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Summary: 

The document follows an employee's request for a pay rise based on a level increase and historical indexation percentages. The employer, however, explains that recent level increases were aimed at improving company profitability rather than individual salary adjustments. This leads to tensions and disagreements between the employee and submanager, resulting in the employee contemplating changing companies. Ultimately, the real manager intervenes, reassuring the employee and extending their contract to level 10, emphasizing the need to prevent similar situations in the future.

 

Dear BIG BIG COMPANY. 

I want to discuss my new contract with you. I will get an indexation and become a new level, from 9 to 10. 

In percentage, BIG BIG COMPANY will receive 5.26% more for the indexation and 6.97% more for the higher level. In total our BIG BIG COMPANY will receive 12.59% more for my work. I think it is just and necessary that this increment will affect my monthly salary. 

Can you call me next week?

 

Best regards

 

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Dear very small service provider, 

 

Thank you for your email. 

 

I have shared your evaluation and the situation with management. Please note that I do not manage any salary increases myself, management does. 

 

However, I am happy to share with you the below information, and just to clarify from the SUPRA MEGA COMPANY: 

• there was zero indexation in 2023. 
• There is indeed one this year of +5.25% 
• and indeed we have just received a level increase for you from level 9 to 10 certainly due to your good performance. 

 

But from the BIG BIG COMPANY perspective: 

• as an employee of BIG BIG COMPANY since you joined in 06/05/2019 you have benefited every year from the indexation: 

• of 11.08% in January 2023, 

• +3.58% in January 2022, 

• +0.95% in January 2021 

• and 0.8 in January 2020. 

This is a cumulative increase of 16.41% in 4 years. 

and you will also benefit from this year's indexation which I am not completely sure but believe it to be around the 2%. 

 

So while your salary increased thanks to the indexation throughout the years, your margin has been well below the norm and for at least 2 years was negative;

• at -6.43% in 2023 

• and -4.48% in 2022. 

• I see it was +5.12% in 2021 so still well below the norm. 

 

With the level increase and without indexation of 2024, your margin would move to +5.5%, positive but still below the norm. 

Should we give you a salary increase, your margin would be negative again. 

 

Once again, I leave this decision with management as its not mine to make but hope to have provided you with all the information as I have it today. 

 

Thank you

 

YOUR BIG BIG COMPANY SUBMANAGER

 

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 Dear BIG BIG COMPANY MANAGER AND SUBMANAGER.

 

Sorry to answer you so late. I was pretty busy at the moment in SUPRA MEGA COMPANY. First of all, thanks for the compliment you mentioned in the email. 

(we have just received a level increase for you from level 9 to 10, certainly due to your good performance.) 

My current position is very demanding, but I have always received positive stakeholder feedback.

You are very good at statistics. I also worked a lot with that, and you can always present things the way you choose, depending on the parameters you use.

In fact, the amazing increase of 11.08% in the indexation in January 2023 was not due to my performance, nor from BIG BIG COMPANY 's perspective and goodwill. As far as I know, it was a legal obligation of the Belgian State. I am very happy to work in this country.

We can put aside the indexation. However, the fact is that from the commission side, it will be 5.26%, and the legal percentage from the Belgian State will be 1.46%; probably, that is what I will receive as all the workers in Belgium.

Reading your email, I can feel a complaint about the BIG BIG COMPANY margin of benefits.

 You write that 2021 was positive but below the norm. And my performance was negative in 2022 and 2023. 

 

Of course, you give me part of the data of the equation. I am still determining what margin I should produce for the BIG BIG COMPANY . 

So, I need to raise a question. Is BIG BIG COMPANY losing money because of me? If that is the case, please fire me. That situation is not sustainable in the neo-liberal market.

 

However, I do have a deep feeling that this is not the case. And my performance is sustainable for the future.

 

Then, put away the indexation % of the equation. My level increased from 9 to 10. And that will raise the incomings of BIG BIG COMPANY by 6.97%. That is true data for future projections. 

Following this argument, I can easily propose a formula that common sense can understand. That is the algorithm between performance and average salary (including the legally imposed indexation)

 

Low performance = average salary.

Average performance = average salary.

outstanding performance = average salary

 

Of course, I will accept your decision and continue to perform outstandingly in my job. 

But I have a sweet and sour taste. I remember, that we had a similar conversation last year about the renewal of my contract, and there was also an increase in my level from 8 to 9. You assured me that if I can demonstrate that I obtain more income for BIG BIG COMPANY , you will speak directly with the manager, suggesting an increase in my salary. 

 

Of course, we should take the legal indexation out of the formula. That forms part of the average salary. Now, I understand that the extraordinary increase of 11.08% in January 2023 was not due to my performance. Sorry to be so puerile and naive. 

 

Then, I will ask the MANAGER to reconsider the SUBMANAGER 's first position and make a decision about the real 6.97% increase of the BIG BIG COMPANY benefits for my job. 

From the SUPRA MEGA COMPANY's point of view, the level increase is a personal reward for my excellent work. There is no free reward for BIG BIG COMPAN.

 And they, eventually, are ready to revoke the level from 10 to 9 if I obtain only the legal Belgian indexation for all my efforts.

 

Best regards, waiting for your answer.

 

 

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Thank you, very small service provider; I am only trying to be as informative as possible without taking positions. As mentioned, it's not in my hands and not my decision to make. It is indeed with the MANAGER. He will read your views and, of course, already knows the perspective from BIG BIG COMPANY. I leave him to respond to you.

 

Thank you, and wishing you a good weekend

 

Your SUBMANAGER 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Small contractor,

 

It appears you complained to the clients and gave them my personal UK number so they can request I give you a payrise…. 

