I started working for my company 4 years ago as a PA to the managers of a department. There was a salary band and I asked and was given mid range on the understanding that I wouldn't get a cost of living increase because I wouldn't have been with the company for 6 months (my probation) by the time the annual review came around. As it happens the annual review date was changed significantly and so I had passed my probation and then some. I didn't get an increase but I thought put up and shut up because I have a job and am thankful for that in itself.
A year or so after starting an MD was bought into the company and I was told I would be her PA, along with the managers who at the same time were also promoted to Directors (this increased both theirs and my workload). For 6 months or so I was PA to MD, 6 Directors and 2 managers and I was having to work really long hours. I did discuss this with my manager but it was the same old story, we're trying to get support for you signed off by the CEO. This was appreciated but by this point I was doing more than tripple I was hired to do and on the same salary (thinking about it I did get cost of living but as did everyone else). I know this is the story of most peoples lives!
I muddled along and about 6 months later the structure of our department changed and because they wanted to streamline things the increased everyone's salaries to be the same (per type of role) the people who had been on lower suddenly jumped by £6k. It was at around this time that they decided to bring in a department administrator and I was promoted to Operations Coordinator doing things such as setting up a company intranet site, looking at server space and partitioning it for the whole company and all the while still PA to the MD, for this I was given a £1.5K payrise. The MD left a year ago now and my role as Operations Coordinator became more extensive, often I was in the office by 7 and working through lunch. I enjoyed it at the time but now that I'm a mum and I feel somewhat brain dead I can't help but think it might just be thoroughly exhausting - even though I loved it.
I went for a back to work meeting last week which was great and although my old job is still there and waiting for me they did (softly softly) suggest that they have a new Director (more senior than the last) who needs some support. I am a flexible person and to be honest have missed being a PA and think this would suit me well. They don't have a job description yet or a firm idea of what they are looking for so they are going to come up with a proposal but I did say I wanted to be more than a PA, i.e. going forwards rather than back. They also talked about me supporiting (in addition) the Marketing Director (which could involve travel) and the Systems Director.
Obviously at the moment nothing is set in stone but I know what they're like and they'll want me to take on quite a bit. I don't mind doing this because it's mostly the sort of job which can be left at work and then I can go home and be crazy mummy. I am wholeheartedly grateful to have a job when many don't, I just feel like this might be the time to ask for a payrise. I don't have any experience of asking for one though. Do you think that it would be ettiquettely (would help if I could spell that!) correct to ask when they firm up a suggestion?