When's a good time to ask for a pay raise?

[MikeyFingers]

I'll give you a little information concerning my employment. While I finish school over the summer, I'm working at a local drive-thru convenience store. . It's an easy job and it doesn't pay much, which is expected at a place like this, but I definitely deserve more than I'm getting.

I started 2 months ago and I already worked at the exact same store last year for 6 months, so I came in already knowing the job inside-out. I was hired at 8 dollars an hour, just a hair above minimum wage, and I only got that because of my prior experience (they give all new hires M/W).
Almost immediately, I was given more responsibility than the other employees except for the manager. When the boss is not there, I take care of all the stuff he usually does.
-Place orders with our vendors.
-Count and rotate new deliveries (which should be grunt work, but they don't trust the high school kids that work there to do it right).
-Recording and filing the invoices from those deliveries.
-Every Tuesday I empty the safe for an armed transport guy who takes our money to the bank. This means handling in excess of 10,000 dollars cash.
-Recording and filing our weekly gross/net sales.
-Count three quarters of the store's entire inventory every Sunday (it takes several hours and I usually end up staying late to finish it).

The list goes on...
So, already, I'm essentially the assistant manager. Any day that I'm working, the regular manager is not working. And any time I am working, I'm doing all the stuff that the manager normally does. I average about 30-35 hours a week.

BUT the last 2 weeks have just been too much. Some of the little extra things I'm doing to help the store:

-Last week, I caught a part-timer stealing. He took over a hundred bucks from the store, but he didn't know that I knew he did it. As soon as he left for the day, I called the manager and he was fired within 2 days.
-This past Monday (Memorial Day), they gave me an extra half-shift to makeup fill in for the kid that got fired. I was supposed to work 3-8. BUT my night relief just didn't bother to show up or call me, so I stayed until we close at 11....on my day off....on Memorial Day, one of our busiest days of the year.....working by myself the entire time so I had to take every single customer AND do all the other fun stuff.
-On top of THAT, I was nice enough to agree to work a few days at another, newly opened store. They need some help until they get their staff together. I agreed to it because I know that this is the kind of thing a boss likes to see. I'm stepping up. I'm helping out another store in need, and going out of my way to do that little extra. But this also means that I have to wake up an hour earlier, catch a train to go 5 towns over, and walk a mile and a half to open the store on time.

This week I am working 55 and a half hours between the 2 stores.

I am absolutely busting my A$$ every single day, and the amount and quality of work that I do definitely deserves more than 8 dollars an hour.

I guess this thread is mostly just for venting, because I know that I absolutely deserve a raise. I'm just wondering if the cheap A-hole who makes those decisions is going to agree.

OH yeah, forgot to mention this. The guy who was managing my store when I started got moved out to work full-time in another store. So, a manager's position was available. And even though I was already there, already busting my hump and doing a great job, already KNOWING 90% OF THE MANAGER'S JOB, they hired a girl who they had to train from scratch. I didn't even know the position was available until they already filled it with someone else (who doesn't know what they're doing).

This is ridiculous

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by MikeyFingers

I'll give you a little information concerning my employment. While I finish school over the summer, I'm working at a local drive-thru convenience store. . It's an easy job and it doesn't pay much, which is expected at a place like this, but I definitely deserve more than I'm getting.

I started 2 months ago and I already worked at the exact same store last year for 6 months, so I came in already knowing the job inside-out. I was hired at 8 dollars an hour, just a hair above minimum wage, and I only got that because of my prior experience (they give all new hires M/W).
Almost immediately, I was given more responsibility than the other employees except for the manager. When the boss is not there, I take care of all the stuff he usually does.
-Place orders with our vendors.
-Count and rotate new deliveries (which should be grunt work, but they don't trust the high school kids that work there to do it right).
-Recording and filing the invoices from those deliveries.
-Every Tuesday I empty the safe for an armed transport guy who takes our money to the bank. This means handling in excess of 10,000 dollars cash.
-Recording and filing our weekly gross/net sales.
-Count three quarters of the store's entire inventory every Sunday (it takes several hours and I usually end up staying late to finish it).

