When do you ask for a raise?

I agree with you. I suppose you’ve already told them all that, so perhaps you need to say what you said in your question in a nicer way, such as “We’ve discussed this already. There is nothing new to say, and I’ve given you my firm answer. Please don’t bring it up again. Now let’s concentrate on having a great life together!”

You are thinking clearly about the job and the fact that asking for a raise now is completely inappropriate.

The issue, as you are also seeing clearly, is your dad’s behavior. @snowberry‘s script is a excellent one. Say it once and then tell him you will not discuss it again.

This is a good thing to think about, laugh over and NOT say, or say only to us.

Most of the times I just want to shout, “Can you shut the fuck and go away? It’s OKAY I got this right now.”

Look for another job, with similar or higher pay. Once you have a job offer, if you still want to stay working in the same place, tell your boss that you’ve been offered this job, and unless you get a raise to $[your preference], then unfortunately you will have to leave.

If you can’t get another job offer, tell your father just be thankful for what you’ve got

When you truly deserve one. Doing your job well for any given time does not mean you deserve more money. You’re paid your current wage to do your job well.

A lot of places do yearly reviews and sometimes those are accompanied by either a small “cost of living” raise or the opportunity for one. That may be what your dad and uncle are getting at. It is less common for entry level positions and more common at large companies. So for people with a long term career at a large, stable, company they become expected and can add up. Do they work in those types of positions?

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking your supervisor for a quick review of your work after a year. I’d follow up with asking what you can work on to improve your understanding of the next position you’d be interested in within the company. A little ambition and a desire to improve are usually seen as good things.

I think most people have at least one job where they feel they were taken advantage of in terms of pay, your dad and uncle may just be looking out for you.You might try asking for more information, let them say their piece, teach their lesson, and then let them know it’s appreciated and understood. They might be more accepting of “I’ve got this” if you give them that opportunity first.

To be honest, the company isn’t quite at its best. I overhear conversations all the time about how they don’t have as much money as they used to and how they don’t do bonuses anymore.

It is a foundering, if not a sinking, ship. If a better offer comes up elsewhere, take it. If not, do a decent job, collect your paycheck and prepare for grad. school

In all my working years I never asked for a pay rise, I simply got them or not. I do believe if a company feels they cannot do without you they tend to look after you by rewarding such things. The pay raise per annum is a thing of the past, as more and more companies prefer to keep people on as individuals not as a whole. When times are rough this applies more.

I take it you pay your father money in some way that this is important? Then herein lies the real issue.

It would seem annual raises are still fairly common

from About.com

Note that only 75.1 percent of employees received a non-promotional raise last year.

That they consider that “only” may mean they are becoming rarer, but 3 out of 4 folks still look for their salary to increase, even without a promotion, each year.

@funkdaddy Absolutely. My husband started at his job 2.5 years ago at $16.20/hr. Hes now making $19.40/hr in the same exact position. However, these raises (both review-based and cost-of-living raises) were given to him without him asking. It’s great to have a job like that. However, I would never ask for or expect a raise solely because a certain amount of time has passed.

@livelaughlove21 – I’m still not saying he should ask for a raise, he should do what he feels is right. I’m just saying his dad and uncle probably have a valid point, generally speaking. They just don’t know the specifics of his job and are ignoring that and probably not explaining themselves very well. At least that’s my two cents.

The problem with not giving raises at some sort of interval for time on the job is that new people will generally be hired at market rate when they come on (for jobs with a set rate, or range) and salaries have been going up 3–5% a year. If no one is receiving similar raises for time on the job your newest employee will also be the highest paid in their position, all other things being equal. So incremental raises make sense to at least keep pace with cost of living and what a company is paying new hires.