Q. I'm writing regarding my raise.When I was hired, the director of HR, who is no longer with the company, promised me a raise after six months of service and one year thereafter. Half the year I was working for an executive, and the other half I worked in human resources.Now the company is telling me I am overpaid and need more experience and, therefore, do not warrant a raise even though my evaluation was very good. When I entered this department, I had one week's training to take over from my coworker who went on maternity leave. I was on my own for 3 months with one other person in the dep... view article details

Q. I have been at the same company for three years. I work in a relatively small, but expensive state and everyone knows each other in the field. I regularly get calls from headhunters or former coworkers about potential positions. Because it is a small field, we also have a good idea what everyone is making. I enjoy what I do and where I am in the company, but I feel I have been left behind.Many people in my department have left and have done quite well financially. We have the same experience, same age, yet others have gotten salary increases of as much as 20 percent by jumping ship. I just ... view article details

Q: I'm a mailroom clerk for a publishing company and make $17,889 a year before taxes. I logged on to Salary.com to see if I'm making the right amount of money, and I was shocked to see that I am underpaid by at least $4,257. But when I first interviewed with the company, I requested $16,000 in my cover letter and received $17,889, not knowing how much I really should be making. How should I approach my boss about this situation - because it's not fair.A: You had asked for the company to offer you a salary of $16,000, yet they gave you $17,889, nearly $2,000 more. Your company clearly has a mi... view article details

Q. Next week, I am flying to Texas to interview for a position I really want. I am excited, but focused. Immediately after the phone interview last week, we received a number of calls from real estate brokers asking to appraise our home. They were contacted by the company in Texas. Furthermore, while in Texas next week, I have been scheduled to meet with a real estate agent to give me a tour of the area. The recruiter has already contacted my references. But I have not been offered the position yet. Is this common, and does it mean the company is serious? A. To be honest, I don't know of any c... view article details

4 Steps You Should Follow for an Excellent Job Application It's a Saturday morning and you're surfing the internet. Suddenly you find a job posting that meets your skills, degree, and salary expectations perfectly. You don't want to wait to apply and send the you used for your last job application. You wait for the reply, but your application e-mail goes without any form of response. You forgot a vital aspect about how to apply for a job. Either it is your first time you've had to apply for a job, or you need to find a job after getting fired. For an excell... view article details

Q: I have been an hourly consultant my entire career, and have been recently approached to take a permanent position with one of my part-time clients. We have successfully negotiated and agreed upon vacation, healthcare, training reimbursement, and similar benefits (including ISO stock), but we are still significantly far apart on salary.I am am asking for considerably more than the company is willing to pay, even though my salary expectations are more than commensurate with the industry and my skill set for this nearly executive position.The company says their reasoning is that they are cash-... view article details

Q: A nonexempt employee was given the duties of an exempt employee upon the exempt employee's retirement. The nonexempt employee had been acting in this capacity for over four years. Does the employer lose the ability to classify this position/employee now as exempt? Is there a time limit?A: Generally, it is not the employee who determines whether a job is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); it is the tasks being performed in the job that do or do not warrant the exemption.You did not mention what tasks the previous employee was performing when he or she left the company. It could... view article details

Q. Is it possible for a prospective employer to verify your salary from a previous employer without your knowledge or consent?A. It depends on whether your company belongs to a consortium of companies that exchanges information about their current and former employees. Typically, companies participating in such consortia may share pay data and the current status of their employees - for example, active or terminated. Companies normally ask potential employees to sign a waiver allowing the employer to verify information provided on a resume or employment application. Declining to let a prospect... view article details

It Starts with the CEO Chief executive officers (CEOs) get paid lots of money for being the top employees in the company. Why do they get paid so much? Like athletes and actors, CEOs provide a level of talent that is required to produce the desired product - in this case, a strongly performing company. The skills and responsibilities that come with the job of CEO are extreme and the number of people who can fill these roles is limited. That is why the market has determined that people with these skills are worth a lot of money to their companies. Only about 20 percent of a CEO's pay is base... view article details

Chief executive officers (CEOs) get paid lots of money for being the top employees in the company. Why do they get paid so much? Like athletes and actors, CEOs provide a level of talent that is required to produce the desired product - in this case, a strongly performing company. The skills and responsibilities that come with the job of CEO are extreme and the number of people who can fill these roles is limited. That is why the market has determined that people with these skills are worth a lot of money to their companies. Only about 20 percent of a CEO's pay is base salary; the rest is made... view article details