How to ask for a raise?

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Well - this is probably cheeky.

I'm an Admin officially - but I basically do everything for the office, from organising big events costing thousands, to doing minimal tasks like ordering stationary and everything and anything in between! The other guys in the office are purely computer programmers so that leaves me with everything else in the day to day running.

I work 16 hours a week, I'm on £11 an hour. When i started they told me that they would review my wages after a year and i'd be entitled to child care couchers etc and that i would get training - None of these have happened, have now been there nearly 2 years. in these 16 hours I generally do alot. I've just had a review, was told that i work "too quickly" and need to pace myself and that they would like me to take on more reponsibilities but havent said anything about more wage.

How would be the best way to approach this? I know it sounds cheeky asking for more as im on a brill wage but i am the lowest paid in the office (International company, quite a specific sector - not many competitors, company is doing BRILLIANT if im honest)

I generally do need extra money - im not being greedy. My OH is starting a new job and we're struggling this month.

F_T_Buyer

Ok, I hear a lot of this in my work place. The thing you must not do is "I need more money because bills are going up etc etc" if it's on a one to one basis (which I assume it is). Start by saying the extra work you are doing, extra responsibilities, and focus it on how you are essential and part of the company.

My friend in my company asked for a pay rise, and I told her not to say living costs were rising - he knows this already (you can make a generalisation)! I advised to talk about extra work, and responsibility but she didn't... and guess what happened.

If you do everything else in the company, an exercise you could do is make a list of all expenses the company makes (from stationery, to waste collection, to phone bills - basically the costs every company has that is never really looked at) and then that is something you can talk about in your review. They said they want you to take on more responsibility, and you should show initiative with this.

E.g. I've just saved my company £6-7k a year in waste costs (now spend £3-4k), initially the MD did things like this until I had a browse through the invoices and realised we were being ripped off.. but the point is this was no ones job really, so I just made it mine.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Thanks! I'll try that approach. with regards to expenses - that's one i've been arguing with my manager about lol He wont use "cheap" items - stationary, coffee etc! (he even demanded real plants in the office as artificial ones wasnt "good enough" then it was left to me to look after them!) I do keep trying to cut down on spends but he just over rules that. The other thing I noticed was my sales - Although I do the leg work - He's the one making the final "hard kill" so I dont actually get the figures for what sales I've made which makes it difficult. I realise a response to this would be "so do the hard kill" but i physically cant - without going into too much detail the company is VERY technical, and im not. I can't discuss the products at the level needed for the sale but I have asked for training (or basic enough to get by) for past 2 years but nothings happened as of yet . . .

F_T_Buyer

I know what you mean, but at least you are thinking about the bottom line. For example, in our warehouse we have a company come and sweep our floor monthly, yet the staff are too busy to do it - yet it would be far cheaper to pay someone overtime to do it.

ultrarunner

regarding childcare vouchers, from what you say this is a contractual benefit so unless there is some restriction to do with service, I would check with your manager in writing, and involve HR if necessary, to find out what has happened

it may be that the scheme has not been set up, or that the employer has decided to withdraw them (i believe their affect on tax has changed for higher rate taxpayers)

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Hm to be honest i think it's just been over looked - I havent asked for them yet, not really had time!

I didnt have my "yearly" review until I'd been there 18 months!

Thank you for the reply

alisonmeyers

If you're on 11ph as an admin/office support role, i'm not sure your boss will be able to justify giving you a wage increase just because:

• you are the lowest paid staff member (from what it sounds like, you are also the least skilled - I'm assuming that you working in an IT office most of them have degrees and significant technical experience?)
• need extra money due to rising costs (this CAN be used to justify a wage increase in line with inflation though)
• save the company a bob or two by reducing admin related costs (the last one especially if he's been unwilling to buy e.g. fake plants or cheaper paper - you might end up being seen as poking your nose into stuff which isn't wanted or not enough work given to you)

i've seen people try to argue something similar in the past (need extra cash due to lifestyle/due to others being paid more), and it's never worked out well that i recall. i speak as an employee, a manager and as a witnessing friend for that statement.

