The government’s plan to limit the rise in household energy bills saw the introduction of a £2,500 cap , with the suppliers compensated with between £130bn and £150bn of taxpayers’ money. This may have contributed to the slight easing of inflation, and economists are saying it could prevent a second winter surge in prices.
The inflation rate is a measure of how prices change over time. If you’ve been noticing that the cost of a bunch of bananas or a pack of loo-roll has increased, that’s because of inflation. The inflation rate is a measure of how much, and how quickly, these prices are rising.
Rising inflation means the value, or spending power, of pay packets is decreasing. A pound today only buys 90.1 per cent of what it could buy this time last year.
Who is getting a pay rise this year?
Latest official figures show that average monthly pay (excluding bonuses) across the economy increased by 5.2 per cent in May to July 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The government recently announced its pay award to public sector workers in England and Wales. From September, new teachers will be paid 8.9 per cent more in a bid to entice people to join the profession, while experienced teachers will get a 5 per cent pay rise.
Basic pay for newly qualified nurses will increase by 5.5 per cent, but most nurses will receive a rise of around 3.7 per cent. This is up from the government’s previous offer of a 3 per cent raise, but far much below the 5 per cent above inflation the Royal College of Nursing is asking for.
The majority of doctors and dentists will receive a 4.5 per cent pay rise, while the lowest paid NHS staff including porters and cleaners will get a 9.3 per cent increase.
All prison staff have been awarded a pay rise of at least 4 per cent, and police officers will get 5 per cent overall pay rise, which works out to a £1,900 salary uplift, or an extra £36 per week.
There is a widening gap between pay rises in the public and private sector. The private sector saw pay rises of 5.9 per cent in the three months to June 2022, while those working in the public sector on average received a rise of 1.8 per cent.
This is why many unions representing workers across the public sector are threatening strike action unless their members receive a higher pay rise.
Union the RMT says its members working for National Rail and Transport for London haven’t received any pay rise for two or three years, leading to railway workers across the country coordinating the biggest strike in 30 years.
MPs on the other hand, received a pay rise of £2,212 in April, which is a 2.7 per cent increase on the last financial year. The rate was calculated to match the average increase in public sector earnings, and is implemented by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
How much of a pay rise should you ask for?
Any yearly pay rise at or below the current rate of inflation is, in real money terms, a pay cut. So you might wish to request a percentage rise to match inflation, and an additional amount to reward your achievements.
For every £100 you earned last year, you would have to earn £109 this year for your money to have the same value, according to the Office for National Statistics’ own calculations. You can use this calculator to find out how much of a pay rise you should ask for if you think it should rise to match inflation.
However, while it might be tempting to justify your request for a pay rise on the increasing cost of living and inflation, career coach Samantha Lubanzu suggests steering away from this to focus on your individual value.
Lubanzu, who has 12 years experience working as a HR Business Partner at Barclays Bank, explained that sadly, rising inflation is something that everyone is facing, so should not be the basis for your request.
“Most organisations will be having their HR team working on how they can bring their pay up in terms of inflation rises,” she said. This has traditionally been at a rate of 3 per cent, though this is well below current inflation rates.
When calculating the rise you want, she recommends looking at what competitor organisations are paying, alongside inflation, the cost-of-living, and what you need to live the lifestyle you want. Make your request in terms of a percentage rather than an amount of money, she adds, as this is the language the finance or HR team will use.
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How to ask your boss for a pay rise?
When it comes to having the conversation, Lubanzu suggests sending your line manager a short email requesting a one to one meeting to include a salary conversation. It’s best to do this face-to-face, or at least over video call.
“The main thing is to focus on what you’re personally bringing to the role,” says Lubanzu, who suggests asking yourself: What do you bring to the role? How can you demonstrate that you’ve been consistently performing highly? And what can you, and only you, do for the organisation?
“You need to focus on your individual contribution to the organisation and how that differentiates you to competitors outside the organisation, so the reasons why they don’t want to lose you,” she continued.
To prepare, you could write a script and practice by recording yourself on your phone and listening to it back.
What to do if your request for a pay rise is denied
If the answer is no, your number one reaction should be to ask for a detailed justification for the decision, and ask what would make it a yes in future, says Lubanzu.
Stay positive, thank them for their consideration, and put in place steps you can take to go back in a few months time with an even stronger case.
It is important to remember, too, that other company benefits can offer value to your working life beyond income. Lubanzu recommends thinking about what other benefits the company could offer you that they might be more willing to concede on.
“It’s really important to understand that money is never really the main driver for individuals to stay in an organisation, there are so many other benefits they need to look at,” she says.
The need for a comprehensive sick pay policy has been drastically highlighted over the pandemic, with statutory sick pay (the minimum amount set by the government that employers must pay), woefully inadequate for anyone to live on.
While your company may deny a pay rise, they may concede to increasing your holiday allowance or improving sick pay policy, or introducing policies to support employees going through the menopause, experiencing bereavement or juggling care commitments.
Allowing flexible working, funding a qualification or allowing a sabbatical, are other ways to boost staff wellbeing that might make staff more eager to stay.
And if a pay rise isn’t possible, a cut to working hours in the form of a four day working week, could be a compromise.
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