I got a Raise!! YIPPEE!!!!...uh wait a friggin second!!

Hi all!! Well this week has been a very busy week with it's many ups and downs hence the no posting.

So I have been wanting a raise for AWHILE now (been at this office 9 years now). Since I know no one here, I will give specifics. I am making $35/hr right now and most hygienists in this area are making 40-$45 an hour (with my years experience). So I sucked up my ovaries and went in on Wednesday afternoon and asked my boss for a $5/hr raise. YIKES!! But I had my many points of if he did try to hire someone else he would have to pay exactly that amount or more so this was a bargain!! So he tells me that he will get back to me on Thursday (today) about the raise.

So fast forward to today. Almost 1pm and no talk of anything so I ask the office manager who I knew would know because he had to talk it over with her. So I said "So did Bruce say anything to you?" and she says "oh Bruce hasn't talked to you yet? oh well yes you are getting the raise to $40 come June 1st" and I say "OMG!! oh that's AWESOME!!"" **throw out the balloons and confetti and pour some............HOLD IT NOT SOOO FAST BUSTER!! Listen to what happened next!!!

So then SHE (office manager) says "Yes well it's not very fair to the rest of the office when we are only getting a dollar raise an hour..I mean we are working hard too and we get nothing to show for it".

O M G.....are you SERIOUS WOMAN???

So a little history here....I've been making about $5/hr less than I should have been making for years now. It was fine when I was single with no kids but now it's more of an issue and the motivation for a raise is MUCH greater. Now I DO care that I am getting paid what I am worth. The other hygienist who has 5 years LESS experience than me is getting paid the EXACT same amount an hour as me!! YES...I have 5 years on her there at that office and we are making the SAME AMOUNT!! WTF??!! I just found this out recently and this has fired my drive to get this raise or leave. Also, I went to college for 3 freakin HARD ASS years of my life and took the board exams and had the blood, sweat and tears it took to make it through that damned program!! What does office manager have?? Grade 12.....

So yes, I did have a little something to say to her after her lovely congratulatory speech to me. I told her that it really bothered me that she could not be happy for me getting a raise when everyone else in the office knew that I deserved it!! (I felt the emotions coming up to my throat and I guess my face turned red) and she said "Oh JANIS, don't get upset!!" which made me almost get more upset but a patient walked in and I pulled myself together quick like. Got it all back together and said that I should of had this raise YEARS ago and ya, now a $5/hr raise seems like a hell of alot but it is what I DESERVE and girls in my class are making $43-45 an hour so I am still below the going rate but I will be happy with $40.

The whole thing pissed me right off. I mean ya I think the wages are getting a little crazy when you are getting close to $50/hr but we do not have any kind of benefits or a pension...the tooth fairy doesn't give out pensions. So when you add all those things up, we are getting what we deserve!! and I am a PRODUCER at that office!! Things I do bring money INTO the practice...If I miss a day they LOSE money. If she doesn't show up, things can be entered on a different day but no money is lost.

OK I am going to go and sit in bed and bask in my raise but I HAD to get this crap out....I really needed this vent. Thank you.