To play a little hardball here?

[didalittlenamechange]

Trying to keep this as short and sweet as possible, and changing some details to minimise recognition...

I've worked for a small company for 13 years.

I'm a key part of the business: I've been there the longest, involved across a lot of areas of the business and strategy, the 'face' of the company for our clients, and leading on key areas. I love my team, and I enjoy the work very much, most of the time. I'm employed by them, and I also do contract jobs for them separately, through my self-employed business.

In spring of this year I hit burnout, and have been signed off sick for 2 months. Not entirely work-related; there's been some very hard family things going on in the background and I've been taking care of everyone around me for a long time.

The company has been struggling financially for a while. Invoices are being paid several months late and unreliably, and I've realised that part of my burnout is connected to this financial instability and stress.

I've also realised that I haven't had a pay rise in the entire time I've worked for them, which (given inflation and cost of living) means I've essentially taken an annual pay reduction every year I've been there. And I'm really good at what I do – I believe I deserve better than the salary I'm on.

WIBU to say that in order to return to work, I'd need to reduce my employed days working for them from 5 days a week to 4, but without reducing my salary to pro rata?

In my mind this would give me more time to focus on more reliable self-employed clients and balance my books better, and it would essentially mean that I'd get the equivalent of a pay rise without the company having to increase monthly expenditure and put them further in the red...

I do believe in the business and know they value me, but have realised that they're not going to prioritise my financial wellbeing – I have to do that for myself.

In those circumstances I’d be looking for another job. Their precarious finances could mean they go bust, and you could have both wages and invoices unpaid. That’s a lot of financial risk for you.

Thanks, @JurgenKloppsTeeth - I hear you, and I am going to start quietly looking around, but in the first instance I'd like to return to where I am. They know me, they care about me, and I know what I'm doing backwards and forwards.

I think going straight into a brand new environment and needing to learn new ropes and establish myself with new people after the emotional and mental upheaval of this year would be too much; I need to tread softly just now.

What would you do if they said "No"?

I'd be pretty gutted, to be honest. I'd hope that I'm important enough to the business for them to want to keep me. If it turns out I'm not, then I'll have to reassess and respond accordingly, and that might mean not returning to work.

In this situation, I’d just look for something else and leave. You’d not be any less stressed, you’d be doing 5 days work in 4 days and trying to fit other work in on the 5th day to increase your salary, no part of that is going to help with burnout.

Id be very suprised if they agreed to this considering they are having such extreme money flow issues. only a matter of time before it collaspes and they have to close the business, especially in this climate.
Your best bet is to look for a new job.

You need to look now
and not quietly either. When u go back tell them part of the stress u have is
finanancila due to not being able to to
pay your bills due to cost of living and you realise how low your wage is now. So you are soon to
ne in debt also. So you need a new
job with more
money. It’s that simple
to
tell them. They can’t discriminate you because of it. Then get out of there. Companies care about all their staff when they are being shady and not paying them properly. You’re the kind they like. Work
for less, don’t ask for annual rises,
Sony notice stuff like that, take ur work home, do lots of jobs that aren’t actually yours and back yourself ill For them. They are on their way out. Do you need to go back so
soon your gonna be stressed real quick
again when u go back.

I have been in this position, it will contribute to your burnout if you go back and do this and also if they say no it will contribute to further burnout.

Go back and do 10% less whilst you look for something else

If they did say no could you afford to resign? Or would you have to climb down and stay on their terms? I'm trying to get a feel for how strong your negotiating position is.

@GasperyJacquesRoberts I could. I'd be disappointed to have to use my savings to look for something else (I've been saving hard for a house deposit), but I could.

I mean this kindly, but when you say "I've also realised that I haven't had a pay rise in the entire time I've worked for them", do you mean you've literally just realised? You've never discussed a raise in 13 years? Or have you asked and been told no?

@BatshitIsTheOnlyExplanation I've never discussed a raise. I've increased my income through doing more on the self-employed side with them, but I've never thought about the employed side. I think on some level I just assumed that that kind of thing was for the corporate world, not normal small businesses like ours. Stupid, I now realise – but here we are.

Honestly you're asking for a 20% pay rise from a company that's struggling . I think it's a tall ask but nothing ventured etc..

It could be a tall ask, I know - but since what I'm asking for won't cost them anything more in actual terms, I'm hoping it's the most reasonable way to go about it.

It's also a tall ask for me to stick around for so long without a pay rise, and I'm also struggling....