I don't know what to do

[Daze]

I work at a pharmacy. I was hired as a pharmacy cashier. About three months into cashiering, I was encouraged to get my technician license. After 4-5 months of cashiering, I did. I've had my license for about a month or so. I'm not exactly sure. Before I got my license, I basically made my boss promise that she wouldn't schedule me as a tech unless I was officially promoted, because she told me I would not get a raise unless I was officially promoted to a technician position. So I've been training almost every day I work. I only shadowed a couple of days. The rest, I've filled by myself, but I do still ask other techs questions when I'm not sure about something. There is usually another person filling too, but if another cashier is scheduled, I only cashier if the line gets long, the cashier takes lunch or break, or the tech/pharmacist ratio is unbalanced.

Now, the store I work at is about 25-30 minutes from where I live. My mom gets her prescriptions filled at a store (same chain) that's 5-10 minutes away. While my stepdad is home from work (he works out of state), he also gets his prescriptions filled there. Last night, while picking up prescriptions, my stepdad was talking to an employee there and was told that employees are supposed to get a raise as soon as they get a technician license. (The employee is a former substitute teacher from highschool, and she asked how I was doing, which is how the convo started.) My stepdad discussed it with the pharmacist, who said that I should contact my district manager if my pharmacy manager hasn't given me a raise.

This is where the problem is. There's already tension in the workplace. Basically everyone fakes kindness towards at least one person, sometimes two or three. But the pharmacy manager, I don't trust. She is very..sneaky it seems. But she has told me from the beginning that I am not entitled to a raise unless I am officially promoted. Like I said though, I do not trust her...at all, so I believe the other pharmacist. The other pharmacist's store is in my district.

I really don't know what to do. I don't want to cause any more tension but it just does NOT make sense that I am qualified to do more work, and I DO MORE WORK, but yet I'm not entitled to a dollar raise? I don't believe it anymore. There's no reason why the pharmacist shouldn't give me a raise. Working 40 hours a week, which is semi-rare for me, making a dollar more an hour is less than an hour of work for a pharmacy manager.

I'm unsure of what to do. I want to contact my district manager** but I don't know how to get his email address without going through my pharmacy manager. And even then, I'm still unsure if I can go through with it. And if I do and it turns out I should get a raise, I wonder if it will be retroactive, and if the pharmacy manager will be reprimanded.

**The actual district manager is on maternity leave, so I'm not sure what the current DM's email address is.

[Sandman]

I would contact HR, and just explain that you were talking to your DM about an issue through e-mail, and since he/she is out on maternity leave he/she was CC'ing the acting manager in on the e-mails so if the issue continued they would be aware of what was going in. Then state that you lost the e-mail and you would like to have it.

Kinda sneaky, but you should get it that way (or go to that store and get the e-mail from them).

[icmedia]

I speak from multiple instances of similar experiences when I tell you this: if you don't speak up for yourself and claim the raise that is rightfully yours, your manager will always find a reason not to give it to you. If tension already exists in the workplace, why add to your own by working day in and day out for less than you know you are entitled to? And, if you fear repercussions, perhaps you should tackle this head-on...speak frankly with your manager about the conversation your parents had with the other pharmacist, and give him/her the chance to give you an answer. As a manager myself, I would probably be upset about an employee going around me to my DM. However, if your boss doesn't do the right thing, then ask your manager directly for your DM's contact info.

[Solumina]

Do you have an employee handbook? Something like this should be listed in there.
(and if you don't have an amployee handbook request one as you are entitled to it)

[TheSHAD0W]

You may also want to put your resume out and see if any other employers bite.

[Barefootgirl]

I agree with TheShadow - while you get this business sorted out, start looking for another job with an employer who will pay you the rate to which you are entitled.

However, don't know what the economy is like in your area, but around here I would be unwilling to rock the boat for the sake of an extra dollar an hour. You know your employer best, if you think that asserting yourself would be liable to make you next in line for the chop, then sit tight and get on with your work (and keep your eyes open for a proper tech job).

[Geek King]

You may also want to put your resume out and see if any other employers bite.

Try this. Depending on your area, licenced techs are usually in demand. If your current employer won't pay you what you are worth with your new training, someone else likely will. And remember, the best time to look for work, even in this economy, is when you already have a job.