Negotiating salary increase?

[baubletime]

I started my current job a few years ago. It is an admin job, about a 5 minute drive from home in rural central Scotland. They allow me to condense my hours which all in has been perfect. I am good at my job and this has been highlighted with new tasks added to my day. These extra tasks are financial tasks with a level of trust and quite a bit of responsibility.

The increase in minimum wage this week has made me think about where I am at and what is involved at work daily. I currently earn £13.90 an hour so just over a £1 more than the NMW from April next year. I am not sure if my expectations are widely out but I just don’t feel it is enough. Salary reviews are due in January. They’ve never not given staff something but I’d be hoping to increase to around £15 an hour. I don’t know if that will happen or not but I am prepared to start job searching again if not.

My manager is definitely one of those people you can’t hold a gun to his head. I am content at work - mainly because I have my own room so can shut the door and I don’t need to get involved with the daily politics etc plus, as I say I condense my hours. I would like to be prepared if salary increases are low. Is there a way to approach management if increases are low/not enough. I suspect not and it will be a case of deciding to stay or leave but I wonder if anyone has any tips or suggestions.

Do you know what comparative salaries are in the area and the availability of jobs? Do you know if your jobs are graded and how much others are paid? Have you heard others being successful in negotiating a one off increase?
Id do your homework on the above as a start.

Thank you.

A few jobs have come up locally. I haven’t unsubscribed from Indeed. I haven’t researched thoroughly (I will do though) but there was another job at a few thousand more than me. I did involve weekend working though. I don’t want that.

We are a small team. There are only 15 of us so no scales that I am aware of. There is only one other person with a role loosely related to mine. I don’t know how much he earns exactly but his package is different to mine as he has a company car.

I do appreciate your tips though. I will get looking. Thanks again.

No problem, my view is that it can’t hurt to ask! I’m in a position that I need the flexibility more than the money so I ask for accommodations that way more often.

Do have a look at the local job market, it’s fine to say you’ll start looking but if there’s nothing available with the combination of hours, location, flexibility you could easily back yourself into a corner. You can use comparable jobs to strengthen your case with your current employer.

If you know pay reviews are coming up, I’d have a conversation with my boss now to set out my additional responsibilities, how the local job market is and your expectations of the pay reviews. It’s too late once they’ve told you what your pay rise is because they will argue that their salary budget has been agreed for the year. Asking early lets them think about your pay rise in conjunction with everyone else and set their budget accordingly. If you don’t tell them, they won’t know and if you don’t ask you definitely won’t get.