How can I, as a government worker, get a higher salary?
If you are employed by the state, you have specific rights to have your salary assessed and adjusted. Annual local negotiations are familiar to most people, but many do not know about the rest of the possibilities - especially in the case of probationary periods and transition to a permanent position. Here you will get an overview of all your options and how you can proceed to ensure the best possible salary development.
Your opportunities for a salary increase – an overview
As a NITO member and government employee, you have several specific opportunities to receive a higher salary:
- Annual local negotiations – your most important opportunity
- Salary increase after probationary period and first year – many people do not know about this right
- Transition from temporary to permanent position – right to salary assessment
- Negotiations on special grounds– when you can demand a salary increase outside of the annual negotiations
- In the event of a change of position or job code – an important opportunity to negotiate salary
- How to increase your chances of success – how to argue for a higher salary
Annual local negotiations – your most important opportunity
The annual local negotiations are the most important opportunity you have to get a higher salary. The distribution of wages in the central government takes place locally in the individual enterprise.
What are annual local negotiations?
Annual local negotiations are negotiations that are carried out at your workplace, where a pot of money is distributed among the employees. These negotiations can be carried out when:
- Funds have been centrally allocated from the financial framework for local negotiations
- The employer side allocates financial resources from the company's budget.
- In practice, this means that local negotiations are conducted once a year, usually in the autumn.
Important deadlines
- April: Central negotiations between the state and the main confederations
- August-September: Deadline for submitting demands for local negotiations – note! varies from business to business
- September-October: Implementation of local negotiations
- 31 October: Negotiations are due to be concluded
How to Raise Your Salary Claim
Important to know: In local negotiations, NITO and Akademikerne negotiate with the management on the distribution of the financial framework – how much is spent on general supplements, group supplements and individual distribution. It varies from company to company how you proceed to get your claim included in this year's negotiations.
In some places, you submit a written salary claim via your union representatives. In other places, it is the management that distributes the individual supplements after agreeing with the trade unions on the structure and criteria to be emphasised in the individual distribution. This is in line with NITO's wage policy, but it is up to the parties locally to agree on how to do this.
If you submit a claim form where you work, you should:
- Specify how large a salary increase you want (NOK amount or percentage increase)
- Justify the requirement with concrete examples of your efforts and results
- Refer to relevant points in the local payroll policy
- Document any skills development or new areas of responsibility
Use the salary interview
Regardless of what routines you have for individual distribution where you work: Use the salary discussion to give your manager arguments for why you should have a higher salary. The manager often needs your arguments to be able to work for your salary increase upwards in the system.
Salary review guide: How to talk your way to a higher salary
Who is negotiating for you?
In the local negotiations, union representatives from NITO's business group negotiate on behalf of the members. If NITO does not have a union representative or company group at your workplace, a power of negotiation can be given to the local Akademikersamarbejde or to another association.
You cannot negotiate your own salary in the local negotiations. This is done by the union representatives. You have the opportunity to record to the union representatives what is important ahead of the negotiations, for example at a member meeting.
Did you know that you are entitled to a salary assessment within the first year?
The 12-month rule: The employer shall, up to 12 months after employment, and in the event of a transition from temporary to permanent employment, assess the employee's salary determination. This is done after dialogue with the employee.
Many people are not aware of this right. After the end of the probationary period or within the first year in a new position, it may be appropriate to adjust your salary based on how you have performed.
Relevant provision: Section 2.5.5 item 3 of the Basic Collective Agreement
Automatic right to salary assessment in the event of permanent employment
When transitioning from temporary to permanent employment, the employer must consider the employee's salary determination. This is done after dialogue with the employee.
Many people forget to take advantage of this opportunity when a temporary position is made permanent. This provides an opportunity to reassess the salary.
Relevant provision: Section 2.5.5 item 3 of the Basic Collective Agreement
When can you demand a salary increase outside of the annual negotiations?
The collective agreement gives you the right to demand negotiations in special situations. This is called "negotiations on special grounds".
New tasks and increased responsibility
You can demand negotiations if there have been significant changes in the circumstances that have been used as a basis for determining the salary for the position.
How to document the changes: Negotiation requirements based on this should be documented by a job description/job assessment or information that in some other way makes it possible to assess the changes in the assigned tasks.
Relevant provision: Basic Collective Agreement § 2.5.3 item 1a
Special expertise and recruitment challenges
By agreement with the employee representatives, a fixed-term or permanent salary change may be granted to an employee when there are particular difficulties in recruiting or retaining specially qualified labour.
Relevant provision: Basic Collective Agreement § 2.5.3 item 2
Extraordinary work effort
You can also get a salary change if you have made an extraordinary work effort.
Relevant provision: Basic Collective Agreement § 2.5.3 item 2
Other grounds
You can also demand negotiations if:
- Measures have been planned or implemented that lead to increased efficiency, productivity, simplification or better user orientation, cf. Section 2.5.3 item 1b of the Basic Collective Agreement.
- Reorganisations/organisational changes have been carried out and unjustified pay differences have arisen as a result, cf. Section 2.5.3 item 1c of the Basic Collective Agreement.
- Documented pay differences cannot be explained by anything other than gender, cf. Section 2.5.3 item 3 of the Basic Collective Agreement.
Salary increase in the event of a change of position or job code
When you move to a new position or get a new job code, either internally or externally, you have the opportunity to negotiate salary. Of all the applicants, they have now chosen to offer you the job, so this is the best opportunity you have to do something significant with your salary. Many employers are prepared for the fact that applicants will ask for more in salary, and may therefore have held back a little in the offer they make. Hear if they have a little more to go on.
How to negotiate salary in a new job – get the most out of the job offer
How to increase your chances of success
How to argue for a higher salary
No matter which opportunity you take advantage of, good preparation and documentation are crucial to success. It is important that you are specific and clear in the grounds for your claim. General formulations such as "I do a good job" are rarely enough.
Consider these questions:
- What results have you created? What are your three best achievements last year?
- Why would it be worthwhile for the employer to give you more in salary?
- Have you acquired new skills?
- Have you had extra responsibility, been a problem solver or contributed beyond what is expected?
- Do you collaborate well with others and contribute to a good environment? Give concrete examples.
- How do you help your business deliver on its social mission?
Write down the answers to the questions above and make a list of concrete arguments. The more concrete and measurable the documentation, the stronger you are in your argument for why you deserve a higher salary.
Contact your union representative
NITO negotiates salaries locally in the individual enterprise. Therefore, your union representative is an important supporter when you want to influence your own salary development. Contact them to hear about how to proceed where you work.
