How to Ask for a Raise

Editor's note: If you have a pressing business-etiquette question for Miss Conduct, please send her an email.

In some offices, your relationship with the boss is so good all you have to do is say, "Hey, I need a raise," and you'll get one. But in most cases, where the workplace isn't that informal, etiquette can guide you through a successful negotiation.

The etiquette of asking for a raise is exactly like the etiquette of asking for anything else -- say, salt at the dinner table. The only difference is that in typical offices, the "salt" is hidden (not to mention hoarded), so you may have no idea how much everyone else is getting or how much is available.

Indeed, since "salary" is a word that derives from the salt allowance given as payment to Roman soldiers, the analogy is even more apropos.

Set the Table

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