Part 1 https://texags.com/forums/57/topics/2819282 - Dallas to NYC

Now my manager is saying that she won't get an answer on salary until after the next board meeting, which is in late January. They expect me to move there in March and are expecting me to produce material for this new position starting yesterday.

Is it normal that the salary has to be approved before the board or are they just using this as a way to push things off to shut my number down? My number was nothing more than the cost of living change, plus moving expenses. The position was offered a month ago.

DAM said:

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Can you escalate?

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I don't know. I can raise a lot of hell, but I don't know if it will get me an answer. Is it normal to have the Board approve the salary if it is above a certain amount? They would essentially be making me a director and increasing my salary $100k. Would that need a little more checks and balances?

I've only heard of the board approving things like RSUs and bonuses.

You've started applying elsewhere just in case right? Sounds like you're about to get dragged into a whole lot of financial trouble if there giving you a runaround on a reasonable COL adjustment.

Depends on your company. When I moved what I asked for was way out of my position pay band globally. It went all the way up to the CFO and took like 2 months to get approved. Not necessarily getting yanked around.

I just read your first post, if you do it live in Manhattan and do not get suckered into living in the financial district as it is boring at night. Live in the east Village/Lower east side. Very short subway commute. And being that you are already used to living in a small space in downtown Dallas you can likely get a similar space for 3k or so. Then you will have only the cost of a monthly metro card for commuting and live in a great vibrant neighborhood right out your door. The biggest issue for most Texans the per sq foot in NYC as for the most part we are used to living in much bigger spaces, but since you have already chosen to live in a small space you should be just fine.

Do people really get full COL adjustments for transfers? Everyone I know that got transferred to either the bay area or the east coast, got a decent bump but nothing that would even come close to letting them keep a "suburban Texas house with a decent yard and a car for everyone over 16" type of lifestyle.

Duncan Idaho said:

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Do people really get full COL adjustments for transfers? Everyone I know that got transferred to either the bay area or the east coast, got a decent bump but nothing that would even come close to letting them keep a "suburban Texas house with a decent yard and a car for everyone over 16" type of lifestyle.

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I've always seen a decent bump for transfers, but more in line with what you have seen. Sometimes if you are joining a new company you can get close to full COL bump.

More often than not, what I actually see is people without kids do this, and just do everything possible to lower living standards (sacrifice a ton of space, sacrifice on location, get an apt., etc.) and minimize any COL effects. I know someone that was living in Dallas paying 1400 for a really big uptown apt, and transferred to bay area where he pays 1300 with roommates and half the size personal space - he is basically going to save the 50k per year bump for a couple years and transfer back. A wife and/or kids definitely complicates things and how much you can really do that.

Duncan Idaho said:

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Do people really get full COL adjustments for transfers? Everyone I know that got transferred to either the bay area or the east coast, got a decent bump but nothing that would even come close to letting them keep a "suburban Texas house with a decent yard and a car for everyone over 16" type of lifestyle.

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So that's accurate for most people going to a massive and populated market like NY. More people to compete against in the job pool = people will take a wage lower than the standard you are used to in Dallas to work. Other places often times they'll offer a declining COLA with the idea that your pay will increase over the time frame to make up for it... that's not possible coming from Texas to New York... just too much differential. I got more than COLA to move up to this area... I also had an almost can't get any better catbird seat in negotiation. Sort of what I was eluding to in the first thread too... start at true COLA. You likely won't get it but worth a shot and also so this guy is aware how legitimately more expensive NYC is and he can really gauge how poor he'll be when his company offers him no more than 100-125 plus moving expenses living in Manhattan.

Update: Running.

Essentially now they don't want to move me so they can save on the cost to move me. They are keeping me in the Dallas office with same salary. New title and position, which are promotions. Let the looking begin.

Don't want to move you to save $10,000 in moving costs?

Sheesh!

Ouch!

dam