I deserve a raise! Or at least some free tacos!
Here's an amazing piece of news. Many Americans think they make a fair wage.
But not everyone.
A new survey by Glassdoor.com found that nearly 2 in 5 workers say they are unfairly paid for the work they do. More women than men see a gender wage gap .
About half of those surveyed say the gap in pay between executives and the rest of the workforce "is getting worse."
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Whose fault is it? Like everything else, it's management's fault. The Glassdoor survey found that 57 percent "believe employers are in the best position to address pay gaps." Well, who else would be? Apparently, several other culprits could help make things right, or at least force transparency into the murky world of salaries and benefits.
Thirty percent of those surveyed by Glassdoor said Congress is in the best position to fix pay gaps, and 14 percent believe President Barack Obama oughta do something about it. He's already barred federal contractors from retaliating against workers who reveal their own compensation.
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Most surprising to me is that 13 percent of those surveyed thought "the middle class" could make a difference, (How? Higher taxes?), and another 11 percent said "the upper class" could. Finally, 9 percent believe banks and financial institutions are in a good position to address pay gaps...maybe they're just supposed to give money away.
Glassdoor said 1 in 3 of those surveyed "do not believe they understand the process their employer uses to determine pay raises or cost-of-living increases." Maybe you should ask!?!
Then there are the best pay substitutes.
When asked what perks employees would accept if getting a raise was not an option, the most popular answer was "more vacation days" (61 percent). Other options included more flexible work hours (very popular with women), and more company stock (very popular with men).
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Fifteen percent said they'd accept "free food & drinks." Or, as I describe it, "Will work for food."
Look, if you can't even get free Taco Tuesdays, maybe it's time to move on. Most of those surveyed (62 percent) said they would consider looking for work if they didn't get a raise within the first year of starting a job. Maybe they should. If you're not earning a raise in the first year, either you don't deserve it, the boss can't afford it, or the company's too cheap. Either way, keep those resumes handy.
-By CNBC's Jane Wells
