Asking for a pay rise: example email and tips
A pay rise is rarely settled in a single email. The email serves to request a conversation and say upfront what it is about, so your manager can prepare. The real work is in preparing that conversation.
When do you use this model?
Use this email when you want a conversation about your pay, for example after a year with more responsibility, after a successful project or when you notice your pay lags behind the market.
The model
Fill in the fields in square brackets and delete what does not apply.
Subject: conversation about my pay Hi [manager's first name], I would like to schedule a conversation about my pay. Since [period or moment] I have taken on [new tasks or responsibilities] and [concrete result, for example a project you led or an improvement you introduced]. I would like to look at how my pay reflects that. Half an hour in the coming weeks would be enough. Would [suggested day or time] work? Thank you in advance. Kind regards, [First name and surname]
Tips
- Bring facts: what you do now beyond what you were hired for, which results you achieved and what the market pays for your role.
- Think in gross pay and in the whole package. Sometimes an extra benefit is easier to grant than a higher gross salary.
- Do not request the conversation in a busy week or right after bad news for the company. Timing matters a lot.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put an amount in the email?
Preferably not. The email asks for a conversation; you bring the amount to that conversation, backed by what you do and what the market pays.
What if the answer is no?
Ask what it would take to get there in a few months, and agree on a moment to review it. If nothing happens after that, that tells you something too.
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This is a model, not legal advice. Adapt it to your own situation; your contract, your collective agreement and your payroll provider, union or lawyer remain decisive.