Should I take a promotion without a raise?

Monkey61

Okay here's the situation.

I work in retail in the UK at the moment. I have 9 years experience and previously worked at management level, but there is no opportunity for this in the shop I am in and I earn minimum wage as the shop only has two pay scales and I have to be in this particular company for a good while before I can move up to the top scale (only an extra 40p an hour). I have been in this branch for 4 months and another branch for a year previously.

Anyway, due to staff leaving, I was asked if I would run my department, which would mean a lot more work and a lot more stress and hassle - for no extra money. I would still be on minimum wage, with people essentially working under me and doing less work earning more because they have been in the company longer.

I can move up to the top pay scale without taking this job and it wouldn't get me there any quicker if I did take it. I told them I would think about it, but said that I was leaning towards no, as it was ridiculous to expect me to take on a load of extra responsibility for no reward except the title. They seemed really surprised at this.

Am I right on this? I have a degree, am studying for a new one and looking for better jobs at the moment anyway. I don't want a career in this company (as being in management, which takes a few years to get to, would only mean a maximum increase of a pound an hour anyway) and don't even think this would look good on my CV because I have actual management experience on there, a couple of years of supervisory experience as well and I have headed up a section in the other branch of this store I worked in.

Is there any reason why I should take it?

unreggd

I wouldn't take this particular promotion, definitely not worth it

I was first promoted from Sales Assistant to Supervisor within 4 months, and it definitley wasn't worth it

They think you should be honoured by the higher title and extra responsibility, but that's BS. Honestly though, I fell for this, I felt I made a good impression.

As Supervisor, I earned an extra €5 a week. I had to do all the work I did before, and more. And I was basically the nominated scapegoat. So if anything went wrong, no matter what, it was my fault

Depends on the company though

My following job, I was hired to start as a Supervisor of a grocery store, @ a decent amount over min wage

Regarding the pay increase, most of the time you don't get it if you don't ask for it
If you are a good worker, your manager won't want the hassle of having to replace you, so may cave in

AARRRGH

Monkey61 wrote: »

Is there any reason why I should take it?

As you say, if you don't want a career with them, and you may not even include this job on your CV, then I wouldn't bother taking it either.

jimmycrackcorm

Also say no. Tell them there is zero benefit for you to take on additional responsibility. Make sure to point out that you have had previous managerial experience and at a higher rate so you won't get any C.V. advantage.

Sephiroth_dude

Personally I would'nt unless they were willing to up my wages.

copacetic

I'm going to disagree with people and say you should take it. You are looking for other jobs, putting on your CV that after 4 months they asked you to take over and run your department looks good. You don't need to give the whys and wherefores, just make yourself sound like a star.

It will look better than having been management in the past but not any more imo.

leggo

Would you at least get extra hours with the extra responsibility...to earn some cash that way?

Mrs OBumble

Hell, no.

You say that you're studying at the moment, so I'm guessing that the job is simply to pay the rent, and the study is your main goal at the moment.

If you take on more responsibility, you might get stressed and distracted from the study - and end up stuck in the same dead-end industry.

The only way I would say "yes" if if there could possibly be something in it for you (training, career development, a crusier life thru being able to delegate work, a bonus, extra paid study time before exams, company pays the course fees .... anything). I'm not hearing this in anything you've said.

bob the bob

I would definitely not take the "promotion"

I was promoted from sales assistant to supervisor to assistant manager to shop manager over the course of 2 years. I have since escaped from retail.

The salary jumped by about 30% which is nothing. It was still about 8k short of the lowest paying office admin job going.

Generally, retail management is not equal to management in an office job.
I found retail management to be a glorified sales assistant job but you open and/or close the store, and are responsible for stocktaking, totalling the tills etc.
BUT there are some responsibilities that are definitely not in line with the pay. e.g if you are the manager and the fire exits are discovered to be locked/chained, you could be thrown in jail......

All the mportant stuff (HR, purchasing, strategy, etc) is still handled by head office.
If a retail manager leaves, the next semi-literate/numerate sales assistant gets promoted and they won't miss you.

Some stores pay their managers well, but those are the exception. If you manage a supermarket or a department store with 100+ staff you might make a nice pay packet but you will probably also have an MBA and a lot of experience.

Olduvai

You have no intention of staying in the company - my priority would be my studies.

However, you just have to weight up how important the job is compared to your studies and whether this promotion in name only will add anything to your ambitions that you may have in relation to developing or changing your career.

Dfens

What does your gut tell you?
Personally I wouldn't take it & concentrate on my studies.