Home Depot Associates Report Unexpected Raises, Confusion Over PACE Merit Process

Front-line Home Depot associates noticed small, unexplained increases in recent paychecks and turned to an online store forum to compare notes, revealing confusion about how the company is handling merit and anniversary raises under its PACE performance process. The posts, made on January 14, showed workers uncertain whether the adjustments reflected merit decisions, anniversary schedule shifts, or a change in how managers and payroll execute raises.

One original poster wrote, "I noticed I got a small raise on the last paycheck, and my anniversary isn't for another month or so, so I'm not sure what it was!" Replies on the thread offered possible explanations and next steps. One community member suggested, "Might be your merit raise for how they're doing PACE now. I think you can check on Workday and it will tell you when your next raise would be or when you'd be eligible." Others highlighted a breakdown in communication, with one user noting, "Aren’t we supposed to have a sit down conversation and meeting on performance beforehand? None of that happened — I just noticed increase of pay and have no explanation for it." Another added that training materials had signaled changes, saying, "Last month my training had a notice about PACEs and raises, they’re changing it up. I just don’t remember how."

The episode matters because predictable timing and clear communication about pay changes are core to morale and retention for store-level employees. Associates depend on anniversary raises and merit cycles to plan household budgets and to gauge how store leadership is evaluating performance. When raises appear without an explanation, workers can feel uncertain about whether they will see similar treatment in the future or whether local managers and payroll are following consistent procedures.

The thread also illustrates the role of workplace forums in surfacing on-the-ground execution issues. Posters pointed to Workday as a place to check eligibility and timing, and several said they had not received the customary performance conversations before the pay change. That gap suggests a potential mismatch between corporate processes for PACE - the company’s merit and performance framework - and how those processes are being communicated or applied at the store level.

For associates, the immediate steps are practical: review Workday entries, raise the issue with store leadership, and document communications about performance reviews and raise timing. For managers and HR, the episode signals a need to ensure that merit actions come with the expected conversations and clear notices so front-line staff understand why pay changes occur. As pay cycles and performance systems evolve, clarity at the store level will be pivotal to maintain trust and reduce uncertainty among hourly associates.