QUESTION

For the first time in my life, I actually tried to stand up for myself at work. I am one of those people pleasers who don't like to make waves (and avoid conflict at all cost). Something happened to me when I got my last increase – I just wanted to cry.

The amount of money they added to my salary was laughable. With the cost of electricity, petrol and cost of living in general going up, I didn’t stand a chance. This increase really upset me. I felt under-appreciated and taken for granted. I worked my tail off for the company and this was the way they “repaid” me. I decided to ask for an increase.

I’ve NEVER done anything like that before and would sooner have died, but a colleague of mine told me to "go for it" as she knew what I did for the company and I reported to her indirectly. When I thought about my current role in the company, it dawned on me that I was doing everything clerical, travel bookings, events co-ordination, shopping, logistics co-ordinator for spares, stock controller, plus I had someone reporting to me. I was with the company for 10 years, where we started as 4 people, we are now 15 people and my workload keeps increasing. It was time.

So, I bravely put together my letter and gave it to my manager to read. He didn't comment, so I eventually went to see him (knees shaking) and asked what he thought. He said that if he was going to war, he needed the right ammunition to fight with. After 2 attempts of putting together a document which listed my duties (he did not like either of them), I got HR involved. I was then told to draw up a spreadsheet with all my duties defined in detail.

I submitted this document in November, after the increase letter had been submitted in August. I was told to be patient and then left dangling. Every time I wanted answers, they couldn’t give me one because “no-one in the company did what you did”, so they could not classify me in a specific position and I was told that I must be earning a market-related salary. (Compared to what?) No discussion. It’s almost July again – time for our next increases and I have gotten NOWHERE. I feel angry, humiliated, disrespected, ignored … and most of all, deflated, depressed and betrayed. What should I do?