Interesting question

[lunatic'hunter]

A buddy asked me this, "if you work for a company for 25 years, and in those 25 years, the only raises you have ever got are yearly COLA (cost of living adjustment), does that mean that you are still making the same amount of money you were when you started"? Considering inflation and the rising costs of commodities and living.

[Goldeneagle]

That's all I've had in most of my 40yrs here. And no, I'm not making the same money. I actually think less. Seems the COL always goes up more percentage wise than our raises.

[Zen Archery]

According to the employer and taxes. Yes
According to employee. No

[txjustin]

Doesn't matter to me, I wouldn't be working for that company wayyy before that 25 years hit.

[crawdaddct]

I'm hitting 25 years in LE this year. Every time COLA goes up, my health insurance goes up, so actually I feel like I'm making less.

[Pushbutton2]

I don't even get COL raise.
Been here 4 years. Had 2 raises and 1.5 mos ago I took a $5K+ yr pay cut cause another employee wanted more $/hr or he was going to quit.
Needless to say I'm only loyal to the Friday paycheck now not the company.

[rtp]

The COLA is bs. Inflation is always more than what is being reported so in 25 or 40 years time, you are making way less than what you started with. You must love what you do to stay at a place that doesnt EVER reward you more than COLA.

[ttubudd]

I don't even get COL raise.
Been here 4 years. Had 2 raises and 1.5 mos ago I took a $5K+ yr pay cut cause another employee wanted more $/hr or he was going to quit.
Needless to say I'm only loyal to the Friday paycheck now not the company.

I would take that as a sign that it is time to leave that employer...

[LiftAndShoot]

Agreed with the sentiments previously posted.

COLA adjustment is rarely accurate and doesn't/can't account for actual adjustments that take place in real time. Without an actual 'raise' of some modest amount, you're probably losing money in the example provided.

My FIL put it to me best; "You have a contract with your business that you renew every two weeks. They don't owe you anything and you don't owe them anything beyond that."

[Hydestik]

I think it would be pretty close assuming you started out at $20/HR in 25 years at 3% you would be making $35/HR .

[Backwoods101]

I've made the same amount for the last 7 years..........the more they pay, the less hours I work Went from 80.5 hours a week to about 40-50 hours a week.

[stinkbelly]

If you aren't getting pay increases that are larger than inflation then you are bringing home less money.

We always get raises less than inflation and never get a COLA. It sucks, but for now it is stable with good benefits (except insurance).

[47]

I'm hitting 25 years in LE this year. Every time COLA goes up, my health insurance goes up, so actually I feel like I'm making less.

Was and probably still is, the case when I was in the Army... we'd get a 2.5-3% COLA, and sure enough, uniforms, PBX, haircuts etc etc would increase by the same.

some "raise" aye?