How to ask for a pay rise...

rossi789

Hello!

As the header suggests I am thinking of asking for a pay rise. I am a chef in a family run business that is a fairly laid back work place. Whilst my boss is approachable, I know he is struggling so I do feel guilty about. It is said to 'look after number 1' and I am struggling to make my bills at the moment, without even mentioning food and petrol expenses.

I have never asked for a pay rise before, hence asking for advice on it. When I go over it in my head, I can only think of reasons why older colleagues DON'T deserve do be paid more than me. e.g. lazy, bad at cooking/ordering. I assume this isn't the angle I should be taking??

Thanks in advance!

planning303

whats the job market like in your current area? are their comparative roles that are desperate for people with your skillset? If so go with this angle or just get a new job.

If not and the market is saturated with unemployed chefs you may want to think twice

rossi789

Jobs a few and far between, there are some within the 15-20 mile region but the pay increase isn't large enough to pay for the petrol. Many offer split shifts, so 4 trips a day. My current workplace is 4 miles from home so in the warmer months I cycle there.

I have also been trying to get out of this line of work for a few months now, trying supermarkets, banks, and other large companies in the area and no luck as of yet. The job I am in now I sort of fell into as I started washing dishes part time and was promoted. I know in myself that I can do whatever is thrown at me but I made the mistake of leaving school and not gaining any extra qualifications (juvenile me didn't have his head screwed on). Now I find myself in a financial position and job that doesn't allow me to go to college or afford any education fees.

magenta22

It would be difficult and I assume not possible as you have mentioned your boss is struggling. People are not spending so much on eating out when it's far cheaper to cook at home so you have to take that in to the factor too.

Perhaps just mention in conversation to your boss how you are finding things and hope that he is good at picking up on hints.

Badger_Lady

The way to request a pay rise is to present a business case for it:

- I have developed / improved since the last pay rise and brought X new skills to the workplace.
- My role has increased in responsibility or has expanded since the last review, and is therefore more valuable to the business.
- The marketplace for my work has moved on and equivalent roles in the area are offering X% more.

If you can accurately state at least one of the above (ideally all three), and discuss it with specific examples, it will be difficult to say 'no' to you. But remember - saying 'no' is the worst thing that could possibly happen! Not too bad a risk

lizzywig

I was always told that any payrise you feel you are due should be directly linked to your skillset, your hard work and how you are an attribute to the company....along with any additional responsibilities you may have taken on since starting the job. Definitely don't go with 'you work harder than your colleagues', with no offence meant your boss will view this as childish, it is also not his job to make sure you have enough money to pay the bills, it's his job to keep his business going. So don't be suprised if he says no, if it's a laid back family run business it's likely he'd want to treat everyone equally and give everyone a rise or not at all. Then again if you don't ask you don't get!

My husband is a chef and is in the same position, he loves his job but although he has been promoted and taken on extra responsibility he hasn't been given a payrisebecause the company can't afford it. He's now got himself a part time job 2 nights a week to bring in some extra cash. Finding full time jobs at the moment is hard....have you thought about part time bar work to top you up?

rossi789

Badger_Lady wrote: »

The way to request a pay rise is to present a business case for it:

- I have developed / improved since the last pay rise and brought X new skills to the workplace.
- My role has increased in responsibility or has expanded since the last review, and is therefore more valuable to the business.
- The marketplace for my work has moved on and equivalent roles in the area are offering X% more.

If you can accurately state at least one of the above (ideally all three), and discuss it with specific examples, it will be difficult to say 'no' to you. But remember - saying 'no' is the worst thing that could possibly happen! Not too bad a risk

Thanks, I will definitely be doing this and I'm going to jot down a few reasons now in preparation!

rossi789

lizzywig wrote: »

I was always told that any payrise you feel you are due should be directly linked to your skillset, your hard work and how you are an attribute to the company....along with any additional responsibilities you may have taken on since starting the job. Definitely don't go with 'you work harder than your colleagues', with no offence meant your boss will view this as childish, it is also not his job to make sure you have enough money to pay the bills, it's his job to keep his business going. So don't be suprised if he says no, if it's a laid back family run business it's likely he'd want to treat everyone equally and give everyone a rise or not at all. Then again if you don't ask you don't get!

My husband is a chef and is in the same position, he loves his job but although he has been promoted and taken on extra responsibility he hasn't been given a payrisebecause the company can't afford it. He's now got himself a part time job 2 nights a week to bring in some extra cash. Finding full time jobs at the moment is hard....have you thought about part time bar work to top you up?

Seeming childish was exactly what I wanted to avoid, and the advice I've had today will definitely help me I'm sure.

I have been applying for part time jobs in local shops etc but yes it is tough, gaining experience is the hardest part as everyone seems to ask for people with experience. Obviously voluntary work is an option, but I need a paid job now, rather than in a few months.
If I haven't got anything else by the new year I think I will have to try volunteering.

sho_me_da_money

Can I have a payrise?

Googlewhacker

sho_me_da_money wrote: »

Can I have a payrise?

No Filling space up