https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:25:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-137565 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:27:24 +0000 MsLipGloss 137565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bee: I know we are all rooting for you and wish you (and your DH) the best! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-137555 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:23:46 +0000 bee_anonymous 137555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: That's what I thought about discussing salary with his co-workers. Too bad we can't know that as a basis to work from, though!</p> <p>I appreciate your advice greatly! I still think it is something worth exploring - at the very least, I would like a little more explanation on how this was all calculated. I know the chances of anything changing are slim. Still, I have learned from some of his co-workers that "firm policies" are not always so firm, at least in regard to other issues, so I feel like it's worth a shot. We'll see what happens... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-137084 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:38:13 +0000 MsLipGloss 137084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bee: Typically, salary discussion is a no-no (and can be a fireable offense) between employees. Seems silly when peers have a good idea what others make, but it can cause a ton of internal drama (thus why it can be a fireable offense). </p> <p>If salary is bracketed and not performance-based, I think he is just going to have to accept the salary. His time to argue salary was prior to accepting the transfer. Arguing economics, while I certainly understand your point, could give the impression that he is different/ special and unable to adjust and work within the local framework. It could be interpreted incorrectly. </p> <p>I think his best option is to settle in and strive for a promotion. For me, from the perspective of an employer, one of the most important attributes of a potential employee is their decision-making ability (strategic planning). As a new employee (at least to that office where I have no street cred, so to speak) I would not want to make an argument that the company should *reward* (although that sounds much more harsh that what I am trying to get at) my inability to plan with a salary raise . . . especially if it (the argument) is likely to fail. It would leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth, and may hinder his future upward mobility (even if only temporarily). His best strategic move (at this point, imo) is to make sure his short-term goal of salary recovery doesn't supplant his long-term goals of promotion/ future success. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-137074 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:28:34 +0000 looch 137074@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I worked for a company where I did an internal transfer. The company raised my salary as a cost of living adjustment and it was stated so in my written contract. </p> <p>Was there a contract of any sort in this case? It has been my experience, though, that if a company has rules like this, they do not break them for lower level employees. For C-levels, yes, but not entry level. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-137061 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:23:35 +0000 bee_anonymous 137061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: Thanks for your advice. There are a couple other people in his same position - do you recommend that he ask them about their salaries, though? I know I would feel a little weird about doing that.</p> <p>I guess the thing that is confusing for me is that this salary adjustment is supposed to purely reflect a difference in cost of living from our current city to the next. They are very clear that people performing the same job should make comparable salaries regardless of performance - thus why they don't negotiate their annual "cost of living" raises, either. The only way to move up in salary is to get promoted. So I feel like for him to try to argue his value would be disrespectful of this policy. At least if he was taking issue with the cost of living, he is working within the framework that is established. Does this make sense? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-137034 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:12:39 +0000 MsLipGloss 137034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bee: Are there other employees at the new location in the same job/ position? I ask because if that's the case, chances are they started or made the same salary as your hubs would post-transfer, and your hubs would have to be able to distinguish himself/ his accomplishments in order to merit the salary increase. </p> <p>For me, arguing that local rent prices, etc. are the bases for maintaining his salary would only tell me (as an employer) that he failed to do his due diligence (,i.e., homework) as an employee, and that he pulled the trigger before properly identifying and classifying his target. Not exactly the message you want to send to your new boss. I would instead have him focus more on what he brings to the company and how he personally adds value, rather than arguing local economics.</p> <p>As they say, the devil is in the details. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136985 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:54:51 +0000 bee_anonymous 136985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: @MamaMoose: You are both right for sure. This is his first "real" job and we both are learning some things as we go. Definitely a lesson learned! In the end, we would still move even if his salary was cut even more than it was... it's a move we both really wanted. I just want to make sure he is given what he deserves. Do ya'll have any tips for how to strengthen his argument at this point in the game? Obviously, he needs to come at it with the hard facts, and also be gracious and not ungrateful as @Modern Daisy said. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136884 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:15:33 +0000 MamaMoose 136884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have to agree with MsLipGloss that is really was your husband's responsibility to get all the information regarding any changes that would be part of the transfer at the time he made the request. And certainly before he began the transition process. Since this wasn't something the company asked him to do, they are unlikely to be very flexible on what seems like a hard rule they have in place. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136852 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:58:55 +0000 MsLipGloss 136852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Should you choose to pursue negotiations, I wish you the best of luck! While I agree that the employer should have addressed the issue (as part of a 360 degree disclosure), from a more objective (and critical) standpoint, your hubs should have discussed compensation (as you would for any position prior to acceptance) when he initiated the transfer and prior to accepting the position. I would imagine that the company assumed that because he initiated the transfer, that he was also aware of any changes between locations. I realize it is super easy to arm chair quarterback a decision, but unfortunately, you always have to remain thorough and diligent even if the move is within the same company. This practice is common across many professions, i.e., the local market determines the salary for the position, so two people working for the same employer doing the same job can earn substantially different salaries.</p> <p>Also, from a re-framing standpoint, are there other benefits to moving to the new city/state, i.e., shorter commutes, less stress (less of a competitive office environment), quality of life issues that may take the edge of the salary reduction? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136846 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:54:21 +0000 Modern Daisy 136846@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bee-Anonymous, I still think he should bring it up with his boss. Even if it's ultimately up to HR, it's his boss that would be the one to make the request or 'push' in order to bump up the offering salary. He should at least make sure that his request is heard by the right audience. It wouldn't hurt for him to mention that this was never explained to him before he already started transitioning and it's something he should have been able to consider before making the decision. There's no guarantee that he'll get promoted (unless it's stated in a contract) so he should try to get it now, before the move is finalized if at all possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136827 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:41:22 +0000 bee_anonymous 136827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaMoose: He initiated it. However, they never let on that his salary would be adjusted at all, much less to this extent, until he had already begun the transition to the new office.</p> <p>@mrsjyw: I agree that's what it looks like and that it's a bit of a stretch. I'm just hoping we can make a good enough argument for it to get consideration.</p> <p>@Modern Daisy: Thank you for this great insight! I don't know that he should talk with his new boss though. She told him she put in a request for his salary to HR, and they came back with the number, and that was that. I'm pretty sure HR calls all the shots with this.</p> <p>The bummer is also that they say they don't negotiate raises either. They are 1-3% depending on performance and there are no bonuses. It's a non-profit so I understand that they are a little tight, but it would take more than 3 years of raises just for him to get back to where he was. By that point he will probably have been promoted to a higher paying position but I don't think he should have to get a promotion just to return to the same lifestyle he had in the same exact position in a different city. Frustrating! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136810 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:32:50 +0000 Modern Daisy 136810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This should be negotiated with his new boss. HR is the department communicating the offer, but his new boss is the one deciding the department budget for the transfer. I suggest that he calls his boss and explains rationally how he's done all the research and both taxes and housing are much higher in the new city so to him even staying at the same salary would be a paycut. It should be presented in a "I know you may not be able to, but please consider my request" fashion. Be careful, because he shouldn't appear ungrateful or like he's not excited to be taking the new job. And there should be clear, consise tangible reasons he's able to give for his request.</p> <p>But it doesn't seem like his company makes exceptions, so be prepared to get a no. It's not the end of the world if they say no, so don't be too upset. At least he's made it clear early on that he views his salary as being too low, so if he performs well at raise and bonus time they have the opportunity to take care of him. If they don't, it's time to start looking for a new job (assuming he's unhappy there otherwise), but a good boss will use that opportunity to make a good employee happy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136787 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:22:47 +0000 mrsjyw 136787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>While I think you should definitely attempt a negotiation, bear in mind that it sounds like your DH's companyas hard-limits for salaried transfers. Most of the overrides (if they have them at all) in HR will require 2 or 3 levels up. </p> <p>DH just had to deal with this for one of his employees he was pushing to keep at their office. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136782 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:22:09 +0000 MamaMoose 136782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did he request the transfer or did the company ask him to relocate? I think he's going to have more ground to stand on if the company initiated the transfer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/helping-husband-with-salary-negotiation-thoughts-please#post-136776 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:20:11 +0000 bee_anonymous 136776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi bees... I'm incognito again! My husband and I are moving soon, as he took a voluntary transfer with his company. However, we were pretty disappointed to find out that they will be lowering his salary by $5,000 - a more than 10% drop - as a "cost of living" adjustment.</p> <p>I did a little research online and many resources do claim that the cost of living will be lower in our new city, but I don't feel that is true at all. Taxes are higher, and while real estate is cheaper, we will be renting and paying $200 MORE per month for a comparable townhouse.</p> <p>I really feel like DH has a leg to stand on to try and negotiate this. The problem is that his company says they have a non-negotiation policy for salaries. He has talked to a few colleagues and they all said they took serious hits when they moved, and it just is something you have to accept.</p> <p>To me, it's one thing to adjust for cost of living, but it's another to expect an employer to LOWER their standard of living considerably. He is moving, not being demoted! </p> <p>I told DH I would help him put together an email to his HR representative to address this issue. I would really appreciate insight or advice from any of you professional bees on this. Thanks! </p>