Fair raise?

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6GodPharm

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I'm currently a RX manager for the big 3 letter chain. I became the manager and flipped a store around to be the top store in the district and top 10 in the region. Did this all in less than a year out of school. When I went from staff to rx manager I got a hefty raise (about $7/hr). I worked hard for it. Store was a mess before I got there, no structure, 10 cars in drive thru, screaming customers and a line out the door. I set up meetings and turned it around and developed my staff.
I've been asked to take on another project. The store does even more scripts and is in a bigger mess than mine was orginally. WeCare scores in the 50-60's. Just a total mess. Rx manager there cannot handle the stress.
My question is what is a fair amount to ask for a raise to go to the other store? Keep in mind my current store I work 13 hour shifts twice a week. This new store has overlap every day. So the money just doesn't add up. I make low 70's/hr right now. Would love to be high 70's. Is that asking too much? Can I put incentives in place in writing if I reach goals for the new store? The reason I really care about hourly is that i'm in California. That x1.5 OT really does make a differnce here.

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I'm currently a RX manager for the big 3 letter chain. I became the manager and flipped a store around to be the top store in the district and top 10 in the region. Did this all in less than a year out of school. When I went from staff to rx manager I got a hefty raise (about $7/hr). I worked hard for it. Store was a mess before I got there, no structure, 10 cars in drive thru, screaming customers and a line out the door. I set up meetings and turned it around and developed my staff.
I've been asked to take on another project. The store does even more scripts and is in a bigger mess than mine was orginally. WeCare scores in the 50-60's. Just a total mess. Rx manager there cannot handle the stress.
My question is what is a fair amount to ask for a raise to go to the other store? Keep in mind my current store I work 13 hour shifts twice a week. This new store has overlap every day. So the money just doesn't add up. I make low 70's/hr right now. Would love to be high 70's. Is that asking too much? Can I put incentives in place in writing if I reach goals for the new store? The reason I really care about hourly is that i'm in California. That x1.5 OT really does make a differnce here.
Do it. Can't hurt to ask. The worst they'll say is no.

If I were you, I'd stay where you are if the money didn't add up. Why go to a mess for less money? CVS will use and trash you.
 
WeCare in the 50-60s is a total mess? With all those crazy snaps of 500+ in red in QP, I'm sure there are worse situations. I got a single-digit WeCare store and I didn't get **** but managed to get it up to the 90s. Still had to work 4 consecutive 13-hrs all the time just to keep the doors open.

Stay pat for peace of mind. Some stores just need direction. Some of them you have to burn it all down. Metaphorically
 
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You could request a large raise but even if you get it you will be near the red line for your salary grade, so small or no future raises. You can't request anything with incentive. You could say if you take the new store you want to be in next emerging leader class and target the Rx Sup position. That's probably your best bet for $$ long term.
 
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You could request a large raise but even if you get it you will be near the red line for your salary grade, so small or no future raises. You can't request anything with incentive. You could say if you take the new store you want to be in next emerging leader class and target the Rx Sup position. That's probably your best bet for $$ long term.
But can't you make a career out of "fixing stores" and keep getting raises that way? Or would that be redlined as well?
 
Not anymore. That was before the caps.
 
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You could request a large raise but even if you get it you will be near the red line for your salary grade, so small or no future raises. You can't request anything with incentive. You could say if you take the new store you want to be in next emerging leader class and target the Rx Sup position. That's probably your best bet for $$ long term.

All red line means is you get your yearly pay in a lump sum. It just doesn't compound. You will still get a raise.....
 
How is it not a raise if you get paid more when it's all said and done?

Jumping from problem store to problem store seems like one of the best ways to raise your income if you know what you are doing and don't mind it. I can imagine it would get tiring after awhile in which case you could just stay put.

Going the DM route seems like a much greater risk. Seems like people slave away for years chasing these positions that they never get. Even if you do get to DM it's a revolving door; how many DMs do you know that have been in their position for more than 5 years? I'd much rather be a PIC who is pulling high numbers in terms of job security.
 
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How is it not a raise if you get paid more when it's all said and done?

Jumping from problem store to problem store seems like one of the best ways to raise your income if you know what you are doing and don't mind it. I can imagine it would get tiring after awhile in which case you could just stay put.

Going the DM route seems like a much greater risk. Seems like people slave away for years chasing these positions that they never get. Even if you do get to DM it's a revolving door; how many DMs do you know that have been in their position for more than 5 years? I'd much rather be a PIC who is pulling high numbers in terms of job security.
I've had the EL program literally handed to me but I have no interest in it. Just want to be PIC of stores, fix them, get a huge raise and move on lol So far i've had $7/hr raise in less than a year. Will keep you guys updated on what I decide and whats offered in the coming months. My ultimate goal in the next 3-5 years is to be racking in close to 81-82/hr
 
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I've had the EL program literally handed to me but I have no interest in it. Just want to be PIC of stores, fix them, get a huge raise and move on lol So far i've had $7/hr raise in less than a year. Will keep you guys updated on what I decide and whats offered in the coming months. My ultimate goal in the next 3-5 years is to be racking in close to 81-82/hr
That will only happen if others get 81-82, CVS caps you out depending on the store, and market avg forces, you only get a lump sump once you are capped (technically a stupid bonus because they can't permanently give you a raise). A lump sump bonus is not the same as a raise, a % raise is permanent, locked into your base. The higher your base, the higher the dollar increase effect of 2-3% raise every year. Some people who answered your questions are supervisors for CVS and know the payroll game inside out.
 
