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Franke James
The irreverent
Co-creator of Office-Politics will wade in with her opinion on your dilemma, and seek advice from industry experts.

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Dr. John Burton teaches Ethics at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, Canada

"How do I broach the subject of title and salary tactfully?"

July 2004

Dear Office-Politics,

I have worked several years in an office. I was given my own office and parking space several months ago and am being referred to now as the customer service manager, but have never been given this title officially or an raise to go with it. My review is nearing. Any suggestions on how to broach this subject tactfully?

Thanks,

Untitled

Dear Untitled,

Actions speak louder than words. The company has given you more authority and responsibility through the granting of your own office and parking space. You are to be congratulated! View this time period as a transition. You were wise not to press this issue earlier, lest you be seen as petty and overly demanding.

And as you suggest, broaching the subject of title and salary at your upcoming review would be very appropriate. Usually a change in title automatically triggers a raise in salary. But different companies have different cultures. In some companies, job responsibilities are more reflective of status in the company than titles.

Your primary objective should be to see that you get a raise, since your work and responsibilities have expanded. Touch on the issue of changing your title as an afterthought, as though it is a small clerical issue. Your position could be that the new title is not something you are concerned about, however you need to be able to tell outside suppliers, or clients, how to address you in correspondence.

Keep up the good work!

Franke James


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The Ethics Letters that appears as a feature of this Website is an educational and discussion oriented column designed to help the reader better understand ethical issues. The matters discussed in the letter are reviewed in a summary/abbreviated way and are only meant to foster thinking on the part of the reader. If a person decides to adopt or implement suggestions, they do so at their own risk. No representation or warranty is provided in relation to suggestions or the contents of the letter. Neither the authors of the letter, Franke James, John W. Burton, or the owners of this Website accept any liability whatsoever for any opinions expressed in the letter or for errors and omissions. Submission of letters to the Office-Politics Forum grants the Publisher, Nerdheaven Ltd. the right to reproduce, republish, repurpose and excerpt the submission in any and all other media, without compensation or contacting the author. Copyright Nerdheaven Ltd. 2002-2005