The list goes on...
So, already, I'm essentially the assistant manager. Any day that I'm working, the regular manager is not working. And any time I am working, I'm doing all the stuff that the manager normally does. I average about 30-35 hours a week.

BUT the last 2 weeks have just been too much. Some of the little extra things I'm doing to help the store:

-Last week, I caught a part-timer stealing. He took over a hundred bucks from the store, but he didn't know that I knew he did it. As soon as he left for the day, I called the manager and he was fired within 2 days.
-This past Monday (Memorial Day), they gave me an extra half-shift to makeup fill in for the kid that got fired. I was supposed to work 3-8. BUT my night relief just didn't bother to show up or call me, so I stayed until we close at 11....on my day off....on Memorial Day, one of our busiest days of the year.....working by myself the entire time so I had to take every single customer AND do all the other fun stuff.
-On top of THAT, I was nice enough to agree to work a few days at another, newly opened store. They need some help until they get their staff together. I agreed to it because I know that this is the kind of thing a boss likes to see. I'm stepping up. I'm helping out another store in need, and going out of my way to do that little extra. But this also means that I have to wake up an hour earlier, catch a train to go 5 towns over, and walk a mile and a half to open the store on time.

This week I am working 55 and a half hours between the 2 stores.

I am absolutely busting my A$$ every single day, and the amount and quality of work that I do definitely deserves more than 8 dollars an hour.

I guess this thread is mostly just for venting, because I know that I absolutely deserve a raise. I'm just wondering if the cheap A-hole who makes those decisions is going to agree.

OH yeah, forgot to mention this. The guy who was managing my store when I started got moved out to work full-time in another store. So, a manager's position was available. And even though I was already there, already busting my hump and doing a great job, already KNOWING 90% OF THE MANAGER'S JOB, they hired a girl who they had to train from scratch. I didn't even know the position was available until they already filled it with someone else (who doesn't know what they're doing).

This is ridiculous

Do you get overtime?

[MikeyFingers]

Yeah at least I get time and half, but I'm not even technically a "full time employee". So for me to do 50+ hours is more than just a little extra. They almost doubled my normal schedule this week.

edit:
And I'm not complaining about that. I don't mind doing the extra work if they need help. But it's frustrating when something like that goes completely unrecognized by the higher-ups.

[pacojas]

foward your post to your boss. it reads like a resumé!

if i were your boss, after reading it, you would get a raise of approximately 25cents per hour.

now get out of my office!!!!

EDIT: make that 50cents! (for not pilfering the place)

[jp58]

That's the problem about a minimum wage job. Someone will always be willing to take your place and make the same if not a little less.

I'd ask about a promotion instead of a raise.

[tastybasslines]

^^ +1

[warwick.hoy]

Ordering from the vendors?

Sounds like Management work to me. Apply for a supervisory position.

[IbanezBass69]

Ask for a raise/promotion. If they do not give it to you, go back to doing only what your job entails. They might then see what your hard work means to the company. The thing is, if they can pay you grunt pay, but have you do manager work, then that is good for them. If they continue to disregard you, give them the middle finger and find a better job.

[MikeyFingers]

@pacojas -- That made me lol, thanks

Everyone else, that makes more sense now that I think about it. Looking for a managerial/supervisor position, that is. It's essentially the same thing, since I'm already doing managers' work most of the time, but it's also a good way to bring up my concerns without just sounding like I'm complaining.

If I just go in there and say, "I do this and this and this and I only make 8 bucks an hour, bla bla bla", they can very easily say "take it or leave it" and find a replacement.
If I say, "I'm interested in moving up in the company, is there any potential for a promotion" or something to that effect, they'll say "He's a go-getter. This kid's got moxie. Have a cigar, you're gonna go faaarrr!!" Then it's the gravy train all the way to upper management. lol.

