Does my company have to give pay raises on time?

Question

Hi. Let me explain what my company does. It gives each employee an "evaluation" every "anniversary date" (the day of the year that they started working for the company) and they get a score. This score tells them what percentage of a raise they will get. Then, they tell the employee that the raise will "show up" on the next paycheck or two. Here's the problem. A lot of people don't get their raises in this period of time. The lag ranges from two months to a year! Once, a co-worker of mine complained, after he hadn't gotten his raise in 6 months. He went to see the floor manager, who told him not to worry, and then he proceeded to pick up someone else's evaluation from his desk and said, "Look! This person hasn't gotten their's in 8 months!" as if it was common practice and there was nothing wrong with it. My question is, is holding someone's raise when it's due legal? I mean, can they get in big trouble for it? And, who can I contact to get this matter resolved? Thanks!

Answer 1

No, often you will get it retroactively.

Answer 2

--First, you MUST refer to your official employee handbook and any other "official" documents, contracts, memos, etc. to see what they say about the "raise" pollicy, timetable, and so on. The documents are unlikely to state a timeline for the pay raises "showing up", but it seems that a case could be made informally betw. staff and management, if not formally with the Labor Board or in Supererior Court, that 8 mos. for a pay raise to show up after it's been granted is neither customary nor reasonable. From there, an argument could easily and convincingly be made that you should be granted those raises from the anniversary date forward.

--Keep track/recrds of what management says/does to each of you regarding raises when, and how they do talk about raises and evaluations.

--Get a hold of any other official company documents--whether they're job ads promising/offering regular raises, company brochures advertisiing generous salaries, raises, etc.; then any memos you can get copies of--Board Meeting minutes if they have any, etc.

--Check with empolyees at similar sized companies, especially if they make the same or similar products to see what their compensation plan is. If they're not being mistreated, perhaps you can find useful guidelines to propose to your management.

--Organize and join with your co-workers in submitting a petition or letter based on what info. you've gathered and respectfully requesting action of the appropriate exec. (and not lower level management). Do this especially so it's not hidden under the rug by middle management, upper management will then be on the spot to take some stand or make some reasonable decision, and no one individual will be singled out for punishment. As well, management can't easily get away with divide and conquer nonsense.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Sometimes management will hold off on pay raises, but if you have paper work stating that you will get a raise on a specified date or pay period, you can complain to HR and they, usually, pay you retroactively. However, if it was only stated that you will get a raise, then you might have a problem.
I worked for a company that held off raises, or did not want to give raises to its work force. Remember, always get it in writing.

Answer 4

Is the raise verbally given or is it told in written format.

If it company hearsay as to the time-line then you don't have a leg to stand on. ( no retro active pay)
If it is written as company policy, in a manual. Then you go by those standards. Finding where the weak link is if it policy might help you out. ( then your entitled to back pay)

Your best bet is to contact WAGE & HOUR..

Answer 5

Yes, depending on the persormance, depending on the experience you cant take your employees for a ride. Be a good boss and a good pay master. Give employees what they deserve.