Leave your salary out of it and your H needs to get what he's worth.

mrsconn23 · March 2019

Dear Prudence,

My husband and I are employees at the same small school. His superior left a few months ago, and my husband inherited his duties. He requested a raise from our new director but was denied. We all just received our new contracts for the next school year and were told all increases were 2 percent or lower for all staff. My husband’s increase was exactly 2 percent. Mine was 5 percent. I don’t know what to do, as I signed and turned in the contract before doing the math. We have completely new staff in our business office and HR, so I believe the 5 percent was meant for him and they mixed us up, since we have the same last name. The only reason I’m hesitant to say anything is that, since I make more than him to start with, a 5 percent increase in my salary is more than a 5 percent increase in his, and we could use the money. (Who couldn’t?) Ethically, I should tell someone, right? Does it make me a terrible person that I haven’t yet?

—Contract Discrepancies

banana468 · March 2019

It doesn't make you a terrible person. It makes THEM a bad organization for not doing their math correctly.

H should talk to HR and superior, discuss what he's doing and the salary for someone doing that job. Leave the W out of this.

short+sassy · March 2019

Tell someone? Is she serious right now? Of course she shouldn't tell anyone. If they made a mistake because they're actually that sloppy and disorganized...and she doesn't even know if it is a mistake...that's on them.

She doesn't mention if her H has turned in his signed contract yet. If he hasn't, he should bring up the raise again. Because raises based on promotions are different than "across the board" annual raises.

Not quite the same situation, but I worked at a company that sent out a blanket letter to everyone that they couldn't afford to give anyone raises for the next year. But were giving everyone year-end bonuses instead. I got my year-end bonus. And was pleased and surprised to also get a 3% raise in my first paycheck of the new year. No one had mentioned it to me. It was just there. Was it mistake? Maybe, though I don't think so. I was already underpaid for my position, plus had a much lower salary than most other employees (engineers). But it might have been mistake. However, I was hardly going to say "gee, I think you paid me too much" over such a nominal amount of money.

Now if they had added a zero and it had very obviously been a mistake, lol. I might have been tempted

. But I would have 'fessed up.

Casadena · March 2019

I wouldn't say anything about my paycheck, although I would advise my husband to push harder for a raise due to the new position/responsibilities.

charlotte989875 · March 2019

I wouldn’t say anything, but if the H hasn’t signed his yet I’d encourage him to ask for more. They might say no again, but why not ask.

Also, keep what they gave you. Mistake or not, that’s what they offered and you accepted.

kvruns · March 2019

I am guessing it is more of a situation where LW has a higher position and even though they told everyone 2% they really gave some higher ups a larger raise. Her H needs to advocate for a raise/promotion but leave the LW's raise out of it

CharmedPam · March 2019

I’m with you ladies. How does she know that was even a mistake? But also - we have verbal talks about our raises as well as written. Odd to me it wasn’t relayed verbally either.

Leave your salary out of it and your H needs to get what he's worth.

Re: Leave your salary out of it and your H needs to get what he's worth.

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