12.5% raises 2 years in a row = 26.6% increase in salary. That's pretty good without jumping ship to a new firm. Did it come with some promotion in responsibilities? Were you drastically underpaid 2 years ago?

i wasn't underpaid before, and my role hasn't changed much. I think it's just an issue of the firm having a couple good years and trying to make up for a bad year before that (in which those of us who weren't laid off were lucky).

After several rounds of performance reviews and being praised for my "excellent" work, my raise ended up being about 1/5 of what I asked for (and lower than last year). And a promotion accompanied by a half-assed apology for not being promoted the last two years because my boss couldn't remember how long I've worked for him. But I suppose I should be excited I finally have a title to go with the duties I've had for the last two years.

:( now is the time to find a new gig! New year, new job, new life!

I had to check the date on this comment because if a firm is stating that you are lucky to have a job in this market, you ought to go somewhere else. We've been swamped for past 7 years and we've been struggling finding people. And I truly believe we are paying staff some good money. Perhaps it's not the "best" projects, but it's projects.

Wow, look for something else, and do it quickly. Instead of blowing off steam on archinect update your CV and portfolio and start sending out applications asap, maybe Kanye is still hiring.

Wow that’s awesome! Happy to see that some employers take care of their employees.

Yes, but now you have a bar sinister running across your escutcheon for entertaining other offers.

I'm inclined to say that an employer shouldn't even bother with a bonus if it isn't more than your regular paycheck ... but I'll take anything they give me. I'm also the type of person that would rather not get a bonus, if it meant that instead I receive a larger regular paycheck.

If I were to write a paragraph like yours... it would be identical (minus the part about the raise and bonus). Which means, it's the same everywhere. 8-)

Mine would be similar... except add that the principals are disconnected from the staff and where are actual challenges are. Hence the passive/aggressive since they just see something went amiss but didn't bother even talking to staff about the chain of events creating the issues.

Yeah, I'm fully aware most of that isn't going to be better elsewhere. The thing that really has me contemplating a move is the lack of specific support from leaders.

Communist!

cOMPETITIVNESS AND GREED IS WHAT MAKES THIS COUNTRY GREAT!

.

?

@randomised I agree. I basically told my employer I was willing to forgo a bonus if it means I get a higher base salary. They said no because "people like getting fat checks at the end of the year/we don't want to change our firm culture".

How does it bring competitiveness and greed?

Because helping your coworkers means increasing their chances of getting that fat bonus and decreasing yours. It leads to people not wanting to share their knowledge/expertise or even trying to sabotage each other just to stay ahead. It turns your coworkers in competitors for that bonus while you should be working as a team towards common/shared goals, in my opinion at least.

Great pick-up there Rando.

That's a terrible way to structure bonuses. Every place I've worked where bonuses have been offered they've been proportioned by seniority / tenure (an objective measure) and not "performance" (a bullshit measure). 

A year-end bonus should be about sharing profits, not selectively rewarding some sense of individual achievement (especially in this industry where such a thing doesn't exist). 

Just because something is implemented badly (although, I've yet to see an example in my personal experience of this implementation) doesn't mean the thing itself is bad.

Working with and helping colleagues is part of how our bonuses are determined because a firm should work together.

Our bonuses definitely work more the way tduds describes than what randomised describes. I'm sure there is some discretion in giving someone a slightly smaller or larger bonus based on their individual effort, but it's a team effort across the entire firm. If the firm does poorly, everybody's bonus suffers ... conversely, everybody benefits if the firm makes a good profit.

I vote for better pay AND better bonuses. Whats wrong with that?

When people rely on a bonus, it's a necessity and it means regular pay is off. It's like waitresses depending on tips to make a decent pay because their salary is too low, I'm with Mr. Pink on this one. Sure, you do a good job so you can get your bonus...it's simply your job to do a good job in my opinion. And doing a good job should be paid accordingly obviously. Bonus culture is what basically lead to the last global economic crisis. And also, places that offer bonuses, in general offer lower salaries AND try to do more work with less people on staff. Making the staff that is there work harder by dangling that potential bonus in front of them, putting in those extra hours, working harder and harder, don't want to miss out on that bonus, management is laughing all the way to the bank...

I said that I vote for Better Salary AND Better Bonus, randomised. Which part of that wasnt clear?

Maybe my experience is unique but none of what randomised said up there matches with my experience.

Sameold, you were very clear and so is tduds. I just think it's kind of funny/ironic...just do an archinect search about the low pay within the field/profession and then take a look at bonus culture. Or is complaining about low pay reserved for after the holiday season when that short lived bonusbizzz wore off?

