135
Speaking specifically for tech industry, based on experience, I disagree with most of the other answers so far.
Yes, you can and should dodge the question. No, you should not give them a range.
I was previously involved with an organization that helped prep people for negotiations. Every graduate was required to attend a training session during which they ...
95
This is not a commute, this is a necessary job function required by the client in order to perform the work.
Would you be paid for your travel if you were required to show up on the job site once a week? Probably not.
I wouldn't see as harmful to ask for the equipment to be shipped to you, but this is not a good hill to die on.
73
I feel that you're missing the point of the initial salary discussion during the screening. It's not the final negotiation, it's about getting a general ballpark. If your salary expectations are 10k more than they are able to pay for the role then it's in everyone's interest to get that out of the way before everyone's time gets wasted with potentially ...
62
I believe that you are right in not wanting to disclose financial details right away.
The author Jack Chapman mentions three distinct negotiation phases, he calls them "Budget, Fudge it, and Judge it". The question is almost always asked in the initial "budget" phase, and it's usually a filter for subsequent interview phases.
However, if ...
54
No, they will not agree to that, because even they can't predict what is going to happen.
Your best course is to talk with the recruiter/hiring manager directly and try to get a feel for what is happening. Also, while many pre-COVID internships are being rescinded, I would expect that a company willing to offer one now expects to be able to keep their word....
29
Can I ask to explicitly state that the internship offer cannot be revoked in their offer letter?
Of course, you can ask, but it's not a good idea.
First of all: it's pointless. Even if they agree, any statement like this
would not be enforceable. There is no legal mechanism that could force them to hire you anyway.
The question and following negotiation ...
19
To give a different perspective (which isn't legally relevant since this is in the US): In the European Union these things are covered by the Working Time Directive which is quite clear on these matters.
Commuting time to your fixed place of work is not paid. If you're going to a client or some other work place this is considered part of your work hours and ...
19
This is not unpaid labor.
Most work-from-home positions have some sort of requirement to report to an office on occasion. This is commuting for that purpose.
If you don't want to make the drive, you can asked if it can be shipped to you, but you should be prepared to handle that expense.
15
If you were buying a car you wouldn't reveal the maximum amount you would be prepared to pay. Equally the seller is unlikely to tell you (truthfully) the minimum offer he/she is willing to accept. That's Negotiating 101.
The same should hold true for salary discussions - a job offer is essentially a negotiation right? They want you to do the job for the ...
11
You should discuss the pay rise with the promotion, and make sure that it is understood that they are a single package.
It sounds like you're already taking on more responsibility than your job role and pay grade. I'm sure your company would be delighted for you to agree to take on even more, without even having to discuss paying you accordingly until ...
10
I also have some experience with navigating a very bureaucratic workplace where nothing happens unless its according to a process. When people stonewall you because "there is no process for that", then there are two ways to proceed:
Find a loophole which circumnavigates the process
Maybe they can not give you more money on your current position, ...
9
Your contract with the staffing agency should make these things clear. As the agency have said, this is basically a commute. I see the other answers tend to agree with them.
So, read your contract. I expect it to say something like "travel to and from the work site is the responsibility of the employee".
Other than that, you have to decide ...
8
Can I ask my employer to confirm upon one another point explicitly in
the letter which states that the offer made by him/her shall not be
revoked or if her/she could specify the only circumstances under which
the offer can be revoked.
You can ask for anything.
But don't be surprised when the answer is "No". I don't know any employers of interns ...
8
It depends on the circumstances. Let's say in normal times you wouldn't be working from home, you would have commuted to the clients' office every day at your own expense. In that case, just pick up things. You save money every other day by not commuting. The "picking up equipment" (that is carrying it from the client's office to your car) is work ...
8
In my experience, you should have all of the negotiations regarding compensation done before you receive a final written offer. The written offer is the result of these negotiations and there's usually no room for negotiation afterward since the offer has been reviewed and approved by all of the necessary parties.
It stands out to me that you reduced your ...
6
If they explicitly ask for your salary, then there's no graceful way to dodge the question.
