Leah DeGruchy https://remote.com 3m 808 #payraise
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Employee requests for pay rises up 23% due to cost of living crisis
With the cost of living crisis having a drastic impact on the UK population, workers around the country are calling for their employees to help.
New research from HR specialists, Remote, has revealed that Google searches for ‘how to ask for a pay rise’ have increased by 23% since last year. Data shows that on average 8,200 people per month have been searching for advice on the topic online.
In Remote’s recent survey of 2,327 employees and employers, it was revealed that many companies are trying to adjust how they work to help reduce the impact of the rising cost of living. However, only 27.4% of businesses have provided additional financial support to employees (e.g. bonus, travel paid for to work, etc.) due to the cost of living crisis. Other methods of support include flexible work arrangements, as
21.1% of employers stated they have allowed their staff to work from home more frequently to reduce costs following the cost of living crisis.
Asking for adjustments to your work or compensation can be daunting for employees. With this in mind, Remote have revealed the top 10 most difficult conversations to have at work.
Google search data reveals the top 10 most difficult conversations to have at work
Rank | Question | Monthly Google search volume |
1 | how to ask for a pay rise | 8,100 |
2 | how to tell your boss you’re sick | 2,900 |
3 | how to give negative feedback | 720 |
4 | what to say on your first day at work | 720 |
5 | how to report unfair treatment at work | 590 |
6 | what to say to someone leaving a job | 480 |
7 | how to report bullying at work | 320 |
8 | how to talk to your boss about burnout | 320 |
9 | what to say to an employee who is leaving | 320 |
10 | what to say when you’ve made a mistake at work | 260 |
Asking for a raise was revealed as the most searched for workplace question, with an average of 8,100 people Googling ‘how to ask for a pay rise’ each month. Asking for a pay rise can be a nerve-wracking experience as employees may fear rejection or feel unequipped to negotiate a new salary. It is important to be confident about your achievements and experience, and research comparable salaries to present a strong case for requesting more compensation at work.
With an average of 2,900 Google searches a month, ‘how to tell your boss you’re sick’ comes in second. Even though everybody gets sick sometimes, many worry that being off work could lead to them getting in trouble with their boss, or they may stress about their workload going incomplete. Having a clear and transparent sickness policy will give employees peace of mind that they’ve followed the correct protocol.
Workers wondering how to give negative feedback come next, with 720 Google searches a month. This can be a hard topic to address as discussing poor performance or inadequate work could upset some members of staff. When giving feedback, it’s important to ensure it’s constructive so the person receiving it doesn’t feel demotivated or criticized.
Another conversation employees struggle with is reporting mistreatment at work, with ‘how to report unfair treatment at work’ and ‘how to report bullying at work’ getting 590 and 320 monthly searches respectively. These discussions can be difficult as the employee will have to talk about situations that have hurt them, they may also feel anxious that without a resolution these matters could get worse.
Nadia Vatalidis, VP of People at Remote shared their advice for dealing with difficult conversations at work:
“Difficult conversations at work are bound to come up from time to time, so it’s important for employers to create a work environment that encourages open communication and honesty so when they are needed, these types of conversations don’t feel so hard.
To help both employers and employees with these conversations, we’ve put together 5 tips to assist these challenging discussions:
Don’t wait. You may feel tempted to wait for the perfect time to have a hard discussion, but it’s unlikely the perfect time will come up. Organise a meeting as soon as an issue arises so they can be dealt with quickly.
Preparation. Once you’ve organised a meeting, make sure you prepare for it. If you’re asking for a pay rise, make sure you know how much you want and why you deserve one. If you’re reporting unfair treatment, ensure you have any evidence you may need.
Talking points. Set talking points in advance so both parties know what is going to be discussed. This is also the best way to ensure the issues are dealt with and you don’t get sidetracked.
Remain professional. Throughout the discussion, ensure you keep your emotions in check and discuss the facts of the matter. Be wary of your tone of voice, shouting has rarely solved anything.
Solution. Before the meeting ends, come up with a solution together. Having clear outcomes will help both parties remain positive about the meeting.”
(
