France: only 26% of employees expect a pay rise in 2022 (ADP survey)

French employees are among the least confident in the world as regards the possibility of getting a pay rise this year, with only a quarter thinking they will do. This proportion – a finding that emerges from the “People at Work 2022” study, conducted in 17 countries on four continents, and published on 10 June by the HR services group ADP – is 20 percentage points lower than the European average and 35 percentage points lower than the international average. Similarly, only 59% of French – and European – employees will ask for a pay rise if they feel they deserve one, compared to the international average of 76%. The results show parents are more inclined to ask for a pay rise (79% compared to 72% for non-parents), as are those who define themselves as essential workers (79% compared to 72% for those who do not). At a time when companies are struggling to recruit or even retain staff – exemplified by the so-called ‘Big Quit‘ phenomenon in the US – employees still report pay as the most important criterion when choosing a job. However, other criteria are gaining in significance, with work-related stress having increased by 5 percentage points globally since the pandemic (67% of workers surveyed said they were concerned). For example, 70% of employees are asking for more flexibility in their working hours and 76% would be prepared to leave their company if they felt the diversity and inclusion policy was insufficient. This helps explain why 23% are actively seeking a change of direction in their careers, compared to only 15% in 2021.