4 Ways To Know When Its Time To Ask For A Raise

4 Ways To Know When Its Time To Ask For A Raise An anonymous poster at the Fairygodboss discussion board asks This week, there were layoffs at my company - and Ive been given a second department to manage. With no pay increase. Is that typical? Would a man be mora likely to have gotten a raise with incremental responsibility? Do I have any leverage here?This is a great question, and fortunately (unfortunately?), youre not the only woman Ive heard say this has happened to her lately.A friend of mine is going through the same reorg process in her case, there were no layoffs, but she was told that she would be merging another group into her own, with no mention of compensation ormore importantly to hera title change to match the other Directors in her position. Shes totenstill a Manager.So, youve just found out your responsibilities are increasing.When is it appropriate to ask for a raise?The short answer its always appropriate Youve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Ideally, the perfect time to ask is when youre told youll be receiving those new responsibilities.Right away, it lets your supervisor know that a raise is on your mind.When is it too late to ask for a raise?I get the sense that this has already happened youve already taken on the new responsibilities. Like, past tense. In this case, lets move on to your question do you have any leverage? This answer is more difficult, but there are a few next steps you can take to find out where you stand.1. When you think your coworkers are making more.Compare your job description to those of other similar positions. If you think you may be being paid unfairly, start by finding out what youshouldbe making, using a tool like theFairygodboss Salary Database. If the predicted salary is higher than your current salary, you may have a leg to stand on.2. Its too early to ask for a raise before you feel out comparable salaries.Discuss your situation with other (sympathetic) managers. It can be awkward to bring u p the topic of salary with coworkers, but youll know for certain where your employer stands. If you find that you make a comparable salary in comparison to your peers, youll know that you may not be able to do much negotiating.3. After you get another job offer. This one is dicey, but apply for a new job. If you get an offer, youll have a direct comparison on your handswhat youre making now vs. what you could be making. The downside is that if your current employer finds out that youre shopping around, it could potentially put your job on the chopping block.4. Its never too late to askFinally, ask If you dont ask, you cant get A short, simple, and straightforward script may help you to feel ready Adding an additionalXmembers to the team is so exciting Is there any chance of compensation for the additional responsibilities that Ill be taking on? If the answer is no, dont give up Id like to revisit in 3 to 6 months, can we put something on the calendar?The topic of equal pay is not an easy one. For many women, it can bedifficultto assert oneself, especially since the discussion of salary can be a very personal one. Remember theres no harm in asking, and since your employers value your work enough to give you the extra responsibilities, you are an asset, whose happiness is a priority. So, askthe worst thing they could say is no, and you just might get a raise out of itWhen asking for compensation, dont just think of it as dollars and centsperhaps you would prefer more paid time off or increased employer matching for your investment retirement account. For ways to encourage your employer to be more family-friendly, check out, What Does It Mean to be a Family-Friendly Employer?--Dr. Amanda G. Riojas is a Scientific Computing Researcher living in Austin, TX. She is also the Advice Section Editor for the Scientista Foundation Advice Blog, Liaison to the Corporation Associates Committee of the American Chemical Society, and Chair of the ACS Central TX Local Section Wo men Chemists Committee. Amanda basically spends all of her time trying to tell everyone that women are awesomebecause she has a daughter now and wants her to know that girls can do anything.