as other posters have pointed out, you need to tie your request in with how valuable you are to the company, along with a mix of "market rate" research (maybe you're poorly paid for your city/town for all i know! although 11ph is significantly more than my office junior gets in a rather large midlands town, and she has an English degree, so takes on more than her office admin role i.e.she does some copywriting for us - probably will end up as a promotion into that role permanently soon).

i suppose what i'm trying to say is that, you should request a pay increase because you can justify it with business reasons, not because you're feeling hard done by when you compare yourself against a professional colleage's salary DESPITE your company being in profit - unfortunately, HR budgets don't work that way. as the profit pot increases, not everyone gets a proportional increase in their salary. otherwise you'd have RBS secretaries on £50k a year

increasing wages because of inflation and the fact that it was promised - go for it. but not because you're the "lowest paid" member of staff or because your personal circumstances have changed - i'm afraid i'd lose a lot of respect for an employee who tried to frame such a request in that way to me.

the best of luck to you - it sounds like you genuinely do deserve to have your wages looked at, even if it wouldn't be a salary close to the many professionals you're working alongside The next time they're working at 8pm at night with no end in sight near a deadline, you can laugh all the way home to make yourself feel better!

(My DH is a programmer, can you tell i've a bit of a love/hate relationship for IT offices! :rotfl:)

SandC

I agree with the others but there's something else that's struck me.

What would you think of doing MORE hours? Are you doing 16 for a specific reason? At £11 per hour if you worked full time at 39 hours per week your salary would be £22,308. So you can see that's a pretty good wage for an admin worker whichever way you look at it!

They say you work too quick and you need to pace yourself, they also say they want you to take on more responsibility. So if you need more money then how about approaching them requesting more hours in which to achieve the above? I don't know how you work your hours out per day/week but it could be a very good way to go about it.

I've witnessed myself time and again how much work part timers squeeze into their hours, it's especially noticeable when someone reduces their hours down for whatever reason. As for admins doing everything - well yeah. But at least it's not boring eh?

As others have said, don't bring up needing extra money - you were happy to take on the job on that money so if you do 'need' more money then you have to do more to get it. Think on what more you do now compared to when you took the job and use those things too. That's how I worked my payrise (they were going to give me one anyway, turns out) and they couldn't possibly deny it. You are in a good position of knowing that the company is doing well so they can't trot out the 'in the current economic climate' spiel.

alisonmeyers

SandC wrote: »

What would you think of doing MORE hours? Are you doing 16 for a specific reason? At £11 per hour if you worked full time at 39 hours per week your salary would be £22,308.

I think that's actually a really good idea, I hadn't noticed that the lady works a couple of days a week. It might be childcare related though for all I know- OP, is there anything that restricts you showing a willingness to extend your responsibilities beyond your current hours i.e. wage packet to take on more things?

the 22k salary is exceptionally good for an admin worker, although she might be in central london for all i know. and that really, really matters for negotiations like this - 22k sounds totally amazing for most of the country, but it might be "market rate" in her office location. that's why one of the first things i thought of was the girl in my office on two thirds of that with an Eng Lit degree in a commuting town to London (well, it's technically in the midlands, but there are massive stresses on the housing market due to train commuters). that's why I was so :eek: at the 11ph figure for an admin worker - i'm pretty sure all ours are paid just above minimum wage although it's a solid 9-5 job for them at that. they're definitely not on 11ph.

alisonmeyers

Mimi I've just spotted another thread on the front page which has a post clearly showing how to present yourself as due a pay rise (beyond inflation - I still think you should not fear to bring that up, your employers are probably very happy you haven't pushed that issue!!):

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3144458

tkae a look at the thread e.g. Gazella77's post

SandC

Yes, I'm a PA and not reached the dizzy heights of £22k yet.

However, it never seems to much when you've got a part time worker doing it on an hourly rate - usually they cram more in to their hours especially if when they drop it nobody else picks it up!

Admin covers a very wide range though. It's very feasible if you've got many years experience to be paid very well for an 'admin' role which in another company could be a management position.