Am I Entitled to a Raise If My Contract Doesn't Mention Increments? Seeking Advice

I am working in a company as a consultant for the last 3 years. My total contract period is 5 years. In the beginning, the company gave me an individual consultant agreement. The agreement did not mention any details about increments. Now, after three years, when I asked for an increment, the HR department is stating that there is no such clause in the agreement, so they cannot provide the increment. My question is, am I eligible for the increment? What actions should I take if the company rejects the increment? Kindly advise.

Hi,

Nobody can claim an increment as a right. You can claim under the following circumstances:

1. If you are being paid less than the minimum wages as of the current date.
2. If most of the employees in the company received an increment, and only a few did not; if you have measurable performance.

Consultants and Increment Eligibility

When you are not an employee, how can you claim that you should be given an increment? Even if you are receiving less than the minimum wages (which is unlikely for a consultant), or if all other employees have been given an increment, you cannot demand it because you are appointed under specific terms and conditions mentioned in the consultancy contract. It is acceptable if the contract includes a provision that states the remuneration will change after a year, two years, or three years. However, since there is no such clause, you cannot demand it. After all, you are a consultant and not an employee who may overlook the contents of the appointment letter in the haste to join an establishment. As a consultant, you should have thoroughly reviewed the contract's contents before agreeing or signing.