Savvy Confessions: Asking For a Raise (It's Complicated)
This post was submitted (anonymously, as always) to our Savvy Confessions group. Got any advice? Leave it in the comments.
Hi, fellow Savvy Confessors. I've got an issue I've been struggling with that I could seriously use some help on. I am in a job where I am paid to be "available." I am paid salary (based on an hourly rate at 40 hours a week) regardless of how little or how much I work. Some weeks I work four hours, and some weeks I work 40. Sometimes I have whole weeks off at a time — but only with extremely last-minute notice. Usually, I don't know my schedule until late the night before or early in the morning the day of.

There have been only three times since I started this job almost two years ago that I have gone over 40 hours, but I was compensated for overtime. I am on the books and paid weekly via direct deposit, but receive absolutely no benefits — health, dental, 401(k), etc. After 20 months, I am still on the same salary as when I started. For the most part, it's an amazing job — the actual work is really rewarding, my boss is really nice and friendly, and (as you can see with my fluctuating schedule) I have plenty of downtime to myself. All in all — a really awesome job!!









