Can you base salaries on evaluations?

Question

One of my friends told me that you cannot base salaries on evaluations. I doubted it but I thought I'd ask. The thing is that I worked at this job the exact same time as another friend and she is making a little more than I am now. The evaluation policy where I work is ridiculuously biased. What is the exact policies and what can I do to fight it if salaries cannot be based on evaluations?

Answer 1

Unless you have a contract to the contrary, employers may base their rate of pay (and increases) on anything they want ... except race, gender, national origin (I know I am missing a couple).

So ... it is not at all unusual for raises to be based on evaluations (theory -- better workers should be paid more). NO court would upset that.

On the other hand, in Union shops (to avoid discriminatory evluations), pay is based entirely on seniority (which means that the best workers get paid as much as the laid-back slackers. Courts will not interfere with that either.

So ... how do you fight it. I think Fight it is the wrong word. First, go to the human resources department (or your boss, if there is not human resources person), but if there IS a human resources person, get a copy of the company policy. You will almost certainly find language like "raises, and the amount of such raises, are entirely within the discretion of the company."

Translated, it means "we can do whatever we want."

So ... next step is to talk to the boss. Tell him you are disappointed with the raise, and would like to find out (a) if there has been a mistake; and (b) what you can do to increase your wages. By having him work WITH you (insteaad of being defensive with your evaluation), he will (we hope) become an ally instead of an adversary.

Practically speaking, if your boss is not your biggest advocate, your chances of advancement become quite small. Going over his head, even if successful this time, will spell doom, as he will view you as a threat. This is the way NOT to play office politics. So get him to be your ally.

Answer 2

We have to live in a realistic world. Not everything is fair. Different companies have different yardstick and again biasness. This is human nature and inevitable. Not happy, go hunt a new job with a new environment. Solve problem. Arguments and quarrels come to no good. At the end, management wins and we lose. Remember management not always right but always wins. So move on with your life.

Answer 3

Inquire on your HR, look through your employee manuals and policies. I guess all employers base salaries on performance evaluations.

Answer 4

Raises are absolutely based on evaluations. At least in most private industry situations. That are not goig to go paying people more money who only do mediocore work.

Answer 5

It's a way to reward good work. I know you can't really compare your performance to hers since you don't have access to her evaluations, but maybe you have a couple of things on your evaluation that she doesn't.