But yeah, seriously, that makes more sense. Thanks.

[Selta]

Keep in mind if you get into middle management, they may look for more commitment from you - i.e. year round rather than seasonal and things like that.

[groooooove]

you deserve more money, but you most likely wont get it if you ask for it. i'd still ask for it though, only if i were willing to quit when they refuse. this sounds so negative, but its all unfourtunate truth..

[MikeyFingers]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Keep in mind if you get into middle management, they may look for more commitment from you - i.e. year round rather than seasonal and things like that.

I'm already working a year-round position, it's not seasonal. The store is open literally every day of the year and they only need 5-7 people on their staff at a time, so they just keep whoever is willing to stay (unless you get fired).

Originally Posted by groooooove

you deserve more money, but you most likely wont get it if you ask for it. i'd still ask for it though, only if i were willing to quit when they refuse. this sounds so negative, but its all unfortunate truth..

Yes, yes, and yes. I know that ultimately this decision is not up to my direct managers. They are cool people (both my original boss and the girl who replaced him). The guy who's in charge, the guy who would actually make this decision.......well, I'd get banned if I described him accurately.
I doubt he's going to give me anything unless I choose my words carefully. I'll probably wait juuuust a little longer before I bring this up at work.
The truth is, aside from that kid who got fired, I'm the newest employee they have. I don't want to over-step any boundaries and come off as presumptuous.

[powderfinger]

My company put a freeze on raises..... 2 years ago.......

[MJ5150]

What happened to the gig at the pet shelter?

-Mike

[nocontrols]

Getting a better position is always good. Also, the best time to discuss your job and where you're headed is right after they give you a great job review. All legit jobs should give you regular (annual or semi-annual) reviews. Nail it and that's the best time to discuss (not demand, but discuss) your prospects.

[C.Linton]

Right after the boss gets laid.

[DwaynieAD]

quit doing more than your job entails. the days of them being happy and giving you a raise because you go above and beyond are over. all they are going to do is take advantage of it. its a shame but its true

[RS]

In general, asking for a raise before the one year mark (esp. in a low paying, low skilled position) will almost certainly not be successful. Doubt they would fire you for asking but it might things more uncomfortable for you in the short term.

Their opportunity to reward you for your hard work and promote you was there but they did not take it. You have to ask why that is. Not to say there is anything you could have done different or that you did anything poorly/wrong (i.e. the new girl is the owner's relative, friend's kid, etc.).

There is a significant need for retail managers. Apply elsewhere if you are will to commit to the hours and duties required. If not, just look for a store that will pay you a little extra and may have a better opportunity to move up.

[MikeyFingers]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

What happened to the gig at the pet shelter?

-Mike

Man, even a freakin animal shelter is not immune to the economy. It was struggling to survive, so another, larger, animal shelter bought the building and took over. They kept 3 people on and let half a dozen go. It's actually a corporation of some sort that owns like 4 or 5 other shelters in the area.
It's actually a good thing in one sense, because they have better funding and will take better care of the animals. That whole building was in terrible disrepair and really needed a lot of work that we couldn't afford to do. We took good care of the animals, but everything else about that place was fairly run down and needed help.
So it's good for the animals, and bad for the 6 or 7 people that got laid off.
So now I'm working here, making a good deal less money. Although in reality, the work isn't nearly as hard as it was at the shelter.

And thank you everyone for contributing. I'm most likely going to just wait it out for now. I'll keep up the good work, but I'm not going to break my back for them anymore.

[madmatt]

The best time is when you have the ability to make your employer sweat.
Keep track of what you are doing at work. Stretch it out as far as you can. Keep letting your boss know, in any way that you can, "This is not my job", make sure he remembers that. If he fires you then you can pursue unemployment insurance or a lawsuit if it is warranted.
But I can tell you if you continue to let people take advantage of you, it will not quit.