Wow, a whole $14? How shall I ever spend it?

We got our pay stubs--payday is the 31st. With the annual increase our staff association had negotiated (we're in year 2 of the agreement). Wow, I have a whopping net increase of $14 and change per month. Thanks to the mandatory increase in pension contributions.

Come January 1st, my net paycheque will be going backward, with further mandatory increases in the pension contributions.

Yes, I'm eternally grateful I have a decent job, I'm lucky and I realize it

But forgive me if I don't get excited about $14 and a few cents. It doesn't exactly make a dent, any dent, in my debt load or help offset the increased costs of groceries, utilities, condo fees, property taxes, vet bills and the like.

Gosh, I have the sudden urge to take the afternoon off, can't think why.

Meanwhile, I found out yesterday that one of the top administrative offices here created a position out of thin air for a temp person and gave it to her, without going through the proper HR posting process. So they recently hired two people: one to fill the position permanently, and this temp too, for whom they created a new position. And the positions are not piddly little office assistant grades.

Nice.

So apparently "fiscal restraint" and "accountability" are only for the rest of us.

*Big breath*.

Okay, my work rant is over.

I'm going to keep calm and carry on or burst a blood vessel trying.