Check your legal entitlements
While employers have complete discretion over pay increases, you have a legal entitlement for being paid accurately.
Whether you exercise your legal entitlement is another matter.
Check your employment contract, employer policies, statutory minimum wage, industrial awards, collective or enterprise bargaining agreement, etc.
If you are working for the minimum wage, it is worth checking the current rate. Different rates apply to different categories of workers, at different work times, and for doing different things.
Therefore, if your salary hasn’t increased in line with the minimum wage, talk to your manager first.
Limited by employer pay scales
Your salary is usually tied to where you are on your employer’s pay scale. Most organisations have pay grades for each job, with a midpoint salary assigned.
If you are well below that midpoint, you have room to move within the same pay grade.
Limited by industrial awards
Depending on the nature of your job, as well as the conditions set out in your award or enterprise agreement, your manager may not be able to control your pay. Their hands are also tied.
This is where you need to ask for additional non-monetary benefits or perks to compensate for the lack of financial increase.
Who should I ask for a pay increase?
Approach your line manager first when you want a pay increase.
If you can’t convince your manager, going over their head or by-passing them is never a good idea. You need the support of your manager who will be asked to validate your claim.
You are still reporting to your manager. They can make life difficult for you when they find out that you have gone to their superior instead of them for a pay increase request.
Always maintain a good relationship with your manager
Therefore, strive to maintain good relations with your manager first whatever the outcome of your request will be – a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.
You still need to work with them after the dust has settled.
If you intend to leave and find a new job elsewhere, you may still want a good reference from your manager.
Your future employers will defiantly ask for references from your previous managers!