Rant #3,568: While You See a Chance

Thanks for reading the first chapter of my novel.

I will put up succeeding chapters once or twice a week in the coming weeks, and hopefully by then, I will have a better "read" on publishing the novel or not.

I see a chance for the publishing of the novel to finally reach fruition--

And I also took a chance on something else late last week that could affect a lot of things in my life.

After four years of working as a remote worker for an association based in Washington, D.C., I finally asked for a raise.

I have found that it is a bit different--and more unnerving--asking for a raise remotely than it is when you actually work in an office.

When you work in an office, you pretty much know the hierarchy, and the protocol, and who to ask for an increase in your paycheck, whether you work in a large firm or a small one.

When you work remotely, you can't possibly know that type of hierarchy, or who to go to to ask for an increase in your paycheck.

I certainly don't--and an extra level.of anxiety is that I had to email my request in to about five people who I thought could possibly help me.

One already emailed me back, stating that he was not the guy, adding that the president of the association might be the right person.

The president of the association was one of those I emailed, so if he reads his emails, he knows about my request--

And no, I haven't heard from him yet.

In all fairness, I have to give it time.

I remember that in my previous in-person position, I had to remind certain higher-ups several times about my requests, which was not only unnerving, but embarrassing, to say the least.

I also remember one time I was granted a raise right away, only to find in the next paycheck that they had actually lowered my pay.

I brought this mistake up to the powers that were running the company at the time, and they shrugged me off several times, one time telling me "it will have to wait until after Thanksgiving" for them even to take a look at it.

Well, it was finally "after Thanksgiving," and they continued not to acknowledge the mistake, until I gave them the cold shoulder in the office--

And then, they somehow blamed me for their mistake, and it took a few paychecks to not only pay me correctly, but make up for the money they owed me.

I repeat, they blamed me for this ... it is incredible that I lasted nearly a quarter of a century working for people like this, but I did.

So back to 2024 ....I think I deserve a little more in my monthly paycheck. 

I have done some really good work during the psst four years, and let's be honest about it: I need this job as much as some diabetics need insulin, so I am hoping they can bump up my salary a wee bit.

I don't make very much to begin with--maybe a third or perhaps a quarter of what I should be making if I did this full-time--so I don't think my request is out of line.

Let's see what happens.

But I don't think it hurt to ask--

Although in the new world we live in, the way I had to do it made me a bit uncomfortable.

I wonder how other remote workers handle this subject, and if any of you out there have had experience with this task, please let me know.