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My question is about having a toxic boss.

Once again, I’m disappointed by my yearly loyalty raise. The thought of waiting a whole year for the next job review is depressing me. Despite the fact that my review went very well, that excellence won’t be reflected in my paycheck. We’re all down in the dumps and talking about moving on. I love my coworkers, but the boss is toxic. When he’s in a lousy mood, his atrocious moodiness spreads like a really bad cold virus. At the end of the day, we take home the toxicity.

–Ashley, Providence, RI

Your question about your toxic boss is a common one. Here are facts you need to know:

• According to Social Security records, the average ‘loyalty’ raise is 2.5%.
• Job changers can make more than 10% a year; if you change jobs every few years you’ll be ahead of the game.
• Taking into consideration the stage of your career should be a factor.
• For the first decade your salary should double; the second decade it may increase 50%; the third decade your income stops growing; the fourth there will be a slight decline.
• Again, according to Social Security records fewer that 2% of employees double their income from the third decade on.

My point is that you need to take these simple facts into consideration and move on.

Since you get along well with your current co-workers, you’ll most likely get on well with new ones.

• Keep your job while you look for a fresh opportunity, because it is easier to find a new position when you’re already employed.

Here are some tips to get you on your way:

• Getting a raise should not be a once-a-year exercise.
• Have a one-on-one conversation with your boss this week to discuss what your success looks like and find out what is key to your boss in the coming year.
• How is (s)he looking to take the company?
• This is not a once a year conversation.
• Get an update at every quarter.
• Keep a record of these discussions.
• Find out what you should be making from Comparably, GetRaised, Payscale, or Ziprecruiter.
• Check out the new app Switch, which is the Tinder of job searching.
  Hired.com is a marketplace where companies bid and compete for the most talented workers.
• Have a back-up plan when you’re told the budget doesn’t include raises.
• When there are no raises proactively look for projects or initiatives of value: flexibility to work from home, mentorship, partial payment for an executive MBA, a rotation in another division or overseas assignment, etc.
• Women continue to earn less than men; they are not as likely to ask for a raise because they know they are seen as less attractive employees than men who asked.
• If you’re given the raise you deserve, don’t spend it; investing it forges greater confidence.

Consider gracefully leaving an unsatisfying do-nothing job. Take the initiative to kick-start your career.

A recent Gallop Poll found that fewer than a third of employees answered that they were actually “engaged” in their job.

The New York Times recommends the best selling book on the subject, MASTERING THE ART OF QUITTING, by Peg Streep and Alan Bernstein, as the latest guide to finding happiness through being more improvisational.

~Didi