No Pay Rise? What Can You Ask For?

So with wages stagnating, and no hope in sight for it going up,what can employees ask for instead?

Flexible working conditions
Flexible work is one of the most sought-after benefits.
“Whether it be to spend more time with family and friends or attend a leisure activity, we all have our out-of-work commitments that are important to us and flexible work helps us to achieve our desired work-life balance,” he says.

“If staff are able to obtain a better work-life balance or work from home and save themselves from long commutes and long working days, this will improve their wellbeing,” says Cawley.

Health and wellness
More than 40% of employees would like access to a health and wellness program through their employer, says a research.

“Our health is important to all of us and signing up for health programs can be costly, therefore having this on offer through your organisation is highly beneficial and gives employees a sense of being valued,”.

Extra leave
Almost half of all employees want more annual leave, with research showing 45% would like more than the standard 20 days a year.
“People don’t just take leave days to go on actual holidays; they use them for other obligations such as weddings, funerals, volunteering or to get some personal chores done,” .
“The ability to meet these commitments as well as have time to relax would be a highly valued perk.”

Financial support for studies
Offering financial support for additional training can pay off for both employees and employers.
“If an employee wants to upskill but doesn’t have the means to do so, they might feel held back,”.
Providing opportunities for additional training helps workers feel valued, while the company gains a better-equipped employee without the cost or time involved in hiring someone.

Rewards
A whopping 95% (in a research)of employees said recognition of their hard work is a very important engagement factor. This can include vouchers, certificates and social activities, says Cawley.
“Providing a reward to employees lets them know that their hard work has been recognised and that it’s appreciated.”

How to negotiate

So how can you increase your chances of landing these perks?
“Find out what other benefits are being offered at organisations in the same sector; this can also be used as a comparative.”

Then reflect on your achievements.
“Just like you would for negotiating a salary increase, prepare a list of all your achievements and remember to include any increases in workloads. Highlight where you add value as this will give you leverage to negotiate.”