*bonus buzz

I don't "rely" on the bonus, but I do appreciate it. 

Further, if my bonus were simply distributed into my paycheck throughout the year, it wouldn't overcome the chronic underpayment of the industry overall (which, frankly, is based more in the fee's we're able to command more than the wages owners decide to pay, and a result of the larger global economic culture more than the internal industry culture)

Like sameold said: better pay AND bonuses.

Remember, comrades:  A bonus is just a small portion of the surplus profit you earned throughout the year for the company from your labor that they withheld from your salary.

Newguy gets it

It stings more when you realize the people collecting profit sharing as owners still also get a bonus out of the employee pool/piece of the pie, AND that bonus is bigger because of their seniority! It's like, how many ways can we split the profit. I'm reminded of a cartoon skit as follows:

1 for you, 1 for me
2 for you, 1 and 2 for me
3 for you, 1, 2, and 3 for me

...and?

Big fat fucking zero. Which is totally unusual as I say. Combined with the entire office not receiving any raises this year, despite a very stressful and successful year, I'm not overly impressed.

Hey, no fat-shaming allowed.

Oh crap, maybe stressful and successful year in terms of projects, but not billing?

Maybe a bit of both. I'm sure billables were fine, but we bought and renovated a new building so we had those bills. I'm sure the owners didn't take it from their incomes. It's not really my business, I'm just bummed out.

Yeah, you've got to do some crazy amount of work to make up $1M in renovations from profit alone... we do like $20-25M in revenue, I don't think we've topped more than $3M in profit and on bad years, that $1M would put us in the red for the year.

You should take that up with HR

Oh I have, and he's not happy either. It's a sh!t show over here.

hmm. trying to parse this out. the employee and HR are upset with the boss. is the boss upset with the employee and HR, or is he just rolling in the benjamins while the alternate personalities fight it out?

Where does the wife figure in? I usually consider her my boss

Too bad it isn't a family firm. My threat was always "I'm not making enough and will have to move back home with you..." /payraise incoming :P Unfortunately, it worked in reverse when I took the reins and my parents became employees....

@curtkram, this year the boss didn’t make any money, so he’s justifiably upset. But he’s the one who decided to start a new business venture that failed rather spectacularly, and is just taking it out on his steadfast employees.

@shellarchitect, she has been supportive but would have preferred some extra money. We are equals, and she has her own small business to run. (If anyone is looking for last-minute Christmas gifts, it’s too late, but you can get New Years’ gifts here: https://www.ridgepondherbals.com/. Hand-crafted, with many ingredients grown on our farm.)

@mightyaa, your family firm comment is funny--the thing is that what really screwed things up for me was the construction business I started with my brother earlier this year, formally dissolved a few days ago. If anyone can figure out how to work with family members, I am in awe. (And debt.) Fortunately things are looking up—I’m booking design work into summer 2019, with some great projects (net-zero modern farmhouses) and have also started a construction business on my own which is doing well so far.

net-zero farmhouse actually sounds like a lot of fun. good luck!

My very first ever year end bonus was a whopping $50. They probably spent more than $50 on the overhead to first decide how much to give me, get the bookkeeper to issue the check, stick it in an envelope, package it with the others for our office, overnight it to the office, and have the principal hand it to me during an associated year-end performance review.

I can beat that. I got a single digit check once.

^ I would have saved the check as a reminder.

I won't ever forget. The lesson was actually invaluable.

Was the lesson to be more competitive and greedy?

I guess you could say that. I don't know. The bonuses were figured on profit. I was on unprofitable (difficult) projects. I happened to spend a few random hours on a highly profitable job, thus the single digit check. Bread and butter makes money. Complex and custom doesn't.

I hope you're not still at that firm. You shouldn't be penalized because the project was complex, if the unprofitability wasn't because of what you personally did. Management is supposed to control jobs and structure fees to cover costs plus profit. Client and project selection is their responsibility. Basing the bonuses on individual projects incentivizes people to avoid anything difficult. Dumb.

I am not. Thanks.

got $500 today, apparently had half of it go into my 401k, so a little over $200

Sounds like it’s tike to bounce. Congrats on the offers. New year, new gig

We'll see. The other side of the coin is that in my day-to-day work, I'm treated quite well and I know from what I gather from my peers at other firms, I'm paid very well (even though it sometimes doesn't feel like it). So we'll see. I'm keeping my options open for 2019.

same

If 5K is 2%, you're makin' some bank.

