Quick, it's Wednesday afternoon – officially the best time to ask for a pay rise, so get to it. According to recruitment firm Office Angels, four out of five employers are most receptive to requests for a pay rise or promotion on this otherwise humdrum day. You may be putting it off until Monday, giving yourself time to build up to it over the weekend, but your chances of a fair hearing and a good result are higher if you act now.
But if you do want to take advantage of this once-in-seven-days chance to squeeze more cash from your manager, you had better make sure you've done your homework. First, are you really worth extra cash? You may know you're too smart for your salary, but a more persuasive argument is that you're paid less than the going rate, so check out adverts for similar jobs to see if that's true. Then, you should check that you're meeting your job description and earning the money you already get. Be clear on how much you want, rather than just asking for more.
And before you knock on your employer's door make sure you have a back-up plan, just in case your boss is among the 20% that isn't receptive to pay requests on a Wednesday, and the answer's no. This could mean asking for another review in six months' time (maybe not on a Wednesday), or buying a ticket for the midweek lottery. Good luck!
