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I have been at the same company for 10 years and I am pretty happy. This year I decided to ask for a raise. I thought I performed well in the previous year (according to our customers) and so I wrote what I thought was a fair letter justifying the raise. I emailed it to my team lead and his boss. That was 10 days ago. I have not received anything back at all. Not even a rejection email like "we are sorry but it's just not possible at this time".

Is this strange? At this point a rejection email would be better than this complete silence. Are they working on something? What should I do next and when should I do it? Should I send the letter to other managers who may be able to help?

thanks

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    When it starts taking a bit too long, please read this
    – user2818782
    Jan 25, 2019 at 6:00
  • What do you know from the grapevine? Some companies just make a point on not raising anyone ever.
    – Rui F Ribeiro
    Jan 27, 2019 at 22:23

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Unfortunately, this is not strange or unusual.

I believe you should follow up.

Asking for a raise can be a stressful endeavor, but it's a part of the life of a salaried worker's life.

If you desire an answer with more words you could check How should I properly approach my boss if I'm feeling underpaid?

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    I feel like I should follow up but i am worried that the two of them simply ignored/forgot about it. Gives me a bad feeling. I find it very unprofessional that one of them didn't just say "we'll get back to you - please be patient".
    – divide_by_zero
    Jan 25, 2019 at 2:09
  • You have learned that companies care only for the company. Leave and get a new job - it's the only way to push your salary ahead.
    – Fattie
    Jan 25, 2019 at 15:15
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I have been at the same company for 10 years and I am pretty happy. This year I decided to ask for a raise.

If you haven't received a raise in 10 years, it is very likely you're being paid below your market rate just based on inflation alone.

I wrote what I thought was a fair letter justifying the raise. I emailed it to my team lead and his boss.

Asking for a raise through email first is sadly just asking to be ignored and dismissed. I personally would still take your request very seriously, but it's just not the norm to see that sort of sensitive request via email.

To ask for raise, you should talk to your direct manager to discuss face-to-face. Don't involve other people from your team like leads or your manager's boss. Your manager may request that you help them put together a list of reasons when you should receive a raise, especially if this is off cycle. Do this promptly (or as @AndreiROM suggested do it before the meeting and bring it with you) to ensure you're not the bottle neck in the process.

Make sure you get an estimated timeline of the process and definitely follow up on how your request is progressing.

This is one of those case if you really want the raise, you need to be the one to drive the whole thing forward. That means following up with your manager on what's going on with your request. I'd recommend interviewing externally to get a gauge of your true market value to help you negotiation internally or as an exit strategy in case things go south.

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  • "Your manager may request that you help them put together a list of reasons when you should receive a raise" <- I would actually suggest having this ready when you walk into your manager's office.
    – AndreiROM
    Jan 25, 2019 at 21:29
  • @AndreiROM That's a pretty good idea!
    – jcmack
    Jan 25, 2019 at 22:36
  • Thanks for very helpful response. I was not clear. Every year I receive the normal cost of living increase, anywhere from 2.0% to 3.5%. But is has been 5 or 6 years since i have received a real raise. I would consider 5% or more a real raise.
    – divide_by_zero
    Jan 26, 2019 at 1:34
  • Also, I should have mentioned that I am at a satellite branch in a different state from the main corporate office where my team lead is. I had no choice but to use email or a phone call. I spent a lot of time on the letter trying to make sure it contained the correct reasons for why I think I deserve a raise - how I helped the company's bottom line etc. I emailed this letter.
    – divide_by_zero
    Jan 26, 2019 at 1:35
  • I guess I could now call my team lead on the phone or I could send another email with something like "Is there a good time when we can discuss this over the phone?". I just find the lack of any response at all over 10 days unprofessional.
    – divide_by_zero
    Jan 26, 2019 at 1:35

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