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My one year review is due and my Front Office Manager has verbally informed me they're planning on giving me a raise.

The problem is I'm hoping to leaving the country in two months, I'm waiting for a decision to be made on a visa application.

I've told my General Manager of my plans but we decided not to inform anyone until the application went through (and then making my leave official)- I don't want to be jobless if the visa application is denied.

Should I accept the raise and say nothing, or should I just let my Office Manager know that I'm hoping to leave the country but it might not work out?

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    They wouldn't tell you if they were planning to cut your job until they were handing you your pink slip. You don't owe them more than you would get from them.
    – Amy Blankenship
    Commented Jun 15, 2014 at 21:04
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    @AmyBlankenship That's the spirit :) Aside of which, the OP's plan to leave the country doesn't amount to a hillof beans until he's got the plane ticket and is actually leaving the country - People's intentions have a way of changing at the last minute :)
    – Vietnhi Phuvan
    Commented Jun 15, 2014 at 22:39
  • That said, I've made it as clear as I can where I work that I plan to leave without explicitly starting to say "after I'm gone..." :). But where I work isn't the normal workplace and I have little fear I'd stay unemployed for long even if the worst happened.
    – Amy Blankenship
    Commented Jun 16, 2014 at 2:38
  • Look at it this way: if you accept the rise and quit immediately, they lose nothing.
    – Agent_L
    Commented Jun 16, 2014 at 15:44

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My one year review is due and my Front Office Manager has verbally informed me they're planning on giving me a raise.

The problem is I'm hoping to leaving the country in two months, I'm waiting for a decision to be made on a visa application.

I've told my General Manager of my plans but we decided not to inform anyone until the application went through (and then making my leave official)- I don't want to be jobless if the visa application is denied.

Should I accept the raise and say nothing, or should I just let my Office Manager know that I'm hoping to leave the country but it might not work out?

It's not clear what your reporting relationship with the General Manager and Front Office Manager is. You might want to discuss this with your General Manager? He/she may have different advice.

Normally, you should not inform your employer that you "might" be leaving ahead of time. Wait until you get a formal acceptance from your next employer, then give your current employer your official notice.

If that means you must silently accept a raise due to the timing of the situation, then do so.

If your next job falls through, then you'll have your raise. If your next job works out, then your current company will only have paid you a raise for a very short period of time.

It doesn't sound like a very big deal either way.

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Yes accept the raise why would you not? a raise is for the work you have done in the last year. you have earned it.

You should never tell anyone you are resigning until the day you actually resign.

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  • Also 1) it won't make much difference to your employer if you leave, since they will only be paying you the increased salary for two months 2) you might not be leaving.
    – DJClayworth
    Commented Jun 16, 2014 at 13:59
  • a raise is for the work you have done in the last year. you have earned it. This. A raise is different from a promotion in this way. If it were a promotion and you were planning to leave, that would be a far stickier situation.
    – Marsh
    Commented Jun 16, 2014 at 20:23
  • @MartinCarney why is a promotion different to a pay rise? in theory both are a reward for your work
    – Pepone
    Commented Jun 17, 2014 at 15:02
  • @Pepone Because with a promotion they're expecting you to perform new functions, whereas a raise doesn't carry the same inherent expectation. Especially if it looks like you leveraged the recent promotion for a job somewhere else.
    – Marsh
    Commented Jun 17, 2014 at 16:14
  • @MartinCarney many promotions are promotions on a pay scale and don't really effect what you actually do day to day And for those that are tough your obviously not paying enough that's how capitalism works.
    – Pepone
    Commented Jun 17, 2014 at 17:27
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Don't commit to anything until you have all of your ducks lined up.

It seems like you're closer and "tight" with your General Manager to have told him that, so that's nice. However, the less people know, the better. The way this can go awry is word gets out you're thinking of leaving, now the company gives you less assignments, and you may even be laid off in due time because, well they think you're not going to be around anyways. If you don't have your new job lined up yet (ie. written offer is there, any other obstacles are overcome), then accept the raise where you're at, and act like you'll be there forever until you can commit to going to your new job.

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