Bluffing a sin?

[mo0004]

A company has a policy that it will grant a “retention incentive” of up to 10% of salary to employees who would otherwise look for and accept another job. An employee goes to his boss and, in accord with policy, says in writing “I want a $10,000 a year raise. (About 10% of salary.) Unless I get it, I will look for another job and leave if I find one. But if I get the raise, I’ll stay.” The employee is bluffing. He knows that it is very unlikely that he will look for another job even if he doesn’t get the raise. But the employee is a valued, experienced professional in a hard-to-fill occupation, and the boss knows it. It will cost a lot more to train a replacement than to simply give in to the $10K raise request. And this even assumes that such a replacement can even be found because there is an acute shortage of qualified people in this profession The employee deserves to be paid more (this is backed up by published salary statistics), and the company can afford it. The employee, if kept happy, is likely to stay another 10 years before retirement, so the employee stands to gain over $100,000 by his bluff. The boss is pretty sure that the employee is bluffing, but feels that the employee is worth it. The boss recommends the employee for the raise, the company gives it and the employee accepts it. Four questions: Is the bluff a sin on the part of the employee? If so, could it be mortal? If the boss knows that the employee is bluffing but just wants to keep a valued employee, is the boss committing a sin by recommending approval of the raise? If so, is that sin mortal?

 

[Reformed_Rob]

I’m not sure about the examination of the particulars regarding the degree of the sin.

However, I would think that the company would NOT give an employee a raise just by said employee going to the management and writing a letter saying “if I don’t get the raise I’m going to look for another job.”

I would expect that the company would have foreseen that situation, and implemented a process whereby to work through receiving the 10% retainer incentive.

Part of that process would certainly HAVE to be…the employee actually has another job offer. An official job offer, not just saying “I’ve got another job offer.” Something in writing or at least a conversation documented with the other company saying they want to hire this employee.

I think that if the company does not have such a system in place, everybody would be taking advantage of their oversight.

 

[Smber2c]

I would expect that the company would have foreseen that situation, and implemented a process whereby to work through receiving the 10% retainer incentive.
Part of that process would certainly HAVE to be…the employee actually has another job offer. An official job offer, not just saying “I’ve got another job offer.” Something in writing or at least a conversation documented with the other company saying they want to hire this employee.
I think that if the company does not have such a system in place, everybody would be taking advantage of their oversight.

That kinda dodges the question though. Assume the company has such a clause; then also assume the employee goes, applies for another job he doesn’t intend taking, and gets an offer which he this presents to his boss.

He tells the boss it’s “a possible alternative if he doesn’t get a raise.” But he doubts he’d really take the second job.

 

[JimG]

If a person deserves a raise, the company ought to give the raise without requiring a threat to leave. That’s just strange. But if that’s what it takes to get a raise, I don’t see any sin in it.

 

[kage_ar]

And the next round of RIFs come a calling, I’d be willing to wager those who whined “if I don’t get more $$ I will take my toys and leave” are on the list to be let go.

Work hard, work honestly.

 

[jrabs]

I think it is manipulative and threatening. It may possibly work in the short run or it may even backfire. As the boss waves bye bye and says I cannot afford that raise - go look else where.

In short, yeah, I think lying and manipulating to get a raise is a sin.

 

[tm30]

Yes, it’s a sin to manipulate and deceive those whom the Lord has put in direct authority over you. I would call it “greed”, minus any extenuating circumstances of hardship. Regardless of who the boss is or what their personal integrity is, deliberately lying does violence to the Sacred Heart which wishes to be united with yours in all of your existence. If we truly trust in Jesus, we will not feel compelled to “game the system” by bending the rules to the point of unentitled personal gain.

It’s the same reason falsifying a tax return is sinful. The government may not go broke if you or I fudge our deductions, but our actions do not go unseen by the Father, who would certainly not approve.

 

[JimG]

If a company says that the only way to get a raise is to threaten to take another job, you can bet that I would be looking for a different job.

 

[briang72]

Is the bluff a sin on the part of the employee? If so, could it be mortal?

The bluff is a lie if the employee truly has no intent to seek another job, and therefore a sin. Whether this is grave matter or not, I have no idea. It seems like the employee has had sufficient reflection and deliberate consent in his actions, but even that is in doubt by just reading your post. Although, I’m leaning toward this scenario having been planned and not something that the employee said to his boss out of the blue.

If the boss knows that the employee is bluffing but just wants to keep a valued employee, is the boss committing a sin by recommending approval of the raise? If so, is that sin mortal?

I wouldn’t consider the boss’ action sinful, even if he somehow knew the employee was bluffing. Would it be sinful if the boss thought “Wow! I really can’t afford to lose such a valuable person. The salary he earns is well below market. He really deserves an adjustment” ? He might not like the way his employee approached him about a raise, by threatening to leave. However, I don’t think he sins by granting the raise.

Surely there is a better way to negotiate a raise. He could talk to his boss about the salary research he has been doing, and that he has discovered that he could benefit financially by seeking employment elsewhere. He could express that he would really like to stay with his current company, but his financial needs are important. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t.