mo’ MONEY

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE MOST AWKWARD OF WORK CHATS? HERE’S HOW TO DISCUSS YOUR SALARY

Most of us are just happy to have a job right now – or we’re desperately looking for one. So the delicate art of asking for a raise may not be top of mind. But it’s never too early to start gathering ammunition for your next pay review, says Meggie Palmer, who has been running daily Powerpeptalk sessions via her pay-negotiation app, Peptalkher, to support women through the crisis. The key is to know your value.

PANDEMIC PRICE TAG: During times of economic challenge, cashflow is king, so if you have a job, the priority is to keep it. Your boss may ask you to take a pay cut, or tell you bonuses are on hold. If you have a safety net, feel free to play hardball. If not, work with your boss to keep the business afloat. This isn’t to say you’re not still valuable, but if sales and revenue fall, businesses have three options: make more money, cut costs, cut staff – or all of the above. It’s completely fair to ask to review your pay in six months’ time, when (hopefully) the economy is picking up steam again. SALARY WEBSITES: Glassdoor, Payscale and Syndio can help. Be warned, their accuracy varies. RECRUITERS: Once a year, talk to a recruiter who lives and breathes salaries, job descriptions and compensation packages to check your market value. ASK AROUND: Talk to friends, superiors, people you admire and especially men about what they make.