Is it Ever a Good Idea to “Act your Wage”?

You've probably heard your folks say "dress for the job you want," but let's twist that old-school advice on its head. Imagine you've just landed a sweet gig at a fast-moving startup where everyone's staying late, working weekends and hitting their goals like a boss.

You feel pressured to fit in, so you start sending emails on Saturdays—except, your paycheck hasn't gotten the memo.

This is where "acting your wage" comes into play. It means aligning your job performance with your compensation. Think about it—if you're pulling in a salary that barely scratches the surface of the living wage, why shouldn't you phone it in and match your efforts to your earnings?

According to TikTokers who originated the phrase, acting your wage is perfectly justifiable. It's a form of workplace protest, one that subtly screams, "You get what you pay for." In a corporate climate where overexertion is often expected but seldom compensated, "acting your wage" is a siren call for proportional effort and equity in pay.

For many employees, that means refusing to go above and beyond what they have been contracted and paid to do in an effort to avoid exploitation and burnout. But while the trend has become hugely popular online, the call to act your wage is not without its risks in real-work contexts.

Before you start acting your wage, here are three tips to make sure you don’t ruin your career in the process.

Decide whether you're all-in

While you might not be getting paid what you want right now, there's more to work than a paycheck. If you value your job and you see a future with your current company, then you might want to avoid acting your wage—or at least making it obvious you’re doing it!

Instead, focus on building relationships and showcasing your skills and worth. If you are truly passionate about the job, it might be worth putting in that extra effort to prove your value to the company. The raise you deserve might just come your way sooner than you think.

However, if you're just biding your time until a better opportunity comes around, then acting your wage may be exactly what you need to do. Don't waste your time and energy on a company that doesn't value you or your work.

Talk to your employer

Acting your wage may seem like a harmless act of defiance but it's usually based on some deep-rooted feelings about your professional worth. If you feel like you’re not getting the compensation you deserve at work, then it’s a sign that it’s time to talk to your employer about your salary and what scope there is for you to get paid in line with the work you’re being asked to complete.

Simply, instead of refusing to work above the pay grade, raise the pay grade to the work you do.

There's a fine art to negotiating a pay raise. Don’t just storm into your boss's office and demand a higher salary. Instead, use these tips to plan your approach:

• Time it right

You want to get your boss in a good mood, not when they've just come out of a stressful meeting, and ideally after you’ve completed a project or hit a milestone, so you have clear evidence to back up your request.

• Prepare your script

To help you feel more prepared in your meeting, write down a list of things you want to say. What's your ideal salary? What is that based on—market rates, your performance, or both? What have you achieved that makes you deserve a raise? Be specific about what you bring to the team, highlighting any achievements you’ve had during your time with the company and since your last salary review.

• Talk with confidence

Go into the negotiation with confidence. Especially if you're an introvert, and thus less comfortable with singing your own praises and advocating for yourself,  this can be a daunting task. But remember, you’re not asking for a favor—you’re simply getting compensated for the work that you do. Don't apologize for your ask.

• Ask about next steps

If your manager rejects your request for a salary increase, ask them about what you can do next. For example, ask about what skills or achievements you would need to increase your pay, what you can do to improve your performance and when you can revisit the conversation in the future. 

Look for a company that values you

While acting your wage can help you to take back some control and set boundaries at work, it won’t help to make your job more fulfilling. In fact, it can actually lead to long-term feelings of resentment and frustration.

So, while you're doing the bare minimum in your current role, use the time to look for a new job in an organization that has the kind of culture, opportunities and environment that you’d like to work in.

To help you better understand a company’s culture, try doing some targeted research, including: 

• How is performance evaluated?
• What kind of people get hired and promoted?
• What are employees saying on social media and Glassdoor?
• What kind of perks, benefits and professional development opportunities are offered?
• How do they handle work-life balance and employee well-being?

Everyone has a different idea of what an ideal workplace looks like. If you're not clear on yours, try taking a career aptitude test to find out what jobs you’re most suited to and the type of workplace environment you’re most likely to thrive in.

Bottom line? If you're making the most of a temporary position while looking for your dream job, then sure, keep acting your wage. But if you're just fed up with being underpaid and undervalued, it's time to advocate for yourself and find a company that truly values your worth. Either way, you're taking control of your situation. Don't be afraid to ask for what you deserve!