I work in an office as a legal assitant/secretary. I work Mon-Fri from 8-5. I have no benefits. My job duties include but are not limited to... answer phones, make appointments, answer questions, take messages, go to the post office and check the mail daily, go to the bank about 2- 3 times a week. I also go to the court house a few times a week to get files, and file paperwork. I copy the files and open files for the office. I also type and mail the letters to the clients. Dust and vacume the office. I have been on my job for 1 year. I may have taken 4 days off. I do work for family, and sometimes watch their kids when they have late meetings. I also get to pick my son up from school at 3 pm and keep him here in the office with me until 5 pm. Which is why I took the job, now with him in school, it does fit my schedule. I have worked for him for $210. a week, which is enough to pay my bills, but does not leave me any left over. What would be a fair Salary?
2007-05-11 02:49:03 · 6 answers · asked by HappyGoLucky 4 in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment ➔ Law & Legal
There are only 3 people in the office.
Him, the attorney.
His wife, the office manager, she sometimes opens files, but mostly goes to meetings with him.
Myself...the assistant.
It is a Family Law office, so they have to do home visits and school visits with a lot of the Juveniles, and the Department of Children Services. So there are a lot of phone calls, and meetings with parents, foster parents and case managers... Juvenile Justice Case workers...
2007-05-11 02:53:31 · update #1
Fair??? This is ridiculous...At this rate you are border line minimum wage!
I worked many places as just a secretary and was making minimum 12/hour...(which is 480 a week)
This is a LAW FIRM...You should be making ATLEAST 14/hour.....And again, that is just the minimum...I understand the perks of being able to pick your son up and bringing him to the office...But if you were being paid what you should be, you could easily afford a good daycare or nanny, and still have money left over.
I think when it is time for you to ask for a raise, you should make this point clear...And even with only 1 year experience in a law firm, that is enough to find a great job! You should check out www.craigslist.org.....Check their job section out in the "legal" subject.....
This is the just my advice, and I think you will find that everyone else who answers this will have the same to say...Do not be afriad to ask what you are entitled to. I am sure you're a great worker, and you much deserve this. Do not be afraid of asking to much, give yourself some value
2007-05-11 03:13:45 · answer #1 · answered by Jasmin N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good morning...I see your situation and since this is a Family Firm they may not be able to raise your salary not knowing their background. If it's a small family owned business and just recently started within a yr or two they may not have the funds as yet to increase salaries or benefits. It takes awhile for a business to actually make a profit after the initial start of things. Have patience if it's a new business. I imagine once things get rolling you will get a raise and other benefits. If this isn't the case, then I would ask very politely if there is any chance getting a raise in the near future. If not, and depending on how much you enjoy your employer, I would then think of the possibility in finding another firm that could possibly pay what you need. But if you do decide to make a change, then I would definitely give them at least a 2 week notice and ask if you could possibly receive a letter of recommendation on your work performance.Hope this has helped, good luck on your decision and have a great day!
2016-05-20 04:20:45 · answer #2 · answered by nicolette 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's answers like that one who should be barred.
I would present exactly what you stated here to the boss. Probably starting with the wife. I would, also, state the you really like everything about the job-it's responsibilities-everything. You just feel you've earned a raise. REMEMBER!!!!! they may not (probably don't) realize what you do or how hard/much you do. put it ALL down-give them a reason to give you a raise. again, stress you're not unhappy with ANY of your responsibilities you just feel you've earned a raise. be nice and have the above written up in a very nice form and present it to the wife with the statement "I would appreciate your consideration on this" It seems from what you've said that the wife and husband work together-so they will probably take this home and discuss it before making a decision. If they/she doesn't get back to you within one week I would suggest looking for a new job. they don't appreciate you and you have not earned their respect so it has no security and no future.
2007-05-11 03:16:51 · answer #3 · answered by dulcrayon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, it sounds like you are being screwed royally. A lot depends on what other people with the same job duties are being paid in your area, but you should be making a minimum of $12.00 to $14.00 per hour - unless you really do live in a podunk, ridiculously low cost of living place.
Look for online salary calculators that can give you an estimate based on experience and location. It's been a while since I looked at any, but I think I recall careerbuilder.com has a decent one.
2007-05-11 05:03:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do a search for what legal secretaries are making in your area and ask for a raise to equal the going rate.
Before you ask, make sure that you send your resume out to other firms and have a back up plan, in case they use the opportunity to show you the door.
2007-05-11 03:22:31 · answer #5 · answered by salemgirl1972 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're being paid about 1/3 of what you are worth. 'Nuff said!
2007-05-11 08:56:52 · answer #6 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