Company refuses to raise employee's salary after 2 years despite junior colleague earning 20% more

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  • A man rubs his face in front of a laptop
  • My company wants to "optimize" my workload, while my pay alignment issue has been unresolved for months. What do I do?

    TL;DR: Almost 2 years in the role with no salary increase. A colleague hired 6 months after me earns ~20% more. I raised this in January and HR is still "reviewing." Meanwhile the company cancelled 5 planned hires and introduced "optimization" that likely means more work. So, this is the case:
  • I work as an analyst in a corporate media team. The work is very structured and time- sensitive. I joined the company almost 2 years ago and my salary has not changed since I started. In January, I raised a pay alignment issue with my manager because I learned that a ex- colleague in the same role, same team, doing essentially the same work, was hired 6 months after me but earns around 20% more
  • (for context: learned in a casual convo a few months after my ex colleague started her new job.) So, raised the matter with a manger in January, he acknowledged it and said he would escalate it to HR. Since then, it's been under "review," but it's now mid-March and I still haven't received any update.
  • Meanwhile, the company recently announced a new "optimization" initiative. The idea is to streamline how we produce our work but I'm aware what it really means (and they've kinda said it): reduce the time spent on current work so people can take on more projects. Even more frustrating is the fact the company also recently cancelled several new
  • hires. Five people had already signed contracts to join the team, and then they were called and told they wouldn't be starting after all because the company suddenly couldn't afford the positions. Sorry if that's too long. Essentially, I just don't feel it's right to quietly accept a situation where my workload increases while my compensation question is still sitting in HR limbo.
  • I see myself as a motivated employee and I've always tried to be a team player, but lately this whole thing been mentally draining. Is it reasonable to push for pay alignment to be resolved before taking on additional responsibilities, or would you approach this differently? Any perspective would be appreciated!
  • A man uses a computer at a pod at work
  • Commenters gave their takes on this story.

    HotelDisastrous2... People sh on unions but you don't see this in union shops as there are very clear pay bands. You have to advocate for yourself. That may mean looking for another job.
  • Solid_Mongoose... Use your adult words and bring it up. And it doesnt matter about the co-worker pay. They negotiated a better deal than you. Doesnt mean everyone gets elevated, no employer is going to bring everyone up to equal, just because one person knew their worth and took a risk to ask for more.
  • Just say "hey, I've been here 2 years, taking on more responsibility, I'd like a pay raise for cost of living and to comp for duties".
  • tabakoff1 OP Thanks! I really feel like using my voice has never been more important than it is now. As for my ex co-worker, I don't know all the ins and outs, but let's be real, I'm the more senior one, and it doesn't feel right to give all the toys to the new kid just like that.
  • I remember during my interview process they called and said they're actually not hiring any more only for them to call me a month later and say the job's still open. (Tbh, the TA specialist was really nice and I appreciated she kept her promise to call me once the role was back)
  • When I applied, the monthly salary had already been increased by about 12% (awesome, right?) Didn't know it might mean 2 years with no movement at all.

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