# Salary Negotiation Plan: [Role] at [Organisation]

> A preparation plan for negotiating pay on a job offer or a raise:
> market data, your alternatives (BATNA), target and walk-away points,
> the package beyond base pay, a conversation script and the rights to
> pay information that apply in some places. Based on common negotiation
> practice (principled negotiation and BATNA) and, for pay information,
> Directive (EU) 2023/970 Articles 5 and 7 with dated UK and US
> examples. Replace every `[bracketed]` value and every row marked
> *Example*. This is a planning format, not legal, tax or financial
> advice: check the current official text of the law that applies and a
> qualified professional.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Fill sections 1 to 4 before the conversation, on paper, with numbers.
  Decide your walk-away point before you hear their counter-offer.
- Use the same currency, period (gross per year) and basis for every
  figure, so you never compare a base salary with a total package.
- Every number comes from a written source (the offer letter, a posted
  range, a salary survey). Write the source next to it.
- Worked example: the fictional Mei Tanaka, offered a Senior Product
  Analyst role at the fictional Brightwater Mobility in Germany (EUR).
  All people, organisations and figures are invented.
- Related templates: Job Offer Comparison (`career/offer-comparison`),
  Job Search Tracker (`career/job-search-tracker`), Interview
  Preparation (`career/interview-prep`), Promotion Packet
  (`career/promotion-packet`) for internal raises, and MBA Offer
  Negotiation (`mba/mba-offer-negotiation`).
-->

## Document control

<!-- Guidance: Personal working file. Record which offer it covers and the response deadline, because the deadline drives the timetable. -->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Plan ID | [NEG-NNN] *Example:* NEG-003 |
| Application ID | [APP-NNN] *Example:* APP-022 (see `career/job-search-tracker`) |
| Situation | [New offer / raise / promotion / counter-offer] |
| Organisation and role | [Organisation, role, level] |
| Offer received | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Response deadline | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Classification | Personal, confidential |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |

### Revision history

| Version | Date | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | YYYY-MM-DD | Plan written after the verbal offer |
| 1.1 | YYYY-MM-DD | *Example:* Updated after the written offer and first call |

## 1. The offer in writing

<!-- Guidance: Copy figures from the written offer, not from the call. If anything is only verbal, ask for it in writing before you negotiate. Pitfall: negotiating base pay while unaware of a clawback on the sign-on bonus or a long probation. -->

| Item | Offer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary (gross per year) | [amount] | [Offer letter, date] |
| Variable pay (target bonus, commission) | [% and amount] | [Source] |
| Equity (type, grant value, vesting) | [Details] | [Source] |
| Sign-on bonus and any clawback | [Amount, conditions] | [Source] |
| Paid leave | [Days] | [Source] |
| Work mode and location | [Hybrid, days on site] | [Source] |
| Start date | YYYY-MM-DD | [Source] |
| *Example:* Base salary | EUR 68,000 | Offer letter, 2026-10-19 |
| *Example:* Target bonus | 8% of base, EUR 5,440 | Offer letter |
| *Example:* Total target cash | EUR 73,440 | Calculated |
| *Example:* Posted pay range | EUR 62,000 to 76,000 | Vacancy notice (Article 5 information) |

## 2. Market data

<!-- Guidance: Use at least three independent sources for the same role, level and location. Note the date of each source; pay data older than a year can mislead. Pitfall: comparing to job titles that sound the same but differ in level. -->

| Source | Date | Role and level matched | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Salary survey, public pay data, recruiter, peer] | YYYY-MM | [Match] | [amount] | [amount] | [amount] |
| *Example:* Industry salary survey | 2026-06 | Senior analyst, Germany | EUR 63,000 | EUR 70,000 | EUR 77,000 |
| *Example:* Two recruiters (verbal) | 2026-10 | Senior product analyst, Berlin | EUR 65,000 | EUR 72,000 | EUR 79,000 |
| *Example:* Posted ranges, 6 similar vacancies | 2026-09 | Senior product analyst | EUR 64,000 | EUR 71,000 | EUR 78,000 |

Summary: market median about [amount]; the offer sits at [percentile].
*Example:* The three medians average EUR 71,000; the offer of EUR 68,000
is below the median and inside the posted range.