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So how does this lump sum work? Say 79/hr is the cap. Once you reach it then what do you get as your lump sum? Is it a set amount based on your reviews at the end of the year? Is it added on top of your bonus?
 
I don't consider that a raise.

What do you call it? If you are making $73.00 per hour and you get a 2% raise, that's $1.46 per hour x 40 hours x 52 weeks= over $3,000.00. Consider it a second bonus then......

It comes as a separate check just like your bonus.

Next year you do get cheated out of $71.97 next year because you don't get an increase on the 3.5 cents per hour. It's not ideal, but it's not nothing
 
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Over the course of 5 years the difference between 3% raise and 3% lump sum is about $23k. It is WAY more over 10 years.
 
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Over the course of 5 years the difference between 3% raise and 3% lump sum is about $23k. It is WAY more over 10 years.

That's true, but I know of no pharmacist who was redl ined for 5 years let alone 10 years. I was red lined once and I keep thinking I am going to be each year, but I haven't been. It's also not NO raise. It's always best to compound your increases....
 
What are standard raises in retail? I work for one of the big 3 and was pretty disappointed with a 1% raise this year or 67 cents, in the past I had been locking in 1$+ raises.
 
You can't say lump sump a raise. If you get 2% every year lump sump vs. a raise 2% every year. The end value will be much different than sh1tty lump sump.

100k, 2% lump sump bonus, 2k X 5 years = $10k extra. You still get paid $100k/yr at the end of the 5th yr

100k, 2% raise every year X 5 years = $30.8k extra. You get paid $110,400/yr after the 5th year

Lump sump is a bonus (2-3% of your base). Not a raise.
 
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What are standard raises in retail? I work for one of the big 3 and was pretty disappointed with a 1% raise this year or 67 cents, in the past I had been locking in 1$+ raises.
Normal based on market forces in your area.
 
I got $3 dollar raise since I started 10 months ago

Is this normal or are they messing with me?
 
I got $3 dollar raise since I started 10 months ago

Is this normal or are they messing with me?

they either really like you or they got you for really cheap lol
 
started in mid 50s

I'm in eastern pa

So you're in the high 50's? Doesn't seem too bad to me. I know some people starting at 52-54 in the midwest out of school.
 
I got $3 dollar raise since I started 10 months ago
Is this normal or are they messing with me?

That means they probably hired you in at a below average rate, you've done good so they are giving you a way above average raise (which you shouldn't expect every year, because you are unlikely to get another raise that good anytime soon.)
 
I've worked in full-time in two hospitals in the south/southeast. 1-3% raises depending on your performance. I had a boss that refused to give "outstanding" evaluations because he said everyone has room to grow. Thanks for letting your idiotic ideology screw me out of an extra $1000.

After two years of my salary fall behind inflation / new pharmacists being hired at my same rate despite experience, I took a different job with a 10% pay increase. I'll probably continue this sort of aggressive approach until I'm either comfortable with my salary or afraid I'll never get another job.
 
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Just don't look like a job hopper
I've been worried about that. I was at the last place for 2.5 years and I'll be sitting at 2 years here when I have to decide if I'm staying after the Epic implementation. I feel like 2 years is a solid amount of time at any given place if you decide to leave for advancement, but it might look bad if I do it too many times in a row. Hopefully the next job is in a city I actually want to live in so I can stay for at least five years.
 
If you hit a cap one thing you might be able to try and bargain for is more vacation time or other benefits.
That's interesting. I wonder if anyone has done this with CVS? Maybe get a week or 2 of extra vacation a year.
 
That's interesting. I wonder if anyone has done this with CVS? Maybe get a week or 2 of extra vacation a year.

CVS has tenure based vacation policies and I've never heard of someone getting around d them. I'd be interested to hear if anyone had any success as I haven't.


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CVS has tenure based vacation policies and I've never heard of someone getting around d them. I'd be interested to hear if anyone had any success as I haven't.


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Any idea how often you get vacation added?
 
I believe it's 2 weeks for 1+ years 3 weeks for 5ish and 4 weeks for 14+ years but I'm not 100% sure on those


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4 weeks for 14+ years! My goodness lol

I just hit it and I'm only 31...guess I am loyal to a fault. As to getting around the tenure for vacation, I have seen it done plenty of times, typically based on years experience with another company.
 
If you hit a cap one thing you might be able to try and bargain for is more vacation time or other benefits.
You can negotiate vacation as a new hire and that's it. Not sure what "other benefits" would be. A friendly smack on the ass for completing your PCQ calls?
 
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Compensation is a complex subject, more so than most think. Too many pharmacists put way too much emphasis on hourly wage when the entire benefit cost can add up to 51% of the salary, including vacations, 401K, health plans, and pension - if it still exists.

Few dollars here and there can add up, or maybe not.

There are raises based on market adjustment, merit increase, position change, and employer initiated salary range adjustments.

What the OP is asking for is a combination of position change and merit increase somewhat but not strictly. As an organization granting the raise, as long as the increase is within the salary range of the position, and if OP's work merits such an increase, it should be a slam dunk. If OP is at the top of the scale, than I do not see that the organization will readjust the scale to accommodate the salary increase request.

One important aspect of career decision is to look at the benefit package closely. Those hospitals and health systems that allow 4 x 10 hour shifts and 6 weeks Paid Time Off per year to start means staff pharmacists work about 180 days per year. What a life.
 
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