我们最近发现，许多优秀的读者会因为工作弹性大而减薪，暗示金钱不是最好的激励因素。也就是说，如果你的老板给你加薪，你会反感吗？

拉杜·拉兹万摄

I started reading Dr. Ronald Riggio's article on how **all raises basically do nothing to motivate workers and I couldn't help but feel a moment of deja vu. The article describes a situation much like one I experienced, in which a worker receives a raise of 3.5% and is told to be grateful as most people only received a raise of 1.5%. At a job several years behind me, I received a raise of around 3% and was told to be happy since most people weren't even getting one at all. The problem was, that raise just barely bumped me into a higher tax bracket and I ended up taking home less money each paycheck as a result. I asked multiple times for the raise to be removed and instead added to my team's budget (which desperately needed the money) but my company refused. That was the beginning of my resentment and I quit not too long after.

While my situation might have been a little more extreme, researchers found that a pay raise needs to be between 7-8% before workers actually appreciate it. But that's just one study. How would you feel if you received a 3% raise?

UPDATE: Apparently the way tax brackets work wouldn't allow for my situation to be possible, so why I ended up with a **aller paycheck is now a mystery. Maybe benefit costs went up at the same time and I assumed it was tax-related. The point is, don't be like me and assume these things. Pay attention to your pay stubs and question anything that seems weird. (Thanks Brian!)

How Would a Tiny Pay Raise Make You Feel?online survey

Do Small Pay Raises Spur Motivation – or Resentment? | Psychology Today

You can contact Adam Dachis, the author of this post, at [email protected]. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.