How to Ask for a Pay Rise
This is one of the most difficult things that people find to approach in the workplace but nonetheless, the cost of living crisis is forcing many people to rethink how they perceive their work. The problem that we are seeing with high levels of inflation is that when wages don’t rise at the same level, people are effectively getting poorer for doing the same job that they have done. They will still be getting paid the same amount, but each pound in their pocket will buy them less than it did the year before, because of food costs increasing and fuel prices rising.
For there to be a healthy economy, people need to have money in their pockets to spend in the shops and maintain and create jobs in retail and hospitality. This has been at the heart of much of the upheaval that we have seen with the transport unions recently.
All across the public sector, there are pay disputes and strike action that have brought the country to a standstill and many people in the private sector are wondering whether they should ask for higher pay rises as well.
The way you should go about asking for a pay rise is dependent on whether you are a member of a union or not. We have created two separate guides for Union members and non-unions.
Unionised
If you are a member of a Trades Union, they will most likely be handling pay negotiations on behalf of all of their members. They will normally send out regular information updates and let you know of any progress in their negotiations with management.
You can talk to your union representative at any point and find out what the latest situation is and they should be happy to talk you through the current situation. If you have not heard anything from your union, you are free to proactively contact them and ask what they are doing to protect the interests of their members during the cost of living crisis, which has seen inflation reach the highest levels in years.
Non-Unionised
When you are not involved in a Union, it is up to you to do your own negotiation over pay and conditions. This may be done in conjunction with coworkers but a lot of the time people have no idea of the salaries that their coworkers are on and it often seems taboo to compare salaries.
Comparing salaries can also often emphasise that a gender pay gap exists at the company between men and women who are essentially doing the same job, and this can open up a whole different can of worms to raise with the management.
When is the Best Time to Talk About a Raise?
An annual review or appraisal meeting is normally the optimum time to talk about most things, including career progression and a pay rise because it is an ideal opportunity for you to have a personal chat with your boss about anything that has been affecting you over the course of the year.
Normally we would advise caution in raising the issue of salaries but with the way the economy has performed in recent years, you simply can’t allow for your salary to stagnate, as it will put you at a disadvantage year on year every time your employer fails to match the level of inflation when they uprate the pay for employees.
Not all businesses can afford the 10.6% inflation rate and they may have to make an offer of a smaller amount this year, with similar amounts in years to come, while banking on predictions that inflation will fall in subsequent years to a more manageable level.
This can be a bitter pill to swallow at the time but many businesses are struggling in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and simply can’t afford to pay out an extra 10% on their wage bill all at the one time. If it comes down to a choice of giving employees a wage rise or keeping the company going, there is unfortunately not a lot of choice sometimes.
Other Rewards in Lieu of Pay Rises
If you have a conversation with your boss and they are unable to offer pay rises in line with inflation at this time, consider asking for other benefits that don’t cost as much to administer, for example the opportunity to work “compressed hours”, meaning you could potentially work your full-time hours spread across four days rather than five, allowing you to have an extra day off per week, at the expense of a couple of hours more work each day.
Other requests for flexible work could include being allowed to work from home more often, so you can save money on the commute to the office. Make the point that with the cost of living rising, any cost savings you can make will be welcome. They may realise that if they can’t offer you the chance at an inflation-proof pay rise, they can at least help you to cut down on some work-related costs.
Upskilling Instead of a Pay Rise
Another alternative is to ask if the company can meet training costs, to help you upskill, instead of a pay rise. This can be a much cheaper option for organisations and it allows them to see who their ambitious members of staff are, who have a firm grasp of career progression and what is needed to achieve it.
What if They Refuse All Negotiation Attempts?
This is something that you will have to realise is a possibility before going into the meeting. If they believe that there is no need to accede to any of the requests that you have made, it may be time to scale back your activities in the office to those that you are contracted to do and nothing more, while you look for another job.
This has recently become known as “quiet quitting”, even though it is more accurately called “work to rule”, doing the bare minimum that you are contractually obliged to do and nothing more.
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