My Employee Asked for a 170 Percent Raise.Is this even reasonable to consider?

 A reader asks:

One of my employees has asked for a massive raise. He has good reasons for wanting a raise: His responsibilities have ended up being very different than what he was originally hired for, he’s been doing very well with them, and he’s definitely paid below market for what he’s ended up doing. We hired him at $15/hour for an entry-level position with no hard requirements, and based on some quick market research, I’d say the work he’s doing now is closer to the $20-$25 range, so I’m actually in favor of giving him a pretty substantial increase.

The trouble is that he’s asked for an increase to $40/hour, and he’s been here only for four months. That’s more than I make, and I’m honestly shocked that he thought this was reasonable to ask for. He says he did some market research, but that number hasn’t been supported by anything I’ve been able to find. Four months also seems like a short amount of time to me, but I don’t know if the significant change in duties should override that.

I want to advocate for my employee with our company’s owner (who is very reluctant to spend money), but I am suspicious that bringing the employee’s $40/hour request to him will make my employee (and potentially me as well) look completely out of touch with reality. Our owner is extremely hands-off—we’re all remote, and I talk to him maybe once every month or two for about 10 minutes. I told my employee that $40/hour was more than I make and gently suggested that asking for a lower number might be a better idea, but he shrugged that off and said he isn’t set on that number, but sees it as a good “starting point.”

Any suggestions for how to approach this?

Jobadvisor

This is a thoughtful scenario that highlights a common but tricky workplace dynamic. Here's a synthesis of the key principles and actionable steps to navigate it:

Core Takeaways from the Advice

1. Validate the premise, not the number: The employee's core argument—that their role has fundamentally changed—is legitimate. Separating whether they deserve more from how much they're asking for keeps the conversation productive.
2. Anchor the conversation in data, not requests: Starting negotiations from an unsupported $40/hour figure risks distorting the entire discussion. Your independent research ($20–25/hour) is a more credible foundation.
3. Transparency builds trust: Explaining your research process and reasoning to both the owner and the employee demonstrates fairness and reduces perceptions of arbitrariness.

Practical Next Steps

With the employee:

• Ask them to share their research sources: "I want to make sure I'm seeing the full picture—could you walk me through where you found the $40/hour benchmark?" This isn't confrontational; it's collaborative fact-finding.
• Clarify the role: Draft a brief, updated job description reflecting their actual duties. This creates objective criteria for evaluating compensation.
• Set expectations: "Based on my research and our budget, I can advocate for a range of $X–$Y. Here's how I arrived at that."

With the owner:

• Frame it as risk mitigation: "If we don't adjust compensation to reflect his actual role, we risk losing someone who's already performing at a higher level—and replacement costs would exceed a market-rate adjustment."
• Lead with your research: Present 2–3 credible salary sources (e.g., Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor filtered by location/industry, Payscale) showing the $20–25 range.
• Propose a phased approach if budget is tight: "Could we start at $22/hour now with a review at 6 months based on continued performance?"

If the employee pushes back on a lower offer:

• Reaffirm their value: "I believe your contributions are significant, which is why I'm advocating for this adjustment."
• Keep the door open: "If you have additional data that supports a higher range, I'm happy to revisit this."
• Document the conversation: This protects everyone and creates a paper trail for future reviews.

A Note on the "Starting Point" Mindset

The employee's "$40 is just a starting point" comment suggests they may have absorbed aggressive negotiation advice without context. In entry-level or mid-skill roles, anchoring extremely high can backfire—it may signal poor judgment rather than ambition. Gently educating them on how compensation decisions are made (market data + internal equity + budget) can be a valuable professional development moment.

What is a career that looks miserable or insufferable from the outside, but is secretly fulfilling and rewarding?

An antipole to the recently popular question about miserable yet prestigious careers

Jobadvisor

It’s funny how we often mistake "tedium" for "misery." While prestigious jobs often look like a glossy magazine cover but feel like a paper cut, there are several roles that look like a slog from the outside but offer a surprisingly deep sense of peace, autonomy, or impact.

Here are a few careers that are secretly the "best-kept secrets" of the professional world:

1. The Night Shift Librarian or Archivist

From the outside, this looks like a lonely existence spent in dusty basements or quiet, fluorescent-lit halls.

• The Secret Reward: It is a sanctuary for the intellectually curious. You have extreme autonomy, a profound sense of order, and the "hero’s journey" of finding a needle in a haystack. For many, the lack of "corporate noise" and the ability to work in a state of deep flow is more therapeutic than any high-stress office perk.

2. Waste Management & specialized Sanitation

Society looks at the garbage truck driver or the industrial cleaner and sees a "dirty" job.

• The Secret Reward: These roles are often unionized with excellent benefits, but the real kicker is the mental freedom. There is no "taking the work home with you." Once the shift is over, it’s over. Many in these fields report high satisfaction because the work is tangible—you see the city get cleaner because of your physical effort—and the camaraderie is famously strong.

