The United States economy reportedly hit its highest inflation rate in the last 40 years in the summer of 2022, and unfortunately, there are still many citizens who are feeling the financial burn of these price spikes in 2023 in the form of layoffs, being unable to find a job, and spending lots on groceries. The U.S. Department of Labor will release a revised inflation report on April 12, 2023, which will assess the current rate in the country.
A massive problem that many employees face is that inflation is outpacing salary increases, meaning that their money is worth less, even when they receive raises.
And a viral TikTok from user Bochelly (@bochelly_13) is speaking to this dilemma that many workers have found themselves in. In the video, Bochelly features a piece of documentation from his employer, Target, that shows he received only a 9-cent raise, sparking a ton of comments from other folks on the platform, urging him to leave their job in search of a higher-paying position with better merit increases.
@bochelly_13 Nice job 👍🤓#fyp #viral #parati #trending ♬ go follow chris kellogg – chris kellogg
Bochelly records himself walking at their job in five second TikTok set to a remix of Drake’s “Forever” with a text overlay that reads: “Walking out the office after speaking with my manager about my 9 cent raise and how much they appreciate my work.”
The beginning of the clip, which was viewed over 57,000 times, shows a snippet of their raise on a sheet of paper which shows his $17 per hour pay was bumped up to $17.09. The merit increase page indicates the updated rate will go into effect on April 21, 2023. The page also indicates this is a 0.5% raise.
One commenter broke down the math of this increase, highlighting how insignificant it is. “If you work for 20 hour you would usually get 340 now you’re getting $341.80,” they said.
Someone else suggested another course of action Bochelly should take. “Do the bare minimum, find a new job and leave once new job gives you start date,” they said.
But this low wage issue seems to be something many folks are experiencing, as another viewer remarked: “Second target ‘pay raise’ video I’ve seen. Last person only got $.08.”
That user was likely referring to a TikTok posted by the TikTok account @imoveritfr, which posts Target-related labor content and is advocating for workers unionizing. In their video, they showcased an alleged raise an employee who they say has been working at Target for 30 years received. That worker, the paper notes also received a 0.5% raise. Their base pay was $15.38, and their raise bumped them up to $15.46.
Bochelly is also a TikToker who does not shy away from criticizing the company. In another video, Bochelly put the company on blast after he, along with his co-workers, allegedly received Oreos as a reward from the company for exhibiting high performance.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Bochelly via TikTok comment and Target via email for further information.
