71% of employees stay for at least five years just for a raise – GPA

Research from The Global Payroll Association (GPA), revealed that less than a fifth of office workers have asked their employer for a pay rise, with 71% staying with their current employer for at least five years, and 12% for three to four years.

GPA surveyed 1,012 UK office workers to gain insight into how many people requested a pay rise and whether or not they knew how best to broach the subject.

The majority 91% of employees had received a pay increase during their time at their current company, with the majority of people (64%) receiving their raises on an annual basis.

However, 31% had to wait more than two years between increases.

Considered a peak time to ask for a raise, 67% received a performance a review on an annual or quarterly basis.

More than half (56%) of office workers had already received a boost in pay in 2024.

However, the vast majority were waiting to be offered an increase instead of actively requesting one, with just 17% saying they have directly asked for a pay rise.

Only 24% said they know which time of year was best for asking for a boost in pay, such as when end-of-year budgeting takes place, which can vary from one business to the next.