Salary increase

Hi
Just wondering how long you have to be in a job before you can ask for a payrise? A girl I work with used to do the job I am now in, the problem is I am on the same amount of money now as she was on when she did the job 4 years ago. I feel with inflation and the cost of living in Ireland today, that the salary should have increased with the times in the last five years.
I want to say this to my boss, do you think I have a leg to stand on?

You can ask whenever you like. Whether you'll get it or not is another thing. If you started the job recently and accepted the existing salary/confisions then why is that now not enough if it seemed OK before you knew about the other person's situation?

I am in my job six months, and will be having my six month review in a few days. I found out after I started that another girl in the company who did my job four years ago was on the same salary then as I am on now. My salary is quiet low, and I am finding it difficult with the cost of living in Ireland at the moment.

I just wondered if a job paid a certain amount for a role four years ago, usually after that amount of time should the salary not have risen with inflation and do I have a right to ask for a salary increase?

suziesu said:

I just wondered if a job paid a certain amount for a role four years ago, usually after that amount of time should the salary not have risen with inflation and do I have a right to ask for a salary increase?

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Not necessarily - often the company will try to get the best deal by hiring the person capable of doing the job who is willing to accept the lowest salary even if this is less than what was paid in the past. In your case you were happy to accept that originally but now that you know the historical salary for the same job your views have changed. By all means ask for a raise at the 6 month review but I would assume that this was more a case of the employer reviewing your probationary performance with a view to making you permanent. However your case for a higher salary should probably have more to it than just the fact that somebody else was paid more for the same job in the past - e.g. you should highlight where you feel that what you have done justifies a higher salary even though you settled for lower in the first place.

ClubMan said:

you should highlight where you feel that what you have done justifies a higher salary even though you settled for lower in the first place.

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I agree; you get paid what you are worth, not what someone else was worth.

When you're having your review (and depending upon how you feel that review is going) you should ask if your boss could consider a request for a salary increase. Explain that you feel you are doing a good job (if you feel you are) and that you believe you deserve a slightly higher salary (if you believe you do). It's the ideal time to bring it up, but, like I say, see how the review is going first (ie see what the "boss" feels about the way you are doing your job).

ok thanks for the advice!