At a salary of $250k I too would be curious why I'm only getting $5k as a bonus ... see my previous comment about bonuses that are less than a typical paycheck ... lol. 

I'm assuming you meant to say that this year's raise was 2%? If not, can you let me know what you do, who you work for, and if they are hiring?

Sorry, typo. I got a 5k bonus, and yes, I got a 2% raise. In past recent years I have also gotten a 5k bonus, but a larger raise (around 12.5%). What I meant was I don't know the logic behind the large-ish raises of the past 2 years, and why this year's was cost-of-living at best.  

No. I mean that this year's bonus was $5000. So was last year's, and so was the year before's. My raise was 2% of my current salary. Last year and the year before my raises were 12.5% of my salary in that year. My profit sharing for all of those years has been 3% of my salary.

Let's say my salary in 2017 was $100,000. My raise that year was $12,500, my profit sharing was $3000, and my bonus was $5000. In 2018 my raise was 14,062.50, my profit sharing was 3,375, and my bonus was $5000. In 2019 my raise was 2531.25, my profit sharing was $3796.88, and my bonus was $5000.

Kudos on adding the raise to the base salary for the subsequent year's calculations. I cringe when I see people get this wrong. This is why learning math is important people.

fu - did you ask your boss? that's kind of the standard way to understand raises and performance. most likely your firm either had a poor year, or you've come close to the limit for your position and need to get a promotion to move beyond COL raises.

0 * 2.5 = 0?

^ Ha. It's a small but decent chunk of cash. OT is paid out to all staff so it's not a performance or hours worked basis. I get my first look at profit shares in 5 months from now. That one should be decent, likely low 5-figure range.

Profit share is where it's at (as long as your firm is profitable).

Are your paychecks weekly, every 2 weeks, twice monthly, or monthly?

Bi-weekly

If this was the point [ ] ... 

Rick is way down here missing it.

Are you looking at it from Pluto? Didn't think so. HNY

Ricky, the answer is 42. Also, pluto is not a planet.

My sense of humor is just fine. Maybe if your jokes were funny ...

There are those that disagree with you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet#/media/File:Euler_diagram_of_solar_system_bodies.svg

I like centaurs.

Rick complains that IAU creates a definition for planets, and asks how we define what exactly a planet is in the same post. Um ... IAU creates those definitions buddy. 

What about Eris Rick? It has more mass than Pluto. Why don't people consider it a planet like they do with Pluto? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet#/media/File:Masses_of_the_dwarf_planets.png

Ricky, Pluto is not a planet. Give it a rest.

I don't think you understand point 3.

Ricky, there are many people much smarter than you (and I) who have a better grasp of the definition. I get that it's nearly impossible for you to understand but they do, and the current international scientific consensus is well established on this subject. The only "debate" in this area is by dumb Americans who have a childish attachement to Pluto.

NS, well said. 

Rick, you're simultaneously stuck in the past and trying to foresee the future. If the basis of your complaint is that these things didn't use to be called dwarf planets ... well, welcome to 2020. And if the basis of your complaint is that the definition could be improved ... well, you're welcome to submit your reasons to the international community and try to change it. Science changes all the time. What we knew in the past has evolved and consequently so do the definitions and meanings of words. What we will know in the future is not yet known so can't really be used as the basis to claim that the current definition is flawed. Also, you really don't understand the 'clearing the neighborhood' thing.

Pasting a wiki link does not show you understand the subject.

Pasting a quote from the wiki link also does not show you understand the subject.

According to the IAU, a "dwarf planet" is not a "planet." Semantically, you need to understand that in this case "dwarf" is not being used as an adjective to the noun "planet." Rather "dwarf planet" is a compound noun.

Are you studying for those exams yet? Seems like a better use of time than arguing with strangers on the internet about the classifications of planets?

Rick, as I stated already, IAU is not using “dwarf” as an adjective to the noun “planet.” They are using “dwarf planet” as a two-word compound noun that, in this context, cannot be broken down into separate words to mean what it is you are trying to make it mean. Given your lack of rigor when it comes to grammar, I don’t expect you to understand this. Take Bench’s advice and spend your time studying for your exams.

Guinea pigs are neither pigs nor from Guinea. Jelly beans, peanuts, spreadsheets, and shuttlecocks are among the thousands of other things that *most* people understand are not named literally. Ancient Greek word roots aren't good foundations for arguments in the present.

