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"You deserve a raise, but I'm sorry, we don't have money for pay increases this year."
How would (or did) you respond to this scenario? Acceptance? Sufferance? Or would you see an opportunity to turn your stellar performance review into something else of value?
Yes, even with budget cuts and wage freezes related to The Great Recession, you do have options. Can you think of at least one? If not, let that be a reminder that women are socialized to accept the status quo, which puts a blinder on ways to improve their circumstances.
Armed with that awareness, challenge yourself to ask your manager for an arrangement that compensates you with--if not more money--more time.
Since the organization isn't able to increase my compensation this time around, I'd like to propose another way to acknowledge my job performance which will also increase my productivity and job satisfaction. Would you be interested in hearing about it?
What wise manager wouldn't say yes to that? You would then present your proposal to have every other Friday off without a cut in pay. How is that possible? Take a look.
Your proposed scheduled would be to work 72 hours over two-week time periods, all-year round.
- First week: Monday through Friday (40 hours)
- Second week: Monday through Thursday (32 hours)
That's only 10% fewer work hours than the standards, which makes it relatively manageable for your boss--and your budget.
(As a salaried professional, you probably work longer than eight hours a day. You can still make your case because the cut in hours from taking every other Friday off would be proportional to the 40/32 split.)
Negotiating 10% fewer hours generally means a 10% cut in pay. At face value, 10% (in hours) may seem like a lot to ask for in lieu of a raise. And it is. After all, the average raise for salaried, non-union, non-executive white-collar workers is in the 3-5% range, depending on what's happening with the economy. (The recession and post-recession period meant below average raises, with some employees experiencing wage freezes, if they kept their job at all.)
Yet because it costs your employer nothing in direct dollars to give you more time off, it's possible to negotiate those same eight hours off (10%) as a trade for a raise.
If that doesn't fly, keep talking. You may be able to find an agreeable compromise position. For example, offer to take a 5% pay cut to get your 10% cut in hours, i.e., eight hours every other week. In essence, you get an hourly pay raise (for the number of hours worked) at no cost to your employer.
Then next year, when the budget is better, keep the every-other-Friday-off schedule you've established and accept the pay increase in dollars.
So the next time you hear "no money this year" for a pay raise, use this time-off trade-off strategy.
Flexible work adviser and pay raise coach Pat Katepoo equips career women to negotiate for more time and money at their current job. Will your boss say YES to your request for a flexible work arrangement? Find out using this quick 3-question quiz. Looking for a raise? Visit RaiseWorkbook.com.