3. High-Voltage Lineman

To the observer, it looks like a terrifying, cold, and physically grueling nightmare.

• The Secret Reward: Aside from the very high pay, there is a "cowboy" culture of mutual trust and adrenaline that most office workers will never experience. It provides a massive sense of competence and utility; when the power goes out for a whole county and you’re the one who flips the lights back on, the gratitude you receive is visceral.

4. Professional Proofreader or Technical Writer

Most people think reading 400 pages of software manuals or legal contracts sounds like a special circle of hell.

• The Secret Reward: It is a playground for the "completionist" brain. There is a profound, quiet satisfaction in taking a chaotic, broken mess of information and making it perfect. It’s essentially getting paid to solve puzzles all day in total silence, often from a home office or a coffee shop.

5. Mortician or Funeral Director

This is the ultimate "miserable" job in the public eye—dark, macabre, and depressing.

• The Secret Reward: Most people in this field describe it as a deeply human service. You are the "calm in the storm" for people at their most vulnerable. The reward isn't about death; it’s about the gratitude of the living. It provides a unique perspective on life that makes trivial daily stresses seem irrelevant.

---

The Common Thread

The jobs that look "miserable" but feel great usually share three traits:

1. Tangible Results: You can see exactly what you did today.

2. Low Social Posturing: There’s no need to play "office politics" when you're busy fixing a transformer or cataloging 19th-century maps.

3. High Cognitive or Physical Flow: The work requires a level of focus that quiets the "monkey mind."

I'm on my career transition phase. Serious career advice please?

Currently i'm in canada. Originally I'm from Nepal. I came to canada as an student in 2023. I recently completed postgraduate technical business management. I'm on my postgraduate work permit applied status.

Back in Nepal i did bachelors in computer science and Software engineering. I worked there for almost 1 year as a digital analyst and a software developer. Once i came to canada i got my first job in Ups as a package handler (loading/unloading trucks, sorting boxes). After working there for almost 15 months i got my internship from my college as a AI software engineer. Later i got hired and I continued it for 10 months. Then my contract ended. Again I had to go back to the warehouse. Now i work as a shipper/receiver in a cold storage.

I have always been curious about technology and business. I feel like i can easily grasp the technical concept. I understand software, AI and now after working for more than 2 years i can say that my interest is shifting towards supply chain as well.

I am good with python, sql, generative ai and few machine learning concepts. I know i have to learn power bi, excel side by side to be good at supply chain jobs.

Now what i am thinking is continuing current job and step into the supply chain by advancing my skills. For that I am planning to learn SAP modules in this format (mm -> ewm-> ibp) and later in the future i can also learn BTP. I know most of the fortune 500 companies use this erp and as a supply chain professional if i want to grow i have to learn this and become good at it.

The only confusion is am I on the right path. Instead of choosing the technical path i am going to tech through supply chain. is investing time on SAP is a good career choice in Canada.

Or any other thing you wanna suggest. Please i am seeking for a genuine advice.

Jobadvisor

First off, let’s acknowledge the grind: going from a CS degree and AI internship back to a cold-storage warehouse takes immense mental grit. You aren't "failing"; you are currently in the "survival and strategy" phase that many successful immigrants in Canada navigate.

Your instinct is spot on. Merging Computer Science (AI/Python) with Supply Chain (SAP) is not just a "good" path; it is one of the most recession-proof and high-paying "blue ocean" strategies in the current Canadian market.

Here is a breakdown of why your plan works and how to execute it:

1. Is SAP a good choice in Canada?

Yes. Canada has a massive industrial, manufacturing, and retail base (think Loblaws, Canadian Tire, Magna, Suncor) that runs almost entirely on SAP.

• The S/4HANA Migration: Thousands of Canadian companies are currently migrating from older versions to SAP S/4HANA. They are desperate for people who understand the business logic (Supply Chain) and the new technical stack (BTP/Cloud).

• The "Hybrid" Advantage: Most SAP consultants are either "Functional" (know business) or "Technical" (know ABAP code). Since you know Python, SQL, and AI, you are a "Techno-Functional" candidate. This is the highest-paid tier.

2. Your Learning Roadmap (The "Power Combo")

Your plan to go MM -> EWM -> IBP is logically sound because it follows the physical flow of goods. However, don't just learn "where to click." Use your CS background to dominate.

Phase	Focus Module	Why?	Your "CS" Edge
Phase 1	SAP MM (Materials Management)	The foundation of all supply chains.	Use SQL to understand how SAP tables (MARA, MARC) store data.
Phase 2	SAP EWM (Warehouse Management)	Directly relates to your current job in cold storage.	You can "see" the processes you're learning while at work.
Phase 3	SAP BTP (Business Tech Platform)	This is where SAP meets AI/Python.	This is your gold mine. Use your AI/Python skills here for "Intelligent Side-by-Side Extensions."

