1

How fair is it to request a raise every quarter?

I'm working in a small firm with 5 employees, and there are no written policies on pay raise and everything is according to the employee's own hard-work, determination, and expectations.

I am also following a qualification, which there are colleagues of mine who are already at the end of their journey but they are not having the the commitment and enthusiasm that I am having and putting to my work.

Ilyas H
  • 1,455
  • 2
  • 9
  • 20
Mutavail
  • 29
  • 3

2 Answers2

8

I think that a salary raise every quarter is overkill. Normally, that increase is based on some evaluation, which takes time and effort, and ultimately, money. And paperwork.

While it may happen, it is not usual.

Salary increases are done usually once per year. It is your opportunity at that time to request for a bigger salary increase, to cover all smaller salary increases which you expect to have every quarter.

Bottom line: not really fair. It will probably not hurt much to discuss with your manager, but don't go there with big expectations.

The "Why"

Salary raises are usually correlated to any (combination) of the following:

  • taking more responsibilities;
  • doing exceptionally good work;
  • exceeding expectations;
  • being promoted.

While it is possible for somebody to evolve fast for a while, that cannot go on for a long time.

Also usually, in case of promotions and / or new responsibilities, salary is automatically negotiated.

In the other cases, the yearly evaluation is the good answer. In that way, you can prove that the good work is a "way of life", not an accident of 1 day.

virolino
  • 27,187
  • 8
  • 60
  • 103
  • How many companies do you know who perform salary increases each quarter? Until this question, I was not even aware that it was an option! Except promotions and other stuff, which require change of contract anyway. – virolino Feb 20 '19 at 13:15
  • Even in small companies, there is this thing called a budget. Like any good business, salary increases are normally accounted for in the budget. That doesn't mean you cannot ask for more cash outside of that, but you sure as heck cannot ask quarterly. Solid answer. – Neo Feb 20 '19 at 13:32
  • hi @virolino - our OP is working in a company where they don't have a policy on pay raise. They have no written policy and everything is ad-hoc. That is .. disgusting. As I say in an answer, Do not think about "quarterly" specifically - basically any time that the "time is right", perhaps after some achievement, demand more money. – Fattie Feb 20 '19 at 13:35
  • Perhaps you are all here business owners, I am only on the side of workers. It is *absolutely normal* that a company will seek to extract more and more profit from an employee every month, far less every quarter. It is absolutely normal that a company will vastly increase the number of paying users every day, that a company will increase its six-figure contracts coming inwards every week, that a company will take millions more in investment every month. These things are all "normal". In all these things a company is sucking more and more profit from each employee. – Fattie Feb 20 '19 at 13:38
  • There is always a policy for everything. It is usually called common sense, and also usually, it is not written. As I wrote: he can try, but he may not be successful. If he persuades, he may look unfit for the job and get fired. – virolino Feb 20 '19 at 13:38
  • Yet for some reason it is seen as surprising that an employee would seek more pay each quarter. Well, to me it is not strange at all because I constantly see the vast sums of money "companies" (ie, "some rich guy") extracts from the efforts of employees on a daily basis. So, to me it is not surprising. Employees should demand their pay and pay increases continually. – Fattie Feb 20 '19 at 13:40
  • 1
    @fattie: I never owned any kind of business. So rest assured, I am not trying to "suck" anything from anybody. – virolino Feb 20 '19 at 13:40
  • Good for you, @virolino . The simple actual fact in the actual question at hand is that the company in question is sucking every penny they can from the OP. Regarding increases in the profit they suck from the OP, they seek to and they do increase the profit they suck from the OP every day. Yet - disgustingly - they "do not have a policy" on raises. And we hear they may be terribly, terribly inconvenienced with "paperwork" about raises. – Fattie Feb 20 '19 at 13:58
  • Do you work at the same company as OP? You seem to know how things go there... – virolino Feb 20 '19 at 14:09
-3

Is it "fair"?

It is absolutely normal that a company will seek to extract more and more profit from an employee every month, far less every quarter. It is absolutely normal that a company will vastly increase the number of paying users every day, that a company will increase its six-figure contracts coming inwards every week, that a company will take millions more in investment every month.

These things are all "normal". In all these things a company is sucking more and more profit from each employee.

"and there are no written policies on pay raise and everything is according to the employee's own hard-work"

In this case: you should definitely and aggressively demand more pay frequently.

Do not think about "quarterly" specifically - basically any time that the "time is right", perhaps after some achievement, demand more money.

If you think about it "when" would you ask? They have no schedule at all (which is silly), so you can raise the topic any time you like.

I suggest this language:

"Hi guys. As you know we have no fixed schedule of which time of year to discuss salary. Since it's almost the end of the month, let's discuss the issue now. Let's set a new rate as of the 1st. As you know at the moment I'm on $xyz which is drastically below market value. $pqr is the minimum I could work for in this market, and I'd like 20% more than that based on the ABC job I just finished. Give me your thoughts."

You've said it yourself,

everything is according to the employee's own hard-work, determination, and expectations

So do it.

Note - you mention a colleague, etc. Do not consider them in anyway, whatsoever, in your own salary negotiations.

Fattie
  • 32,594
  • 12
  • 67
  • 99