*SQUEEEEEEEE!*

[dawn_felagund]

So today Mike (the guy I was doing the stats for) came to the office because we figured out what was wrong with that one problem we couldn't solve, and he gave me my envelope of money. But while he was here and I was putting the finishing touches on the stats stuff, Johnny the Boss forwarded me an email:

Ms. Felagund's job duties were reviewed and it has been determined that the position is appropriate to the classification of Research Analyst, grade 13.

Great news! Also it has been approved to have retroactive pay for the employee to receive retroactive pay at the grade 13 effective July 1, 2005.

Please provide by processing a new contract for Ms. Felagund reflecting the effective date of July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.
The contract maximum should be $xx,xxx. The hourly rate should be $xx.xx. HRMO will process the Special Payment Authoriaation
( 311t). The employee's new classification is: Research Analyst

Be advised that the employee will see the change in pay and retroactive payment when the change is reflected in the system. The rate change may be processed first, then the retroactive payment. Finance will make the adjustments.

If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact me.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

So I not only got the raise but will also be getting retroactive pay, which they had originally told Johnny I would be ineligible for, seeing as I am "only" a contractual employee.

But this relieves so much stress. I now make well above the poverty line, which is an improvement over my old rate. This means that Bobby has more freedom in looking for a job. He can take a pay cut, and it won't hurt us. The retroactive pay eliminates the need to worry about saving for our taxes and saving for our tenth anniversary trip to Niagra/Toronto/Montreal in May. This means that I can stay at a place I like to work, with a boss I love. I won't have to look elsewhere and take an inferior working environment to pay the bills or make a long commute. And I can keep writing and modding SWG right from my desk at work.

I am ecstatic and so relieved at the same time.

Comments

[miss-nightowl.livejournal.com]

Squee indeed. Congrats! :o)

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

That is good news. I love it when good things happen to good people. Nice to see someone get more money too.

Hurrah!

[callirhoe.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's awesome news! I'm soooo happy for you, Dawn! *happy dance*

Now it's up to Vana to find a job that pays more than $23 a day... jklol ;-P

[ann-arien.livejournal.com]

Double SQUEEEEE! Oh, I'm so happy for you! I know you've been angsting about it for a while now. It's just so great that you are finally being rewarded for the fork that you do (and did!). And you get to keep a job that allows you to do so much more than the actual work. With a great boss, no less. I'm truly happy for you and also a little selfish in breathing a sigh of relief that you will be able to write and provide us with the fruit of your talent, rather than stress yourself finding and accomodating yourself with a new job.

You deserved the raise, the retroactive pay and the excellent news. I'm raising a glass of wine in hour honor. *cheers* And I smiled while reading your transcription of the e-mail, introducing "Ms Felagund" instead of your real name. Lol, ya wouldn't be needin' a raise if you were Ms. Felagund. ;)

Tons of congrats and another SQUEEE! All the Elves should be coming over to celebrate. {{many hugs}}

[levadegratchets.livejournal.com]

Congrats!! I know what a stress that can be, so YAY you! :D

[dawn_felagund]

Thank you! *does happy dance*

[dawn_felagund]

Thank you! :) I love my workplace and my boss, but making just above poverty level kinda makes me rethink my plans a bit....

Now I can stay! Hurrah, indeed! :^D

[dawn_felagund]

Thanks! :) I did a happy dance too and nearly sprained my ankle! :^D

I remember the days when I literally did make about $25 per day...before taxes. I showed some friends of mine my first pay stub, and they said, "Isn't it illegal to pay someone that little?" o.O

So take heart; it'll happen. And then I'll get to happy dance for you!

[dawn_felagund]

I'm relieved too. Actually, once the squeeful joy has worn off a bit, it's mostly relief.

Bobby hates his job and is looking for a new one. I wanted badly for him to find a workplace like mine, low stress and a great boss, but it is hard for him to find a job that pays what he's making now, at the age of 24, that wouldn't be exactly what he is doing now.

Now, though, he can take a pay cut without worrying how it will affect us. And he needn't be stressed at work and spend $15+ per day just on his commute (because American public transportation is that wonderful) and agonize over whether they will tell him next week that he will be working 12 to 8 a.m.

