Unpopular opinion: asking for a raise right after a layoff is actually the best time
My old manager Priya pulled me aside in the parking garage at our Denver office after they cut 12 people from my department. She said the budget for salaries stays the same even when headcount drops, so the people left have more room to ask. I waited 3 weeks, made my case, and got bumped from $68k to $79k. Has anyone else tried this, or did it backfire for you?
The line about the salary budget staying the same while headcount drops is the part people miss. My own version of this was waiting until they handed me a laptop bag with someone else's name tag still on it, then marching in to ask for more money. Bold move, except I chickened out and asked for a standing desk instead. Got the desk. It wobbled. So congrats on the $11k, that is a way better outcome than my wobbly desk story.