Hello Caregivers!
As a professional caregiver you have never been in higher demand. It is a perfect time to reevaluate your pay rates. It’s all about leverage! (With FrannyCares you can set what your desired pay range. We will not show you any jobs lower than your set range.) If you think you are being underpaid, you must take it upon yourself to ask for a raise and demonstrate why you deserve one. Not the easiest conversation, I know…but this is YOUR power and YOUR livelihood. Taking control is the only option.
Below are my tips for negotiating a raise:
- Do Your Research
Knowing what the average pay is in your area is critical to know before you start negotiating. Check out Intuit Mint for average salaries for caregiving jobs. If you have caregiver friends, ask them what they are getting paid. Also ask them what benefits they receive, for instance, paid-time off, paid meals, health insurance etc.
Note: Intuit’s figure is a yearly salary so to find out what the hourly rate is, you would divide by 2080, which is the average hours worked per year.
- Make a List
You may think your employer understands your value and will pay you fairly. I wish, you wish, we all wish! If you don’t advocate for yourself and stay silent then things will stay the same. I recommend caregivers write down all the times they helped their employers by going above and beyond, were flexible with covering a shift or received compliments from a family, colleagues or supervisors. Your aim is not to read this list off, but it demonstrates that YOU understand your value and you want the employer to understand it as well.
Note: Pay disparity between women of color and White women has increased over the past few months. Do not be a statistic.
- Practice, Practice, Practice
Negotiating for a raise is not a conversation we have every day. What I’m saying is that it is usually uncomfortable to us because we haven’t practiced it like we have practiced our conversations with say, a dementia patient, or giving colleagues notes on patients during shift changes. These are conversations you can probably have in your sleep! Tap a trusted individual to play the role of the employer. Have them say “no” to you or “we don’t have the budget” or “why do you need a raise?”. The more you practice your pitch, the better the result will be.
Note: Remember this is a negotiation. An employer may go back and forth with you on the actual figure. Know what your bottom line is. What is the minimum figure you are willing to accept?
Stay Amazing!
~ Franny
