Well.... no pay review for me.

Apparently, it's "company policy" not to have pay reviews other than in March, when we all get reviewed for the start of the new financial year. So I have to wait until then.

I'll tell you what happened this year for our reviews: Firstly, they were late. Very late. We were all reviewed by our line manager - who has no dispensation to give pay rises - and then our line manager went over our performance with Cunty Boss^TM. Only, by the time Line Manager had managed to corner Cunty Boss and get him to come to a meeting, it was almost the end of April.

So, getting bored of waiting for Cunty Boss to get his arse in gear, I went to the CFO and told him that I felt my changed position in the company warranted a pay review. He had no idea that Cunty Boss hadn't reviewed us yet, and told me he'd chase CB to do the reviews.

And then the company decreed that it couldn't afford to give us pay rises anyway, and just gave us token inflation-based rises.

And inflation's what? 3%?

Woo.

And you know what? I'll bet you anything we'll have the same fiasco next year.

Nice Boss (who I initially asked for the pay review) told me that they'd bear my request in mind when the April, I mean March, reviews roll around. But I'm going to be reviewed by my Line Manager... who doesn't have the authority to give pay rises. Uh-huh. Does anyone else sense a "fobbing off" situation here?

I remember once being told that a lot of the pay scales in IT are determined by negotiation; that the way to get paid well in IT is to negotiate for what you're worth. Well, what are you supposed to do when you keep trying to negotiate and keep getting told "No"? And the job market is sufficiently shit that you can't move jobs? And all around you, people who you perceive as being at the same level (work-wise) are coming into work wearing new trainers and designer clothes, and going on holiday, and buying rounds at the pub; and you're sitting there wondering if you can justify blowing �2.50 on a sandwich at Marks & Spencer.

Well, I guess I should look on the bright side and say Hey, at least I've got my health! Which is something I didn't have back in March, when I was 15lbs (15lbs!!!) heavier and unable to run for the bus without keeling over.

Oh yeah, and I have a sexy guy with a fantastic cock in my bed. And we had another quickie this morning. Ah fuck it, things aren't so bad :-)