 

Know that:

1. The EC doesn’t have any say on NRB’s own employees salary package
2. I do not make any decision on salary increases as I have told you so often already
3. You have been given extensive explanation on the company negative margin, since your move from PHEA to REGIO in 2021.

 

a.                 I have discussed this with you in October 2023 when I made it crystal clear that your negative margin was not sustainable in the long run. It is me who sought from the EC the level increase to alleviate this loss NRB has been making with you. Attached email. 

b.                The level increase was to ensure NRB moves to a positive margin, even if its well below the norm and therefore keep you with us. 

c.                 You demanding for a salary increase after it was made clear the upgrade was to increase the company margin, is not collaborative. 

 

You using the clients to bully me doesn’t really encourage me to continue to fight for you... Once more, I do not make decisions on salaries. 

 

Regards

Your SUBMANAGER

 

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Dear SUBMANAGER,

I prefer to keep our email exchanges as professional as possible. In your last communication, you used harsh words against the commission (bullying) and myself (uncollaborative).

I do not want this situation to scale and affect the good name of the commission and my good job in Regio.

That is why I want to take some sanitary measures.

 

1. I will delete your telephone number (the only one I have, and you use it to contact me) and never phone or send a WhatsApp.
2. We will use only the trasys email with copy always with the superior manager, Erwin.
3. Do not send mails between you and the comission. I do not need to know nothing about that.
4. It is clear that you do not make any decision on salary increases. I will never talk with you about this topic.
5. You did not speak with me in October 2023, and you have not made crystal clear that my negative margin was not sustainable in the long run. The first time I knew that was in your email from 12 January 2024.
6. You do not fight for me; you fight for your own interest. I did not find your attitude collaborative; on the opposite, I see your emails as very menacing and aggressive.
7. We only have had a few contacts during my time at NRB. The last video call in teams was at the end of December. I met you only one time in person in my life. I remember very well. I was in Heverlee on 2 January, and I addressed you. You were shocked, and you didn't recognize my face. We can continue this way. Under the slogan: No news, good news.
8. I will continue performing my job at Regio, aiming for excellence as usual. I have no complaints from the Commission, and I hope they will increase my level again next year with the contract renewal. We do not need to communicate, in fact.

Best regards

 

 

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Dear MANAGER,

I would like to talk with you about SUB MANAGER last email. The intensity of the communication increases, and she does not keep a professional level; harsh words arise to me and the SUPRA MEGA COMPANY. Let me know when we can discuss this topic to downscale the situation.

my phone number is 0123456789.

best regards.

 

 

 

 

 

SMALL CONTRACTOR, 

 

This is my last email to you. 

 

Since you seem to understand that the MANAGER is a manager, why don’t you call him, email him, get the EC to call him? You do not need to continue your belittling, bullying game on me. It is me who cced him in the first place as I have nothing to hide and my work is transparent and impeccable. You are not to tell me how to do my job, how to write emails or who to cc. 

 

I did make it crystal clear that I do not make any decisions on salary increases, so why continue the conversation with me? 

 

I will not allow you to put words in my mouth and will not allow you to twist situations. It is not the commission that is a bully, it is you. Using your position as a Trasys consultant at the SUPRA MEGA COMPANY and therefore using the SUPRA MEGA COMPANY to try to force me to do something I told repetitively is not in my hands. 

 

Yes I was very surprised to see you on January 2nd 2024 as I was in the office with no one else, but Sara our recruiter. Yes I had never met you in person, only your face on Teams. You also did not recognise me, you recognise my voice. You told me in front of OTHERS CONTRACTOS. I did engage in a conversation with you though, I politely and kindly invited you in person and via email to come to the BIG BIG COMPANY Xmas / NEW YEAR event and your condescending comment of it being in Herstal was also shocking, given that you are employed by BIG BIG COMPANY, want bIG BIG COMPANY to give you increases but you look down on the company who feeds you. 

 

Since you have taken me as a target for your continuous bullying, I do not want to ever communicate with you. You have truly burnt your bridges with me. 

 

SUBMANAGER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello  REAL SUBMANGER MANGER IN THE MEGA COMPANY

 

I had a talk with the MANAGER, the CHIEF of THE SUBMANAGER. She have to do nothing about a pay rise and I will talk never again with her. In fact she treat me like a criminal because I ask for this pay rise. Very funny from a human resources departament.

After my conversation with THE MANAGER I obtain nothing more, only the legal indexation of 1%. A lot of excuses, mention again that they not earn enough from my contract, etc. He suggests to change the position if I want to earn more; but I am happy in regio, I do not want to change.

Other possibility is to change the category (job position).

 

The reality is, as I said to you last time, I earn this year 150 euros less due of removal of the intellectual property for ITs from the fiscal authority.

That is clear to me that I am for the Big Big company just a row in a excel with an employee number and a percentage of gain, nothing more.

 

That is like hit the wall. But is ok. I like my job in the supra mega company.

 

Another possibility is to change the company for another in the cascade for a future 2025, we need to discuss that in detail with more time.

 

I will take a week holidays, that will help me to decompress. Last weeks was really too much.

 

Regards.

 

 

THE REAL MANAGER

 

Hola SMALL CONTRACTOR,

 

I am sorry that you had to find yourself in such a stressful situation with regards to your contract. We should have initiated the procedure earlier.

 

This is to reassure you that we are now quickly adjusting the request for extension to level 10, so that your contract will not be interrupted. We need you!

 

Once the situation is stable, I would like to have a look with you and YOUR WORK MANAGER to see how we can avoid this happening the next time because the company can again give us the same reasons and we need to be ready with alternatives for you to be able to comfortably continue working with us.

 

Thank you for your understanding and kind regards.

 

Your real Manager.