## 3. Alternatives and limits

<!-- Guidance: BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) is what you will actually do if this negotiation fails. Your walk-away point comes from the BATNA, not from what you hope for. Pitfall: inventing a BATNA you do not have, then bluffing with it. -->

| Point | Definition | Your figure |
|---|---|---|
| BATNA | Best real alternative if no agreement | [Other offer / stay in current job / keep searching] |
| Walk-away point | Lowest package you will accept | [amount and conditions] |
| Target | Realistic, well-supported outcome | [amount] |
| Opening ask | First figure you state, with a reason | [amount] |

*Example:*

| Point | Figure | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Current job | EUR 63,000 base, 5% bonus, EUR 66,150 total cash | Fallback if nothing better |
| BATNA | Quillmont Freight offer (APP-021), EUR 70,000 base, no bonus, EUR 70,000 total cash | Written offer, deadline 2026-10-30 |
| Walk-away point | The offer as it stands, EUR 73,440 total cash | Already above the BATNA, so the downside is small |
| Target | EUR 74,000 base, EUR 79,920 total cash | Above the market median, inside the posted range |
| Opening ask | EUR 76,000 base, EUR 82,080 total cash | Top of the posted range, supported by section 2 |

What their side probably needs: [budget cycle, start date, internal
pay equity, filling the role quickly]. *Example:* The team lead wants a
start before the January planning cycle.

## 4. Package beyond base pay

<!-- Guidance: List tradeable items in priority order. When base pay reaches its limit, move to items that cost the employer less than they are worth to you. -->

| Priority | Item | Ask | Fallback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Base salary] | [amount] | [amount] |
| 2 | [Sign-on bonus] | [amount] | [amount] |
| 3 | [Learning budget or conference days] | [amount] | [amount] |
| 4 | [Start date, remote days, title, review date] | [Ask] | [Fallback] |
| *Example:* 2 | Sign-on bonus | EUR 4,000 | EUR 3,000 |
| *Example:* 4 | Pay review | Formal review after 6 months | Review at 12 months, written |

## 5. Your rights to pay information (dated examples)

<!-- Guidance: General information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Which rules apply depends on where the job is and on national or state law. Check the official text, and an employment lawyer, union or advice service if a right matters to your decision. -->

**EU.** Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency. Member States had
to transpose it by 7 June 2026 (Article 34); the rights reach you
through national law, and not every Member State had finished
transposition by that date, so check whether and how the law of the
Member State concerned applies.

- Article 5: applicants have a right to information on the initial pay
  or its range (based on objective, gender-neutral criteria), for
  example in the vacancy notice or before the interview, and the
  employer must not ask about pay history in current or previous jobs.
- Article 7: workers may request written information on their own pay
  level and on average pay levels, broken down by sex, for workers doing
  the same work or work of equal value; the employer answers within two
  months at most. Workers may not be prevented from disclosing their pay
  to enforce equal pay, and Member States must prohibit contract terms
  that restrict this.
- Source: Official Journal text, Directive (EU) 2023/970,
  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/970/oj; European Commission
  summary (5 June 2026),
  https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/new-eu-rules-pay-transparency-explained-2026-06-05_en

**UK.** There is no general legal duty to publish a pay range in job
adverts. Equality Act 2010, section 77, makes contract terms
unenforceable to the extent that they stop a person from discussing pay
to find out whether a pay difference is linked to a protected
characteristic: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/77

**US.** Federal: the National Labor Relations Act, section 7 (29 U.S.C.
157), protects concerted activity for mutual aid or protection, which
the NLRB treats as covering discussions of pay among covered employees;
supervisors and some other groups are excluded by 29 U.S.C. 152(3):
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/157. State examples:
New York Labor Law section 194-b requires employers with four or more
employees to state a compensation range in advertised jobs
(https://dol.ny.gov/pay-transparency); Washington RCW 49.58.110
requires employers with 15 or more employees to include the wage scale
or salary range and a general description of benefits in each posting
(https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.58.110). Other states
and cities have their own rules.

