Who's got a target on her back? (This chick!)

Thanks to Mean Partner, I now have a huge target on my back.

Useful background info for this story:

(1) Mean Partner, straight-up 1950s style still hands-out paychecks to all the employees. If you have direct deposit, he still hands you your paystub.

(2) When they hired me, they told me I would not be getting a raise until January 2012 because they hired me at a wage higher than any other Paralegal at their firm and I would only have worked there 3 months before the January 2011 raises. I agreed that was fair and to keep it confidential.

Now, I have done some pretty miraculous things sitting at my desk over the last few months I have worked there. They call my desk the cancer. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that cancer is almost in remission, if I don't say so myself.

So, I was excited when Mean Partner handed me my fake paycheck (thank you direct deposit) and announced to me in front of the rest of the staff that they decided to give me a raise. "How awesome, unexppected, and timely," I thought.

That was, until I realized everyone else was getting their paycheck without the same announcement. Not only am I one of the newest employees, I got a raise when no one else did. The glares I got as I left the copy room were deadly. So, was this just another cruel prank by mean partner? Does this happen all the time? And what happened to confidentiality?

Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have a job and to have an increasing salary. I know many people are not so lucky or fortunate.

But way to ruin morale, Mean Partner. You can even make getting a raise bitter-sweet. Congratulations, you earned your name.