Q & A Table of Contents
It Isn’t Fair!
From: Archna, Kuwait
Question: I am well qualified -- even more than my immediate boss. He is studying further on company expense & it is very clear in his mind that as soon as he gets that degree he will get an immediate increment. How come at his level it is linked to qualification and at my level it is said" no we are not concerned with degrees, what matters is what you do. My boss used to be at the same position as me but at a higher salary.
Now somebody from his village comes & knows nothing & is made my subordinate & is recommended for an increment saying he is very good (but he is neither good at work nor he has good qualifications.
Yet another subordinate of me is at a higher salary than me with poor performance & poor education.
Now annual increments are due, so I was told that ‘next year you will get something, this year only the village person will get something’.
How can this situation be justified & how it can be rectified?
I feel the situation is this way since we have nobody from our village and there is nobody with whom we have personal links who is sitting in management who can do something for us.
Are personal relations everything in this world to get a raise? It is so insulting seeing your subordinates getting increments when you do not and yet you are responsible for their mistakes & YOU HAVE TO TEACH them like kids.
Response: You describe a situation that is fundamentally unfair and humiliating. Unfortunately, it also sounds as if the situation you describe is deeply ingrained in the way your organization works.
You need to figure out a number of things, most of which can be included in what is called BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement):
- What alternatives do you have in terms of finding a job in a place where pay and hiring is handled more fairly?
- If you leave your company who will it hurt more, them or you?
- Can you call attention to particular contributions you make to your company that should make management treat you better?
- Are there any issues about you that may contribute to the inequity you describe: nationality, gender, age, etc.?
- Are there any laws/regulations — or business standards — that could provide you protection from mistreatment?
- If management will not offer you more money, are there other things they can provide you that would reduce your unhappy feelings such as a nicer office, better vacation terms, or more flexible work time?
- If your boss is at the top of the company, things don’t look that great. If the boss is a subordinate of others, what could you gain — or lose — by calling attention to the inadequacy of your subordinates to your boss’s boss?
If the system is based on personal ties (village or other relationships), is it possible to improve or strengthen your relationship to your boss or management to increase your own clout? If the system is totally corrupt, what keeps you coming to work every day? Is there a company where a person with your background, from your village, would have more advantages?
While the situation you present is not hopeless, it is certainly not looking good for you. You have to think long and hard about your alternatives — and be prepared to move to another company and/or another place where at first you may not make as much money but where the system rewards qualifications and high quality work. Going for long term gains can yield better results than focusing on the short term.
You should focus on your interests — and those of others in your company if you plan to stay. Turn your subordinates into allies — so that they can use their preferred status to help argue your case with your boss.
Good luck,
Steve
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