Your choices are to either tell them your current salary, or to directly and assertively refuse to do so.
If you plan to refuse, this is the general script I use:
I don't give out that information. I appreciate that you need to
determine if the compensation on offer ...
5
No, no counter offers. Never.
Here is someone else who asked if they should take a counter offer. The same advice applies.
Whatever they're promising you, they could've done it already.
the promises could be simply in order to buy themselves breathing room in which to replace you at their leisure, regardless of how the timing works out for you.
That ...
5
As having done recruitment I would say it's difficult and probably not advised. If someone asks you a clear and necessary question they will probably find it somewhat manipulative you don't answer up front, because this is a base question necessary to reach agreement.
I would imagine it's ok to dodge details, but not something like this. It sets up the ...
4
So... you feel like you deserve a promotion, you have some decent evidence for that, but the evidence is largely circumstantial, and you have zero leverage. Your immediate supervisor is quite happy with you. You want to make progress towards getting the promotion you deserve, but you don't want to do anything that might put your current position at risk.
...
4
Consider that this gives you an opportunity to meet in person some of the people you're going to be working with or reporting to.
Visiting in person, making a good impression, and learning a bit more directly than you could do remotely is of value to you, and not to the staffing agency.
I'd make this a day-long excursion, which by definition would be paid ...
3
After you've accepted the offer, you should receive a contract. The contract should specify your pay, hours, and other conditions of employment. That is the point at which the employer is unlikely to cancel the offer and at which people normally start declining other opportunities, incurring costs etc.
Since this is an international offer I would suggest you ...
3
As a team lead in a large IT company, I regularly do "first contact" calls with applicants. I always, of course, ask about what kind of money they intend to make. I cannot remember anyone ever denying that information to me. Nor did I ever receive a number which made me rub my hands in glee because I'd be getting an ultra cheap awesome employee.
I ...
2
is it actually possible to dodge the "salary" question by recruiters in the early stages of the hiring process, and how?
I would suggest that you give a salary range rather than a specific salary. So if they are asking for you current salary ignore that question and say:
"The salary I'm looking for is in the range X to Y"
If they insist ...
2
I like to die on small hills, but I would not start a relationship by being exploited.
"The way we think of it is one would not normally charge their employer for the time it takes to get to and from work... We ask that you only bill for time worked."
They are correct that you should not bill for time it takes to get to and from work. But unless ...
2
I'll first say that if you were unionized (i.e. employees of either the agency's client, direct and indirect; or employees of the staffing agencies), you would have been in a much better position to secure the right of travel reimbursement.
That aside - the question of whether you should push back is to some extent a labor-legal question. I don't live in ...
2
That's quite a situation you have there.
I'm very tempted to say to them that I'll do my contracted 31 hours and keep my mental health intact unless they're willing to be generous in terms of an overtime rate
This is not smart. Your health is non-negotiable. As soon as you sell your health for money, it's over and you have lost. Your health and sick leave ...
1
This is intended as general workplace advice. If you suffer specific health conditions, there may be a better answer!
I´m afraid you´ll have to suffer through this one.
If I understand you correctly, they did ask you if you could do the extra hours before approving the holidays of your colleagues. Of course the did not ask for nothing. Whenever in a ...
1
Stephen, first of all, I'm really sorry you have to work in a place like this.
Where I live, you can use your medical/mental conditions as certified with HR to ask more free hours, did you tried something like that? Like "My doctor told me that I need to stay away from stress, so I can't do the extra hours you drop on me without asking, from Monday I'll ...
1
At the end of the day it may be better to let it go and just swallow the cost. It may not be worth ruffeling feathers this early into a (employment) relationship.
That aside I think it would be fare to be paid for your return journey.
You normally do not get paid for a commute from your home to your normal place of business. However your normal place of ...
1
There are two things that I haven’t seen addressed in any of the other answers. One, the client may be unaware of the staffing agency’s action. It’s possible that while their contract doesn’t require them to pay, that they would be either willing to pay if informed or would reach out and encourage the staffing agency to do so.
You could also suggest that ...
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