What to Do If You Are Entitled to a Raise
Since the coronavirus isolation began, those of us fortunate enough to keep our jobs have put a lot of time and energy into our work. We learned new skills, including the art of meeting with Zoom; we also help our companies stay productive in times of heightened uncertainty and anxiety.
Isn’t it time to ask our boss for a raise? Is this even possible – or appropriate – during a pandemic?
This question becomes even more important if you missed the annual performance check due to a blockage. If you had to talk to your boss about a pay raise but didn’t get the chance, you might ask yourself if there is a good way to start a conversation.
I reached out to Alison Greene from the manager for her opinion on whether it was the right time to ask for a raise, and she confirmed what many of us already know in our hearts: it is not.
“I would say that there is so much uncertainty and anxiety in most industries right now that this is not the right time for most people to ask for a raise,” Green told me. “Employers are trying to figure out how to keep people and where they might have to cut back and what their finances will be in two months. There is a high risk of being considered deaf to this context. “
Green suggested one exception to this scenario. If your employer is relatively unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic and the associated economic uncertainty, and if your company is not cutting costs or facing any financial risks, the topic of wage increases could be brought up. There are some industries that are doing extremely well at the moment, and the workers in these sectors may increase the load, respectively, which means that it can perhaps be advisable to ask for a raise.
But it might also be a good idea to wait a little longer, because as Greene reminds us, you probably won’t have to wait forever. “This does not mean that we are entering a multi-year period when people cannot demand a raise,” explained Green. “It’s really around now that we’re still in the middle of this kind of uncertainty.”
My advice? Take a note on your calendar to revisit the idea of asking for a raise later this year. If you know when your organization prepares its annual budget, try to time the time for your request to drop before the budget is finally approved. If you already have a performance analysis on your schedule, now is a good time to pick it up. If you missed the performance review, ask your manager when (or if they would like) to postpone it; this will give you a lot of information about where your employer is in terms of priorities.
And then keep doing what you’re already doing — complete your work, meet deadlines, communicate with your team members, and be the employee deserving of the promotion you’re about to ask for.