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You鈥檝e behaved yourself all year. You鈥檝e worked hard and been fantastically conscientious. So what does the company you鈥檝e broken your back for give you in return鈥�

Swallow hard and fight back the tears

If you鈥檝e just been handed a letter, detailing your percentage pay rise (as is normally the case with lily-livered management strategies these days), resist the urge to yell 鈥渂astards!鈥�, once you鈥檝e calculated that your rise amounts to 拢10 per month, before tax. Practise deep breathing and go and hide in the toilets until you鈥檝e calmed down.

Decide whether to do something about it

If you feel genuinely aggrieved that you have been let down, then it鈥檚 a good idea to say something about it. You may be able to secure a promise of a bigger rise next time, but first make sure you鈥�

Do some super sleuthing

Before you rush in to see your boss all guns blazing, find out just how personal this rise is. Is it across the board company policy to give only 2% this year? Are you being singled out? Try to find out what sort of rise your colleagues got so that you can gauge exactly how to approach this tricky subject.

Go and see your boss

You鈥檒l need to get psyched up for this one, particularly if your boss is scarier than the Childcatcher. Be sure to rehearse your speech in front of the bathroom mirror. There鈥檚 no point being cocky about just how much you鈥檙e worth because you may be shown the door. Get across how committed you are to the company, but how you also need a higher salary in order to pay the mortgage, raise your family, holiday in the Maldives (well, maybe not that last one鈥�).

Be prepared to negotiate

Yes, keep calm and try to avoid mentioning the large wad your boss gets for half the workload and several rounds of golf. It may be the case that he would really like to give you a higher pay rise but that his hands are tied (although watch for the fact that this is a well-honed turn of phrase in pay rise situations).

So be smart and ask for a car allowance or an increase in your existing one, or perhaps a bonus or larger expense account to make up for the shortfall in your pay packet. It may be that you will be able to earn a few extra sovs through the back door, so to speak, without affecting the pay scale hierarchy.

Learn to network

Perhaps you like the company and want to stay there but think it鈥檚 time for an internal move? Then start hanging out with the movers and shakers. Find out where they drink and start the ball rolling. Once you鈥檝e found out exactly who you need to speak to, move in for the kill. Either that or make an appointment with the Human Resources department 鈥� though be prepared for your current boss being told the exact content of your 鈥榠n confidence鈥� conversation.

Become philosophical

It may be hard to accept but life is unfair. We can鈥檛 all be Richard Rodgers, Tom Bloxham or Noel Edmonds. Deal with it. It鈥檚 just one of life鈥檚 many bitter pills.

Take a break

Go on, book some holiday and take some time out to think about your future. It鈥檚 remarkable what a week in the Virgin Islands can do for your health. Better still, don鈥檛 bother booking a return.

Look for a new job

This is what you do when it becomes apparent that your boss doesn鈥檛 give a fig about your pay rise and is not going to do anything about it. Just don鈥檛 make it obvious that you are frantically looking for something else. Be subtle about it and don鈥檛 tell colleagues, however trustworthy they may seem. There鈥檒l always be one who鈥檚 after your job.

Cut back to a no-frills lifestyle

If you were relying on your pay rise to help you buy something expensive or move house, then it鈥檚 time to learn to live more frugally. If you find it hard to do so, pretend you鈥檙e living through a world war and stock up on corned beef and powdered egg. This means you鈥檝e also got a nine o鈥檆lock curfew, so long hours in the pub are totally out of the question.