Guest Blog Post Series: A Pay Raise During Covid-19
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About Good Nelly
Good Nelly is a financial writer who lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has started her financial journey long back. Good Nelly has been associated with Debt Consolidation Care for a long time. Through her writings, she has helped people overcome their debt problems and has solved personal finance related queries. She has also written for some other websites and blogs. You can follow her Twitter profile.
Can You Expect A Pay Raise While Working From Home?
The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives in almost every aspect. To control the spread of this deadly virus, we are trying to maintain social distancing and follow the guidelines of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Due to this pandemic, the global economy is shattered. And our country is no exception.
The companies are trying hard to keep their business running and maintain social distancing at the same time! That’s why many companies are asking their employees to work from home for the rest of the year. And many others are offering flexible timings to their employees to limit the gathering at their office spaces.
So, gone are those days when you used to have fun moments with your co-workers over a cup of coffee.
If you are working from home, you might be trying to adjust to the “new normal” of remote working. And pushing yourself hard so that you can be more productive for your company. That’s really good!
But can you expect a pay raise while working from home?
Well, working from home doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t expect a pay raise. No doubt, working from home has some advantages. But it has its own challenges too!
You may feel burnt out while working from home and managing household chores at the same time. Moreover, you may have to shell out more money due to higher energy bills. And buying ergonomic and IT equipment to set up your workstation at home.
Besides, everything is becoming expensive nowadays. Due to this pandemic, expenses on toiletries, groceries, etc. have increased manyfold.
On the other hand, your company can save a substantial amount of money as there will be much less amount of energy and internet bills along with a reduction in consumables.
So, if your company is running smoothly and your performance is satisfactory, you can expect a pay raise while working from home.
However, you need to evaluate the situation from your company’s perspective as well. If the company is not generating enough revenue now, you can’t expect a raise. Or, if your productivity has declined sharply while working from home, you may not be eligible for a raise.
If you feel that you deserve a raise, you can talk to the HR or your manager about that. Remember, asking for a pay raise is a sensitive issue. So, make sure to maintain professionalism while discussing it.
When you are working remotely, you can’t have a face-to-face meeting with your boss. So, you might feel hesitant about having a conversation regarding your paycheck. After all, body language and facial expressions matter!
So, before you proceed, here are some of the factors that you should consider before expecting a pay raise while working from home!
Evaluate the current situation of your company
Most of the businesses are suffering from massive losses due to this pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs and eventually, the unemployment rate is at its all-time high!
However, the companies are trying utmost to revive. And if you are still employed during this pandemic, you should be grateful to your company.
So before expecting a pay raise, you need to analyze the current situation of your company.
Arrange your accomplishments
Make a list of your achievements since the time you have joined your company. This will serve as evidence of your dedication to the company.
Besides, you can include the details of how your productivity has increased by working from home. Keep these details ready so that you can show it as a reference while talking to your boss about pay raise.
Fix a meeting with the HR
Well, you need to chalk out the right time to talk to the HR. You can ask him/her about the right time to fix a one-to-one meeting in the upcoming weeks.
Try to schedule an appointment with the HR when he/she is likely to be in a fresh mood. Besides, you can let the HR know about the subject of the meeting so that you don’t put him/her on the spot. Else, you might not get a favorable response from the HR.
As you are working from home, I would suggest you schedule a video call. Because negotiating your salary over the phone or through emails is not the best approach. Get to know the 6 tips on how to negotiate your salary and be confident while communicating.
Be optimistic
While talking to the HR, you need to justify your request with valid reasons for why you deserve a raise. After completing the one-to-one meeting, you need to wait for some weeks for the HR to respond. You can’t expect an instant response from the HR about your pay raise.
If you get a raise, render your thanks to your manager and the HR and work hard for the company.
But if you don’t, please don’t lose your heart! Maybe, the situation is not right for the company to give you a pay raise.
You might have planned that after getting a pay raise, you would try to get rid of your debts by contributing some more dollars to your monthly payments.
Well, in that case, you can become debt-free and that too by paying less! Find the best debt relief companies out there to settle your debts and get rid of them with ease.
So, try to maintain a positive attitude even if you don’t get a pay raise. It will help you in the long run!
So, the bottom line is, you can expect a pay raise while working from home. But you need to keep in mind about your performance while working from home and the present financial situation of your company.
In the case of remote working, I believe that both employees and employers should increase their trust and engagement. It can lead to more revenue generation and the goodwill of the company is also likely gonna improve in the long run!