Asking for a raise now

[Lion_Woods]

With the state of the business now, it is even possible to ask or receive a decent raise at the paper you are working for? People are being laid off. Sections are shrinking. Work expenses are being questioned more than ever. With all these attempts to save money, are papers even willing to reward solid employees?

 

[DyePack]

With the state of the business now, it is even possible to ask or receive a decent raise at the paper you are working for? People are being laid off. Sections are shrinking. Work expenses are being questioned more than ever. With all these attempts to save money, are papers even willing to reward solid employees?

 

[gandhithegreat]

That's a great pic...

What's in it for them to give you a raise?

 

[goalmouth]

With the state of the business now, it is even possible to ask for a decent raise at the paper you are working for?

Not if you want the answer to be no. Then it's ideal.

 

[Riddick]

I recently went through something similar. Did everything they asked when it came to what it would take to get an extra raise, and they still turned me down.
If you want a raise, try and get a new job and then just leave, cause most papers don't even care when solid reporters jump ship.

 

[2underpar]

most papers have a certain time of the year when they dish out raise -- at least the ones I'm familiar with. Going in to the boss at any other time of the year is a waste of time.
For us, it's usually the first of the year. at others, it's the end of the financial year.

 

[LemMan]

If you think you merit a raise, by all means, ask. The worst that can happen is you're told that, due to financial constraints, it can't happen. But it never hurts to ask.

 

[Bob_Jelloneck]

 

[Tom Petty]

from my experiences, if you are worth it, they will give you a raise ... just don't tell me you've been at your place for something stupid like eight months or something like that, though.

 

[Madhavok]

Well, what about two years? I did get a raise last year around this time (give or take a week or two) and I would hope something could be done about getting some extra cheese.

 

[gandhithegreat]

invest in Real Estate

 

[Turnbull AC's]

If you think you merit a raise, by all means, ask. The worst that can happen is you're told that, due to financial constraints, it can't happen. But it never hurts to ask.

The worst that could happen is you're told you don't deserve it.

 

[2underpar]

I'd e-mail the publisher demanding a raise. That should work.

 

[Twoback]

Tell them about this offer you have from the Plain Dealer ...

 

[Tom Petty]

Well,  what about two years? I did get a raise last year around this time (give or take a week or two) and I would hope something could be done about getting some extra cheese.

mad - do this before you get called in and are given the standard 3 percent. tell your SE or editor (depending on the size of the paper) you LOVE your job, that you LOVE the city in which you live and that you'd LOVE to stay there forever but are having a difficult time making ends meet.

do this only if you think you're worth it and you believe your bosses believe you're worth it. if they really do value you, they'll find some extra scratch.

 

[Bob_Jelloneck]

Well, what about two years? I did get a raise last year around this time (give or take a week or two) and I would hope something could be done about getting some extra cheese.

mad - do this before you get called in and are given the standard 3 percent. tell your SE or editor (depending on the size of the paper) you LOVE your job, that you LOVE the city in which you live and that you'd LOVE to stay there forever but are having a difficult time making ends meet.

We don't care. We can probably get some community-college dropout to work for half of what you're making, and if we can, we will.

P.S. I hear Wal-Mart is hiring. ;)

 

[doubledown68]

Writers such as myself, with high school gigs at smaller mid-size papers have absolutely no leverage. If I put my two weeks in today, they'll have 100 resumes waiting by my last day of work. And that new hire will be a college grad, and they can deduct the meager pay raises they've given me over the last few years.

In fact, I'm fairly confident I can walk into the editors office and say Paper X is offering me $500 more a year to go there... but I'd like to stay here (which I don't want to do, but play along for argument's sake).

The editor would say, well, good luck at Paper X. We'll miss you.

If that's the boat you're in, don't ****ing bother. Why pay you more when they can just pay someone else less once you leave?

 

[Riddick]

try this on for size. papers often try to adjust their entry level salaries to match the rising cost of living. So, they'll offer graduates a salary based on the 3.4 percent increase in living, but the employee that's been there for a couple of years keeps getting the 2-3 percent increase.
i've known people to make less with two years experience at Paper X, than the guy fresh out of college. now that's ****ed up.

 

[RedCanuck]

mad - do this before you get called in and are given the standard 3 percent. tell your SE or editor (depending on the size of the paper) you LOVE your job, that you LOVE the city in which you live and that you'd LOVE to stay there forever but are having a difficult time making ends meet.

do this only if you think you're worth it and you believe your bosses believe you're worth it. if they really do value you, they'll find some extra scratch.

That's good advice as that's a perfect way to bring up the issue without being seen as unappreciative of the standard raises. Your caution, too, makes a lot of sense because if it backfires, it might be the type of thing where you'd like to have options when they call your bluff.

 

[Tom Petty]

mad - do this before you get called in and are given the standard 3 percent. tell your SE or editor (depending on the size of the paper) you LOVE your job, that you LOVE the city in which you live and that you'd LOVE to stay there forever but are having a difficult time making ends meet.

do this only if you think you're worth it and you believe your bosses believe you're worth it. if they really do value you, they'll find some extra scratch.

That's good advice as that's a perfect way to bring up the issue without being seen as unappreciative of the standard raises.  Your caution, too, makes a lot of sense because if it backfires, it might be the type of thing where you'd like to have options when they call your bluff.

red - i think many people are more appreciated than they think. yes the industry is bad, but, if you don't ask for a larger raise, why should they ever offer you one?

people aren't rewarded nearly enough any longer for being a good employee, people are rewarded because they might leave. if you are good, and editors value you, they will throw you some extra coin ... nobody likes training someone new -- and taking all those damned phone called during the hiring process when you obviously listed the ad with 'no phone calls.'