Sorry Rick, but language evolves. When the IAU made the definitions for "planet" and "dwarf planet" they explicitly did so to make dwarf planets not planets. It's a mess linguistically (and maybe even astronomically), but it's the best we have at the moment. Again, if you'd like to take it up with the IAU, feel free to do so on some other forum.

Edit to add something in terms you apparently understand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_planet#Semantics

What happened to your promise to take your diversions to new threads, rather than derail the originals? Make a "Pluto is a Planet" thread for anyone who wants to argue this with you.

How little were you making that you got a 50% raise in a year?

What's 50% of $0 when you're working as free labour?

When they start throwing raises like that at a person, it just confirms that they've been drastically underpaying them. I'm thinking it was something like $12/hr up to $18/hr. Make it rain!!!

Hey, a new set of tires for the Canadian winter is nothing to scoff at.

It should have been in canadian tire paper money... in 5cent bills.

there is an app for that now

I think I went to school with that guy/\

Getting paid for the work you did and legally should be paid for does not count as bonus.

Hear, hear! Though the issue in that statement is the word "legally." Exempt employment in the US doesn't legally require compensation for OT. Take out the word "legally."

I'm not talking about exempt positions, but if an employee is getting paid for overtime, that time should be paid time and a half!

I guess my point is that you should be getting paid for all your work regardless of employment status. Exempt employees are not (usually) getting paid for hours they work beyond 40/week. I'm assuming Chad is exempt and his "bonus" is that the employer is paying him for this OT that they are not legally required to pay him for. If Chad is non-exempt then the employer would already be required to pay for the OT and it could not be considered a bonus. I agree with you on the time and half thing.

You are correct EA. In Colorado if you have a professional degree and oversee anyone's work you an exempt from being paid overtime. I think that due to the labor laws in Colorado it's common for firms to operate like this. Some even go so far as to say an intern is exempt from overtime.

I feel like making it mandatory to pay for all hours worked would be a much more effective way to reduce income inequality than tax grabs.

I agree. I find the view of 'well it's a bonus because I didn't HAVE to pay you by law' bullshit. In my opinion the idea of a bonus is to signify the firm thinks you've done such a good job they are willing to share profits with you.

Wedding debt? That is the dumbest shit ever!

While balkins is pretending to build decks some have huge careers, businesses, family and kids! You still live with your parents dude and spend your time on discussion boards.

Holy shit!

Again: Rick you promised that if you were going to go on these all-about-Rick rants you would make your own threads to do it. It doesn't matter who started it or why: just take it to a dedicated all-about-Rick thread.

^ Does Rick have the ability to make new threads? I've told him twice before to make a thread called "Uncle Ricky's Data Upload to get your Mind Blown" where he can post all he wants to give his advice and knowledge in one place where it would be most helpful. For a while he was trying to post disclaimers but if he kept everything in the "Uncle Ricky's Data Upload to get your Mind Blown" thread, he could have one disclaimer at the top to cover everything contained within it. Seems like a win win for everyone, most of all Rick.

Car Debt is the dumbest shit ever. My wedding was a blast.

Weddings are fun! My better half is good with money and we paid for our wedding in cash. It helps if you hold the wedding in a state with no sales tax. :)

We put the entire reception bill on credit-card, then paid it off in cash immediately. Collected travel points, got free honeymoon plane tickets.

Non, hilarious....that is exactly how we did it as well. I think we still have some points to the Hyatt.

We did the same.

"the only wedding that poops will have is with the flies that circles poops." I missed this earlier. This is objectively Rick's funniest post.

I still think the one he had about suspended lights that looked like boobs in TC (back when he could post in TC) is his funniest post. You can see a reconstruction of it here in my SEP 2, 16 2:28 PM post.

lol I'd forgotten about that thread. Good stuff.

EI, we need that tread permanently on the top of the forum. So good.

There is plenty of material out there to keep it going. Feel free to resurrect it. Distilling the dwarf planet thing above would be a good one to add.

Is that like the underpants gnomes from South Park?

Phase one, steal underpants.

Phase two, ?????

Phase three, BIG PROFITS! 

$15k, i need better shoes.

I'd start polishing my resume.

$15K - dang.

OP, I'm in the same boat as you where the my actually made more money than in 2019. They gave out bonuses this year though, which I don't think anyone was expecting. I guess they are worried about 2021.

where my firm*

I was burned in 2008, one week after the election, so I've learned never to trust comfort. One reason I do other things, and have started planning develop design build to move out of this cycle of hell.