Not sure what to do with an issue I have with my supervisor.

[afarmer]

Hi,

I'm a relatively new nurse, I'm coming up on my one year anniversary at the hospital I work at. That being said, I've recently had my annual review. It was positive all around, I was pleased, and then came time for our raises. We were told there was a 2% cap on the raises. When I received mine, my supervisor told me I only received 1% because I hadn't been there for a full year, which, although it was disappointing, I understood. We were told to keep them confidential, but that didn't happen. I have learned that another nurse, who started at the exact same time as I did, had received the full 2%. I then learned other nurses earned a 3% raise. I am fairly upset. Do I have the right to be? Should I question my supervisor about it? And If I do, how do I approach the subject. Thanks for reading!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Do you know exactly how much experience these other nurses have had prior to starting work with your hospital? Could they have become certified in a specialty or anything like that? What I am trying to say is, that people don't think it any of your business what they do for their own careers, so they won't keep you informed.

You could easily get in big trouble if you come off wrong in speaking to your supervisor about it. For one, you should not have any knowledge of a disparity, so, your bringing it up puts you at fault right out of the box. She gave you a reason for your amount, and really, she can stand by that.

[afarmer]

The other nurse and I were both new grads when we started. I wouldn't have such a problem with the disparity if I didn't feel like I had been lied to. I almost wish I didn't know, because now I feel like I'm being singled out.

[mazy]

People can be very peculiar when it comes to talking about salary. Are you sure the other nurse is telling the truth?

[Hygiene Queen]

Ouch!

That why pay is such a taboo subject!

I'm 100% sure I do not want to know what some of my coworkers were making!

That is the type of talk that has caused me to plug my fingers in my ears and yell, "Noony-noony-noooo! I can't hear you! Blah blah blah!"

Now that you've heard what you heard, you're all bummed and angry.

Not worth it.

Do NOT talk to your supervisor about this.

Nobody... nobody is supposed to be discussing these things.

You will look foolish and further lay damage on your work environment.

Sweep anything you heard aside.

Let it go.

Do not even worry if you were lied to.

Let. It. Go.

[toucheturtle]

I worked for a university medical department that had the same sort of cap thing. It's wasn't that the individual raises were capped at 2%, but that the university was capping the average of the department raises at 2%. So if someone was to get above the average (3%), then someone else had to get below (1%).

Really, it's only a 1% disparity, which is pretty minor. Someone had to take the hit this year, and perhaps your friend who received 2% will be the 1-percenter next year. If you bring it up with your manager, you could possibly be found in breach of policy and lose your job. Managers aren't kidding when they tell their employees not to talk about salary - they know it's a topic that can hurt morale.

I'd suggest you let the issue go and work to be the star employee at the end of next year, so you're the one receiving 3% at raise time! :-)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

The other nurse and I were both new grads when we started. I wouldn't have such a problem with the disparity if I didn't feel like I had been lied to. I almost wish I didn't know, because now I feel like I'm being singled out.

Do you know for SURE how much of a raise other folks got? Lying about your raise is not uncommon.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Tread very lightly you were specifically told not to discuss it. Nursing is NOTORIOUS for this your management may not be happy being confronted.

Yes, they lie.

[neverbethesame]

Can you talk to HR without giving names but give the correct info??? I don't think that you should remain silent. You didn't break confidentiality- those other nurses did. That shouldn't be on you.

Look at it logically: you were told the policy for raises is ________, you were told (not hearsay) that the policy was not applied to everyone (with all things being equal), you desire to know why.

I don't understand why the forboding warnings from other posters.

[paradiseboundRN]

I think you should talk to HR too. Because obviously this is going to bug you. If you're like me, its not going to be easy to let this go. Go talk to HR and then they can talk to the management and get a reason why. Whether its good or bad it will make you feel better.

[merlee]

This is annoying, to say the least. Dealing with raises is very tricky, but being lied to should not be a part of this. No matter where you turn, you will not be looked upon favorably. And approaching someone is difficult, as well.

I would like to tell you to not make a big deal out of this, but I know this will annoy you. Maybe you could just go back to your manager and ask her to reconsider her rationale without being specific to a person. Some facilities have a 'do not tell' policy that can get people fired if they reveal their salary. Be very careful where you tread.

Best wishes!

[afarmer]

Thanks for the feedback. We are a very cohesive crew and I can be fairly certain the other nurse is being honest. I would have zero problem with the discrepancy if I were told a legitimate reason as to why I was the one who was docked. If in some way my work was inadequate it would at least give me something to work for. I think it may just be time to find employment elsewhere. I can handle criticism much better than I can handle being blatantly lied to. I just go to work angry now because after working so hard on such a difficult unit for the past year, I feel like it was all for naught. I want to let it go, I'm a pretty easy-going person and rarely get upset about things. But I have a decent commute and someone who is basically financially dependent on me, I just don't feel like I can sit around for a year and hope for better luck next year.