysterious case of nonexistent job offer
Q
I've been at the same company for 10 years. I recently found out that my deputy is paid almost $15,000 more than I am. I knew I was being underpaid, but this was a slap in the face. I brought it to my boss and asked for a raise, and he said they'd work on it. A few months later, I talked to him again. He said his bosses are only approving raises if someone has another offer. I've tried applying for other jobs, but it hasn't worked out. Do I make up another offer? Or just keep applying to other jobs when I'd really just like to stay at my current company? I really don't want to lie, but I'm worried I'll never get the raise if I don't make up another offer.
— Anonymous
A
You would be on very shaky ethical ground if you lied and invented another offer to get a raise. Do people go that route? Absolutely. Sometimes it even works out. In a previous column, I responded to a hiring manager who believed that her new employee invented an offer.
But what happens if you're asked for proof or if your deception is otherwise exposed? Your integrity will be called into question, and you will jeopardize your standing.
It is frustrating to know you're underpaid, especially by such a significant amount. And it is even more frustrating that your employer is refusing to create parity. This is why pay transparency is so important. It clarifies where things stand.
Your best bet is to continue looking for a new position that will offer you compensation more in line with your expectations. The disrespect your current employer is showing you is unacceptable. You deserve better in every way.
United for all, not just some Q
I'm in a teachers union at a university in California, and we have been negotiating with the administration for two years to gain job security for lecturers.
Currently, there's an offer on the table I'd really benefit from. And most of us in the union would really benefit from this current contract proposal. However, it doesn't provide job security for earlycareer lecturers, so that means the administration can fire people before they benefit from the job security that comes with longer employment.
We are preparing to go on strike, and honestly, I'm very nervous. I don't really want to go on strike in the middle of a budget crisis because I'm worried about my own job security. At the same time, I don't want to leave the more vulnerable faculty high and dry. Is it worth the risk of my own job to go on strike?
— Anonymous, California
A
Yes, it is worth going on strike. I understand your concerns about the risk you're taking, and those feelings are entirely valid. But the whole point of a union is collective bargaining for the benefit of all, not just bargaining for some.
If you don't fight to protect early-career lecturers, what are you even doing? It is imperative for every member of your union to do everything in your power to support the most vulnerable lecturers in your institution. Would you want to be abandoned if you were in their position?