Questions to check for your situation:

- [ ] Did the employer give a pay range, and where is it in writing?
- [ ] Were you asked about current or past pay, and does the law where
  the job is based allow that question?
- [ ] Does your current contract contain a pay confidentiality clause,
  and does local law limit it?

## 6. Conversation plan and script

<!-- Guidance: Lead with enthusiasm for the role, then one clear number with a reason, then silence. Ask questions to learn their constraints. Negotiate the whole package once, not item by item over several calls. -->

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A["Thank them and confirm interest"] --> B["State opening ask with reason"]
    B --> C{"Their response"}
    C -->|Accept| G["Ask for the revised offer in writing"]
    C -->|Counter| D{"At or above target?"}
    C -->|No movement on base| E["Move to package items in section 4"]
    D -->|Yes| G
    D -->|No| E
    E --> F{"Above walk-away point?"}
    F -->|Yes| G
    F -->|No| H["Decline politely or use BATNA"]
```

Script outline (adapt the words; keep the structure):

1. Opening: "Thank you for the offer. I am excited about [the team or
   problem] and want to make this work."
2. Ask: "Based on [market data, the scope we discussed, my experience
   in X], I was expecting a base salary of [opening ask]. Is there
   flexibility to get there?"
3. Pause. Let them answer first.
4. Explore: "What is the main constraint on your side: the band, the
   budget this year, or internal pay equity?"
5. Package: "If base salary is fixed at [amount], could we look at
   [sign-on bonus, review after six months, learning budget]?"
6. Close: "Thank you. Could you send the updated offer in writing? I
   will reply by [date]."

Phrases to avoid: an ultimatum you will not carry out, a false
competing offer, apologising for asking, or naming a number before you
have their range when one was not given.

## 7. Outcome and decision

<!-- Guidance: Record what was agreed, in writing, and compare it to the limits in section 3 before you sign. -->

| Item | Before | After | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Item] | [amount] | [amount] | [Revised offer, date] |
| *Example:* Base salary | EUR 68,000 | EUR 72,500 | Revised offer, 2026-10-23 |
| *Example:* Total target cash | EUR 73,440 | EUR 78,300 | Calculated, 8% bonus |
| *Example:* Sign-on bonus | none | EUR 3,000, repayable if leaving within 12 months | Revised offer |
| *Example:* First-year cash including sign-on | EUR 73,440 | EUR 81,300 | Calculated |

*Example:* The new base is 6.6% above the first offer and 15.1% above
the current base of EUR 63,000. It is below the target of EUR 74,000
but above the walk-away point and the BATNA, so the offer is accepted
and the Quillmont Freight offer is declined politely.

- Decision: [Accept / decline], YYYY-MM-DD, because [reason]
- Signed contract checked against this table: [Yes / No]

## 8. Glossary

- **BATNA:** Best alternative to a negotiated agreement; what you do if
  you cannot agree.
- **Walk-away point (reservation point):** The least favourable
  package you will accept.
- **Total target cash:** Base salary plus variable pay at target.
- **Anchor:** The first figure stated, which tends to shape the range
  that follows.

## Standard and licence note

Based on common negotiation practice (principled negotiation and the
BATNA concept, as popularised by Fisher and Ury, "Getting to Yes") and,
for pay information, on Directive (EU) 2023/970 (Articles 5, 7 and 34),
the UK Equality Act 2010 (section 77) and the US examples named in
section 5, as public law paraphrased in original words and checked on
2026-10-30. Pay-transparency law is changing quickly: check the current
official text and the law where the job is based. Not legal, tax or
financial advice. Original text written for this collection; people,
organisations and figures are fictional. Template licence: MIT.