Anonymously contributed:
Age and pay discrimination are alive and well @ LLNL-LLNS. The good old boys & girls continue. Due to the secrecy of wages/salaries at LLNS I had no gauges as to where I stood w/ my peers. I just recently found out where I stand and I am very disappointed and offended. I am a 60+ year young, 20+ career employee and have an Engineering degree. No I do not want to retire, I like my job but I want to be treated fairly. I began in the Plant Engineering Crafts Shops and moved into the coordination field. I have had a great deal of training and performed many, many types of work from grunt to medium level management tasks and activities. I am only a 5XX after 20+ years. I have been held back from advancement (5XX > 3XX Series) and been given negligible pay raises compared to my peers while performing the same work tasks. In other words, in my humble opinion, I have the same Skills, Knowledge & Abilities (SKAs) or more w/o the benefit of moderate advancement or equal pay increases as my peers and co-workers. I know the same old worn out complaints. Could someone advise of a good attorney?
Age and pay discrimination are alive and well @ LLNL-LLNS. The good old boys & girls continue. Due to the secrecy of wages/salaries at LLNS I had no gauges as to where I stood w/ my peers. I just recently found out where I stand and I am very disappointed and offended. I am a 60+ year young, 20+ career employee and have an Engineering degree. No I do not want to retire, I like my job but I want to be treated fairly. I began in the Plant Engineering Crafts Shops and moved into the coordination field. I have had a great deal of training and performed many, many types of work from grunt to medium level management tasks and activities. I am only a 5XX after 20+ years. I have been held back from advancement (5XX > 3XX Series) and been given negligible pay raises compared to my peers while performing the same work tasks. In other words, in my humble opinion, I have the same Skills, Knowledge & Abilities (SKAs) or more w/o the benefit of moderate advancement or equal pay increases as my peers and co-workers. I know the same old worn out complaints. Could someone advise of a good attorney?
Comments
Try approaching it more calmly. Talk to HR, have them run some comps. Be nice, see what happens. Dont demand, let them do their own comparisons and get back to you.
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1600
Oakland, California 94612-3528
510 832 5411
October 22, 2011 6:53 PM
Talking to HR is a waste of time. HR works at and for the pleasure of management. Believe me, I was manager at Los Alamos for 30-years.
20 straight years will earn less than leaving after 5, picking up some outside skills, then returning at a higher pay grade.
This person proved you are worth more when you come from the outside.
Someone from within the dept could have been promoted to that position.
Try stopping it and see where that gets you. They'll have their lab lawyers all over you!
-Richard Marsh
Cool, CA.
(rmarsh@calweb.com)
I took a different approach, and hunkered down for the long haul. Weathered the storms, held my tongue, worked effectively and enjoyed the great companionship for over 30 years.
Just separated with a small nest egg and an adequate pension and, thankfully with my health.
It was worth it, I think. Blood now pressure near zero, lots of good memories and some that I'd like to forget.
You have a good opportunity. If you stick with it, you will be paid +/- 20% of where you compare over the long run, and either way the jobs are pretty good. Working conditions are pretty good, most people are great,though some are memorable shits (still get lots of good stories). Benefits for most are still exceptional, though under pressure.
But the whole country is under pressure, as the imbalances of federal fiscal and regulatory irresponsibility and widespread speculation are wrung from the economy. It is not clear that being at the lab is a poor place to weather this storm.
I remember starting in the aftermath of the 1974 recession there, then the 1982 downturn, the excesses of the late "80s, 2001 bubble as well as the beginnings of the great recession of 2007. it took 3 -15 years to return to good times each time then, and probably will take that long again.
If you are covering your bills, building some equity and a pension, you should consider whether a longer term view might be more beneficial.