The Pay-Rise Playbook

Before you plan a pay conversation, work out which kind it is. A discretionary request asks your employer for something they’re free to give or refuse, such as a rise because your role has grown. An entitlement is something you may already be owed: a rise that was agreed but never paid, one due under your contract or a collective agreement, or pay that’s lower because of who you are rather than the work you do. Entitlements follow a different route from bargaining. If you think you have one, or have an equal-pay or discrimination concern, get advice promptly, for example from Acas in Great Britain (guidance checked 6 September 2026).

This lesson is about the first kind. It follows Jo, who earns £40,000 and has taken over her team’s monthly reporting.