Aaaaand--selfishly as well--it allows me to continue writing. To continue spending the amount of time that I do on SWG and in other online communities. I was afraid that a job with better pay would be less lenient about how I may spend my "free time." ;)

And I smiled while reading your transcription of the e-mail, introducing "Ms Felagund" instead of your real name. Lol, ya wouldn't be needin' a raise if you were Ms. Felagund. ;)

Lol, true that! I use "Felagund" for lack of trust in roving nutjobs who might find my unlocked post. ;)

Now you friendly nutjobs are welcome to know my real name in all its cumbersome, hyphenated glory! :^))

Drink a glass of wine for me and many *hugs* back! :)

[dawn_felagund]

Thank you! It was a stress; my husband is trying to find a new job, and there was only so much of a cut he could take before we had to start sacrificing our savings, which means sacrificing our business and one-day home as well.

This makes things so much easier. (Of course, the guv'ment had to take its merry time to make it all the sweeter. ;^D)

[1lady-so-divine.livejournal.com]

YAY!!!!

[callirhoe.livejournal.com]

It was very disheartening, actually, when I was filling out the forms for scholarships and they asked how much I would be making over the summer. I figured out that in a two-week pay period I would typically make about $275. I was on the phone with my dad and told him that, and he just started laughing... turns out that he makes about that much in one DAY.

*feels small and badly paid*

I work as a counselor at a YMCA summer camp, by the way. And it's a lovely job -- I love my boss and my coworkers and the camp itself -- and I'm so not complaining about it. But university and living expenses and everything are adding up, so I'll have to get a real job next school year. Then, I guess, we'll see. :-)

I showed some friends of mine my first pay stub, and they said, "Isn't it illegal to pay someone that little?"

LOL! I like that. Actually, if you do the calculations, that's wayyyy below minimum wage, considering that a counselor is basically on call around the clock... if I got $5.15 an hour, I would be making $123.60 a day. *shockawe* (As is... it's less than a dollar an hour. Quatsch.)

I guess the upside is that I have no tax liability! ;-P

[dawn_felagund]

Thanks! :^D

[dawn_felagund]

Ouch...I remember those days when a $200 paycheck meant, "Hey, Bobby, we can go to Red Brick Station and order a sandwich and a cup of soup!" :)

My first job was as an ice cream slinger at a restaurant. I made $5.15 an hour, then the minimum. (Maryland just raised the minimum wage to $6.15 per hour.) But like you, it was a job I liked and it was flexible for my school schedule...but it was hard to afford things when I could work a full day and not even break fifty bucks.

I eventually moved on to become a cook because they wouldn't pay me more, no matter how good a little ice cream bitch I was. ;)

A first "real" paycheck, then, is all the sweeter. My first check over $500, I was like, "Whoa! Where do I spend it first??" :)

(Iirc, it mostly went in the bank. Felak is nothing if not a cheapskate! :^D)

[juno-magic.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!!

[dawn_felagund]

Thank you! :)

[ssotknapsack.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! That's so awesome. I never would have imagined they'd give you retroactive pay! That's unheard of! Excellent! Too many exclamation points!!!!111!! Must dance now!

[isil-elensar.livejournal.com]

Much squuueeee-age! Congrats, Dawn!!

Now, If only I can make what you make, I wouldn't be in as much trouble as I am now... even though I'm climbing out of it gradually.

Think your place of work can use a tape editor??

[tarion-anarore.livejournal.com]

Finally!!! ;)

That's great news!!!! Super congrats!

[callirhoe.livejournal.com]

I remember those days when a $200 paycheck meant, "Hey, Bobby, we can go to Red Brick Station and order a sandwich and a cup of soup!"

Now that's living in the lap of luxury. ;-P

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

SQUEE! That's such wonderful news! *bounces with you*

[kaikias.livejournal.com]

OMG YAY. *searches for elves to loan you for the celebration...comes up with an Indis, a Lalwen, a Meril-i-Turinqi, and that seems to be it*

[digdigil.livejournal.com]

Yes!!! Yes, yes, yes!!! OMG I just saw this now, like really, really late! *smacks self in head* What wonderful news!!! That is so wonderful!!! The fact that you don't have to leave this job. Do you know I was starting to sweat (and not in a good way) just thinking about you not being around all the time anymore and I was getting very, very sad about that. Just envisioning if you got a job like mine and couldn't use the computer at work! *shudders*

So CONGRATULATIONS!!! SQUEEEE IS RIGHT!!! Extra money, retroactive pay -- awesome! Now you go out and celebrate, Babe! Have a good time!

[niothwen.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the raise! ...and the backpay :-D

Toronto in May! I'm so jealous. Are you going to see the Lord of the Rings Musical? http://www.lotr.com/main.html

The guy playing Legolas (Gabriel Burrafatto) is going to make a drool worthy elf.

[frenchpony.livejournal.com]

Squeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Money money money!
Money money money!

That first retroactive-pay-raise check is going to be such an upper, isn't it. Congratulations, you've earned yourself a good time!