Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI
In March, Jessica, a marketer at a financial-services company, showed up for her annual performance review expecting a promotion and a big raise. Her boss had already told her she deserved it. She'd had a stellar year, receiving great reviews along the way. She was pretty sure she was the top performer on her team.
But when she met with her boss, he gave her the bad news: There just wasn't enough money in the budget this year. All he could give her was a measly 3.5% raise — just barely enough to keep up with inflation. He also loaded her up with extra work and new responsibilities, without giving her a promotion. If she performed her additional duties well, she was told, she might have a shot at a 6% raise next year. Maybe.