Pay Rise

Hello folks,

My friends and I had a chat over coffee whether it is common for employees to get pay rise from their employers every year. My question is:

1. Is it really common? I am aware that some govt departments get pay increments year by year according to inflation rate (minimum). I work in the private sector. My performance is above average according to recent performance review from my direct supervisor.

2. If it is, by how much should it rise by? I am struggling a bit (just a bit) paying rent here in Perth. So if I bring up this rent issue, will management consider this as a valid reason?

Thanks in advance

Re: - Pay Rise

kerosam said:

Hello folks,

My friends and I had a chat over coffee whether it is common for employees to get pay rise from their employers every year. My question is:

1. Is it really common? I am aware that some govt departments get pay increments year by year according to inflation rate (minimum). I work in the private sector. My performance is above average according to recent performance review from my direct supervisor.

2. If it is, by how much should it rise by? I am struggling a bit (just a bit) paying rent here in Perth. So if I bring up this rent issue, will management consider this as a valid reason?

Thanks in advance

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In my experience non-collective negotiated salary increases will average the CPI, on an annual basis. If you are above average in performance, then an above average increase would seem appropriate to me.

Cheers,

Re: - Pay Rise

JOB = Just over Broke

Re: - Pay Rise

The market sets the price of everything...

If you have skills that are in short supply then you're in a good position to get yourself a pay rise. That's especially so if your employer sees you as having the right personal attitude (skills can be taught, attitude generally doesn't change - smart employers don't want to lose people with the right attitude).

If not then CPI's probably about the best you can hope for.

If it's a large organisation then your supervisor may not have the authority to actually give you a pay rise and those that do probably have no idea what you do. In that case raising the profile of your section (the section, not just yourself) within the organisation could be worthwhile since at least senior management will know you exist and do something valuable when you come asking for $.

But be warned that raising a section's profile can backfire badly if the company is looking to cut back on staff etc however.

Re: - Pay Rise

I am in the private sector and get a pay rise above inflation every year.
There is a shortage of decent workers in WA. You should be getting a reasonable pay rise. If your boss is not sharing the profits in the good times, he will be terrible in the bad times. Get another job.

Re: - Pay Rise

I have nothing against management... come end of this month, it'll be one year with them. The coy HQ is in Vic and the branch manager and I are the only staff in the WA branch.

I'm quite happy with the opportunities the coy has given me so far. My direct supervisor is not too bad. I can work with him quite alright. he usually doesn't impose things on me (unless HQ insist on something) and even make most decisions regarding the WA branch by taking the time to discuss with me. He makes the effort to communicate.

The present issue for me is cost of living in WA has risen quite a bit for the past 12 mths. So if I approach them for a pay rise with this reason, would it be justifiable?? Would a 7% rise be too much?

Your comments appreciated.

Re: - Pay Rise

kerosam said:

2. If it is, by how much should it rise by? I am struggling a bit (just a bit) paying rent here in Perth. So if I bring up this rent issue, will management consider this as a valid reason?

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I don't think this is the correct angle. Focus on your value. They don't pay you so you can pay your rent...they pay you for the value you bring.

Re: - Pay Rise

kerosam said:

I have nothing against management... come end of this month, it'll be one year with them. The coy HQ is in Vic and the branch manager and I are the only staff in the WA branch.

I'm quite happy with the opportunities the coy has given me so far. My direct supervisor is not too bad. I can work with him quite alright. he usually doesn't impose things on me (unless HQ insist on something) and even make most decisions regarding the WA branch by taking the time to discuss with me. He makes the effort to communicate.

The present issue for me is cost of living in WA has risen quite a bit for the past 12 mths. So if I approach them for a pay rise with this reason, would it be justifiable?? Would a 7% rise be too much?

Your comments appreciated.

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Considering there is a shorty of skilled labor in WA, I'd just mention in passing that I was thinking of going to work on the mines...

Re: - Pay Rise

A long running argument for lower pay in Tasmania was that housing was cheaper than Melbourne (a lot of things in Tas end up being referenced to what happens in Melbourne).

Never mind that Tas has ridiculously expensive costs for food and groceries, not much public transport (though it's improved in recent times) making cars essential, high costs for heating (cheap power but climate means we use plenty of it) and so on. But they only ever look at housing and conclude that it's cheaper to live here than elsewhere (though that argument seems to be disappearing now that house prices have increased).

The wage disparity went to the point that workers doing identical work for the same employer ended up earning less in Tas than in Victoria. For example, workers building Basslink (the Tas-Vic power cable) were paid different rates according to which side of Bass Strait they were on. Same company, same work, different pay. And of course those in Victoria were in Gippsland and not in Melbourne so they too had the cheaper housing etc.

That case actually seems to have been something of a turning point. The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) launched it's "Same Power Same Pay" campaign at that point. For electrical workers at least, the gap has narrowed and other industries seem to be heading down the same track. Health workers in particular seem to have been pushing this point - same work, same pay.

I'd imagine it's similar in WA - you can't have what they're getting in Sydney etc because this, that or something else is cheaper in Perth than it is somewhere else.

Try getting a mainstream media article saying that Perth houses are the most expensive in the country and present that to the boss if you encounter this argument. It should at least make the point that Perth is NOT much cheaper than the other cities, at least not in terms of housing that bosses tend to focus on.

Personally I've found it beneficial to come up with some plan that makes $ for the company and diverts some of that into the workers pockets at the same time. Everyone wins that way so the bosses have no real reason to oppose it - but in a large organisation you'll have trouble convincing management to accept such a profit boosting proposal "from the floor".

Re: - Pay Rise

Kimosabi said:

Considering there is a shorty of skilled labor in WA, I'd just mention in passing that I was thinking of going to work on the mines...

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It's an argument being use quite a lot here in Tas. Go to work in the (WA or Queensland) mines to earn big $.

Management response is generally that doing so is a radical lifestyle change and they can't hope to keep people here if they're contemplating something so drastic in order to triple their pay.

They argue that wages need to be competitive with similar work in a similar location and that working down a mine in WA etc is radically different in every way. A bit like saying they can't give a shop assistant the same pay as a surgeon and that if someone's willing to study medicine etc for however many years in order to earn that money then so be it.

Re: - Pay Rise

Theasxgorilla has it right, show your boss the value you add to the company. For example, if you have introduced something that saved the company money or made the company more money, you are more likely to get a pay rise based on that, instead of because rents have gone up in WA.

Seek or careerone should have some resources about asking for a pay rise which would be worth having a look at.

Re: - Pay Rise

deftfear said:

Theasxgorilla has it right, show your boss the value you add to the company. For example, if you have introduced something that saved the company money or made the company more money, you are more likely to get a pay rise based on that, instead of because rents have gone up in WA.

Seek or careerone should have some resources about asking for a pay rise which would be worth having a look at.

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This all gets back to the old fashion way of getting a pay rise....Earn it!

If you feel you have earned a pay rise, then show him. Good luck KS.

Cheers,

Re: - Pay Rise

deftfear said:

Theasxgorilla has it right, show your boss the value you add to the company. For example, if you have introduced something that saved the company money or made the company more money, you are more likely to get a pay rise based on that, instead of because rents have gone up in WA.

Seek or careerone should have some resources about asking for a pay rise which would be worth having a look at.

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Hays Recruitment run Salary Survey every year across number of job sectors, it gives you good indication of what salary to expect in each city.

https://www.hays.com.au/salary/default.aspx