No, in my experience they aren't. DH's work does 'performance' reviews where they have to fill in a questionairre type thing and say what great things they have achieved at work and why they think they deserve a salary increase and basically what they think they are worth. When you actually have the sit down meeting with them most of the employees don't get diddly squat increase apart from the CPI, but there are a few that do get an increase because the bosses know they aren't talking out of their bums Last time DH did it he got a rise of several 1000 extra per year. But it's certainly not a take it or leave situation, you just don't get a pay rise any higher than the annual CPI rise or a rise as high as you want.