The Day I Grew Balls

It's performance review time at work.  After living through it last year, I learned that review season is tense time around the office, and that review results are a don't-ask-don't-tell item (one of my teammates, who everyone assumed would be promoted, was not...it's a long story with shady details involving another less-than-ethical-but-higher-up teammate).  In the two weeks between when the reviews are given and when the official announcement of new promotions is released, the only way to know if someone was screwed out of a promotion or raise (or just didn't deserve one) is if they suddenly find a new job and leave the company.

My review was scheduled for yesterday at 9:30 am -- kind of early, but I'm in everyday at 7:00.  My bosses, however, are not.  At 9:29, one of my bosses stopped by my desk to let me know that the other boss was stuck in traffic, and that my review would be 'sometime later in the day.' So much for getting it over with. The rest of my teammates got their reviews at their regularly scheduled time, and mine was moved the end (a spot generally considered unlucky where salaries and promotions are at stake). At 5:15, they finally called me in.

To make a long story short, their notes on my performance were okay, if not a little harsh. I had to remind them of the fact that I was probably a spaced-out zombie during the time I was working full time and studying...fuller time. Their response: 'Now that you say that, we have noticed a huge jump in your performance since May.' (Duh)

One of my bosses had to leave early, leaving the partner to administer the final piece of the review: the raise.  He handed me a sheet of paper (taken out of a confidential envelope - really?), delivered a spiel about the standard raise this year, and asked me to sign that I officially accepted my new salary.

Maybe it was the fact that I'd waited almost eight extra hours, or the fact that the boss who left early had some surprisingly critical comments...either way -  I grew balls.

I looked at the sheet for a second.  "Actually," I said to the partner, "at last year's review, you said I was one month shy of qualifying for a raise, and that you'd factor it into my next year's raise.  I don't see it here."

He looked at me for a second, surprised that I was seemingly rejecting my raise (or surprised that I was a staff, calling out a partner).  After a few more seconds of squinting (for recollection purposes?), he finally said, "You know what? I did say that. Let me talk to the managing partner and get this adjusted."

Hiya! Bigger raise! Though I amount I fought for only works out to slightly less than $1,000 extra per year,  it felt good to finally stand up for myself after a lifetime of...not standing up for myself.

So there it is, the story of the day I grew the balls to demand a higher salary (Er, remind the partner that he'd promised me the higher salary the previous year...close enough).


PS- I'm 75% sure that my teammate finally got the promotion he should have gotten last year, but like I said, I don't want to ask.