3. Turning "Warehouse Work" into a Resume Asset

Do not view your current cold storage job as "lost time." On your resume, you should frame it like this:

• Old mindset: "I moved boxes in a cold warehouse."

• New mindset: "Gained hands-on experience in end-to-end warehouse operations and inventory control within a cold-chain environment. Currently bridging this operational knowledge with SAP EWM and Python-based data analytics to optimize supply chain workflows."

4. Specific Advice for Your Canadian Status

Since you are on an applied PGWP status, your goal is Provincial Nomination (PNP) or Express Entry.

• NOC Codes: Supply Chain Analysts and SAP Consultants fall under high-demand categories.

• Networking: In Canada, SAP jobs are often filled via referrals. Join the ASUG (Americas' SAP Users' Group) Ontario or Western Canada chapters.

5. The "Bridge" Strategy

Instead of jumping straight to "SAP Consultant," look for "Supply Chain Data Analyst" roles first.

• The Stack: Excel (Advanced/VBA) + Power BI + SQL + your current Warehouse experience.

• The Result: This gets you out of the warehouse and into the office of a Supply Chain company. From there, the company will often pay for your SAP certifications.

My Genuine Verdict

You are not moving away from tech; you are moving into Applied Tech. A pure AI Engineer is easy to outsource; an AI Engineer who understands why a shipment is stuck in a Canadian winter port is irreplaceable.

Have an interview for a job that I think I have a shot for, but I'm afraid it's not the right fit for me?

31M, I'm getting laid off from my job and have about a month left. They are offering severance, but I would have to stay the whole time in order to receive the package. I have an interview tomorrow for a bank teller position. The pay is about the same as what I make now, but I don't really have an interest in the area. I've sort of just been applying to see what will stick. I would love to stay in the insurance field as I have a lot of experience in the field in business operations, more backend stuff, but I'm having little to no luck finding anything. If I decided to take the severance and just take a bit of time to keep looking, realistically, I would only have maybe a few months to stay afloat (not including UI). I guess I'm wondering if it's best to just take the job and abandon the severance and keep looking while still being where I'm at mentally and uninterested, or do I keep looking in hopes I land something

Jobadvisor

This is a classic "bird in the hand vs. two in the bush" dilemma, but with a high-stakes twist: the severance package.

At 31, with a solid background in insurance operations, you are overqualified for a bank teller role. A teller position is essentially front-line retail customer service. If you are a "backend business ops" person, the transition to being "on stage" for 8 hours a day, dealing with the public and counting cash, can be a massive drain on your mental energy.

Here is a breakdown of how to weigh this decision:

1. The Math of the "Severance Gap"

Before tomorrow's interview, do some cold, hard math.

• The Cost of Leaving: Calculate exactly how much money you lose by walking away early. Add the severance pay to the one month of salary you’d still earn.

• The Opportunity Cost: If you take the teller job, you lose the severance and you lose the 40+ hours a week you could have spent networking and applying for insurance roles.

• The "Treadmill" Effect: Once you start a new job, your energy for the "real" job search often drops by 50-70%. You’ll be tired, learning a new system, and tied to a desk during business hours when recruiters usually call.

2. The Insurance Market Reality

The insurance industry loves insurance people. If you have "a lot of experience" in backend business operations, you have a valuable, niche skill set.

• Why the "No Luck" so far? It could be your resume or your search strategy. In Canada (and globally), insurance is currently leaning heavily into digital transformation and automation.

• The Bridge: Instead of a bank teller role, have you looked at Third Party Administrators (TPAs) or Brokerages? They often need ops people and are more flexible than the "Big 5" carriers.

3. The "Strategic Wait" Approach

If you stay at your current job, you get:

1. Full Salary for the next month.

2. The Severance Check (your "runway").

3. Unemployment Insurance (UI) eligibility (since it’s a layoff, not a quit).

4. Time.

If you have 2–3 months of savings plus severance plus UI, you likely have a 4–6 month window to find an insurance job. In professional operations, the average hiring cycle is 6–10 weeks. You are statistically likely to find something in your field within that window.

4. How to handle tomorrow’s interview

Go to the interview. It is great practice. But use it to audit the job:

• The Schedule: Is it a strict 9–5, or do they expect Saturdays? (Saturdays kill your soul if you aren't interested in the field).

• The Commute: Is it close? If you take it, it needs to be as low-friction as possible.

• The Vibe: Does the manager seem like they’ll micromanage you? (Micromanagement in a job you already dislike is a recipe for a burnout-induced quit).

---

My Recommendation

Don't abandon the severance for a lateral-pay job you already know you’ll hate.

Bank teller roles are high-turnover and always available. If things get truly desperate three months from now, there will be another bank teller (or similar retail) opening. However, your severance package is a one-time cash injection that buys you the freedom to find a role that actually fits your 30s-and-beyond career trajectory.

The "In-Between" Option: If you finish your month, take your severance, and then still don't have a lead, you can apply for the bank job then. You’ll have the cash in your pocket and the time to have done a proper search first.