A Raise

Once again the Legislature is not funding raises for my employer (a 2% raise was approved for state employees except in higher education). I have heard nothing from the president. The place on the web site for next year's budget (and thus raise policy) remains stubbornly empty. Salary ranges for next year remain unchanged (as they do until a change is approved). The HR forum meeting notes are utterly silent on this issue. The boss of our area has said nothing other than raises will be based on merit only. I heard a rumor that the maximum allowed raise would be 2%.

Nevertheless we got our appointment letters earlier this week. Drumroll, please. The good news is that I got a 2.75% raise (really more like 2.6% because the longevity pay part of my pay is not affected). So much for the rumor mill.

The other news is that stapled to the back of the appointment letter is an "Addendum to Appointment Letter." It says, "The employment and performance of [my name] is subject to her participation in rules education programs as directed by the athletics directors and his/her [actually, I'm still a her] supervisor, and [a huge list of bureaucratic rule collections]. The violation of the provisions of such constitutions, bylaws, policies, rules or regulations by [my name], when proven pursuant to the established procedures of [three institutions], shall be sufficient cause for such disciplinary action as may be appropriate under the applicable constitution, bylaws, policies, rules or regulations."

I could never make this stuff up.

The parts I left out make it clear that this has something to do with the new athletics duties I will be having. See, someone has to certify that student athletes are making acceptable progress toward their degrees, among many other things. When that job was moved to my office, I did not apply for it. Boring details! Pressure! Stress! Higher pay!

The degree audit system was not created to measure progress toward the degree but is the best tool we have for this, and my busy times are not the same as the busy times for the person who does this job, so I was asked to help that person. You know, be an extra set of eyes so that we don't make a wrong decision.

Well now if I suddenly have to be an expert or they can fire me (and also my "performance" is at stake, whatever that could possibly mean), I don't want that raise.

Today my boss came back from vacation so I asked him about it. He says it's no big deal, just a formality. (But you know, a lot of people say stuff like that. At least this is not something that I have to sign.)

He said that since I am the back-up, I need to know this information. I said that I did not agree to be the back-up, I agreed to be a helper. He said I can be a helper, but I still need to know this information. I said I expected to learn this information on a need-to-know basis: I need help with this, and here's what you do. Not to go to classes and learn everything inside out and backwards and sign my name to forms and whatnot.

He said I won't be signing forms, but I still need to learn everything. Then he can get me a big raise next year.

I've seen his "big raises." Frankly, if my job duties are increasing by 50-100% when I am already rather busy, a 12% raise does not excite me.

I guess I am not going to go to the big bossman and refuse this raise. But I am going to continue job hunting.

(All signs point to my boss grooming me for his job, which is a compliment. Not just this, but a couple of things I've been asked to do while he was on vacation, plus a few other hints. However, I have no interest whatsoever in his job, nor did I want it when it was only one-third the size it is now.)

Farewell to Gym

R. went to renew his gym contract today and the price is doubling. It's still a good deal because people coming in off the street would have to pay double that amount.

However, it's not the good deal he signed up for. The good deal he signed up for is no rate changes ever. All three of us signed up for this. But then the gym was bought by another company. That was several years ago. At the first renewal date and every year since they have continued to honor that price, but there was a clause in the contract that said they didn't have to. Every year I make them strike out that clause, even though they tell me not to worry about it.

Well, I guess those days are over now. And R. is not renewing.

He can't sneak in on a Saturday either and see if he can get the usual deal because the contract is flagged such that only the manager can renew it.

There's still the possibility of them backing down once he's gone for a couple of months.

R's sister's contract doesn't come up for renewal until November. But she doesn't just go to the gym with us, she also goes with her husband and by herself and probably with other people.

My contract isn't up for renewal until spring, and they'd probably give me the same rate, but they probably won't let me mangle the contract again. Plus I don't even like going to the gym (except for the socializing and that one class).

So we're working a new plan. Other gyms are also expensive. It doesn't look like there are many other ways to get classes, and those seem mostly expensive, too. (Sorry Indigo Rose.) We agree that we don't need a gym for the equipment, but we do seem to need it for the motivation. It looks like we're going to have to get creative.

R. and Empirical Question go for long walks every Monday, even though they do not go to a gym or a walking club but merely start at the door of the restaurant at which they have just eaten and walk through the city in the heat, so an alternative plan should be possible.