Q & A with Survivor, Gervase Peterson.
Say Gerv? I’m a very good worker, but my job only gave me a two percent raise. How can I get a better raise next time?
– Lee, South Philly, PA
Lee, take stock of what you’ve done for the past year. Were you on time? Have you made any mistakes? Do you go above and beyond? Do you work overtime? If you were on point with all of those things and more, then have a talk with your boss. Keep the conversation about yourself. Don’t talk about other co-workers and what they do or don’t do. Let your boss know you feel like you have succeeded and surpassed the expectations he had for you. If he’s still not budging, ask your boss why he doesn’t think you’re worth more than the two percent he gave you, and what do you have to do to get a better raise next time. Revisit this conversation again in a few months to see where you’re at. If you’re still getting the same run around, you may want to consider looking for a new job. Feeling underappreciated and undervalued is not conducive to being the best worker you can be. Don’t be afraid to update your resume and look for something better. Remember Lee, you always have to do what’s best for you. Good luck!
Say Gerv? I’m a business owner and I have a flirtatious relationship with an employee. Should I pursue this or not?
– Tom, Philadelphia, PA
Tom, the first question you should be asking yourself is, “How many ways can this go wrong?” I can think of 1,684 ways off the top of my head, but I’ll just discuss a couple with you right now. If you start dating an employee, anything she does that’s not within company policy with no repercussions will look like you’re giving her special treatment. She comes in late? “Oh, she can do that because she dates the boss.” She messes something up? “Oh, she can get away with that because she’s sleeping with the boss.” You’ll ruin the morale of your other employees and slowly destroy your own company from within. Also have you not been watching the news? You may think you’re being flirtatious, but your employee may think you’re harassing her. And that, my friend, could lead to you losing your business. With so many women in the world, why can’t you just make the ones you work with off-limits? Hey, I love to gamble, but the odds on this bet aren’t good, Tom, and that’s a bet I wouldn’t make.
Say Gerv? If a girl asks a guy out on a date, shouldn’t she pay?
– Mike, Collingswood, NJ
Mike, from your question, I guess you’ve never heard of the word “chivalry,” and it must really be dead. I have a simple rule. If you ask a girl out or she asks you out, the guy pays. I have a three date rule. I pay for the first three dates. After that, if she wants to pay, I’m cool with that because if you make it to date number four, things are usually going well and you’ve made a good connection. I know women are independent, can take care of themselves and handle their business, but it just feels like the right thing to do. So does opening doors for them, giving them your jacket if they’re cold and getting their drinks. It’s called being a gentleman, and I don’t know any woman who doesn’t love one of those.
Gervase Peterson was a cast member on the reality series “Survivor” and is an actor and entrepreneur. He keeps busy fulfilling personal appearance requests and speaking engagements across the country.
