Raise time

September is raise time for my company.  However, this year I call my raise the ‘non raise’.  After a glowing review, I was told that I got 0.1% higher than the average raise in my company and the raise is comparable to the cost of living increase.  I don’t  blame my manager because he has to work within the confines of what she is given.  From what I understood you get the average raise for your team.  If you want to give someone in your team a bigger raise you will have to take that from someone else in the team.

What I take away from this?  Very little part of my raise has to do with merit.  Also, working at my company will not make me rich.    Taking into account the small percentage and inflation on the cost of living, while the raise does increase my income, that larger income probably gets me less today than how much my last year’s salary can get me last year.