Lifestyle

Go to Greg

There are three of us in my department who do the same job, but compared to my two co-workers, I get the heavier and more difficult workload. I receive highly rated yearly evaluations that acknowledge this — and yet I’m the lowest-paid of the three. I want to say something to my boss, but I’m afraid to complain, because so many people are out of work. Perhaps I should just be grateful to have a job. Or should I start looking for a new job?

Talk to your boss about your situation before you jump ship. Maybe there’s a logical explanation. For example, it’s common for someone with two years of experience to earn less than someone with 20, even if they are doing the same job or the less-experienced person is actually doing more. But never feel grateful just to have a job and fear speaking up on your behalf. Your talent is your valuable commodity — so don’t sell it short.

I recently found another job, and I gave my current employer four weeks’ notice — instead of the standard two — to give them time to find a replacement. They seemed grateful, but after a week they said they only needed me to stay an additional week, so they are only paying me for two weeks. My new job doesn’t start for two weeks, so now I’m losing two weeks’ pay. Is my new employer obligated to pay me for the notice they accepted?

Hmmm . . . so the truth is you had a financial motive for offering a four-week notice period — and it wasn’t simply altruistic, right? C’mon, no spinning allowed here! Unless your employer explicitly confirmed they were paying you through a certain date and are now reneging, simply announcing when you’d like your last day to be does not obligate the company to accept it. It’s not uncommon to negotiate a longer notice period, particularly if the employer needs and wants you to transition longer — and the flexibility you demonstrate does help you leave on a great note. If your new employer won’t allow you to start earlier than planned, try appealing to your current employer. Tell them you were trying to be flexible for them and deferred your start date with your new employer — which you now can’t change — so can they reconsider keeping you on or paying you for the remaining two weeks? Worst case is you bought yourself a nice little break.