Executive assistant, administrative assistant or secretary—whatever the title, you are the ones who keep America’s offices running, even though you’ve taken on more and more work as budgets shrink.

“Is anyone receiving raises?” That’s what one admin asked recently. “I’ve been told performance reviews will be coming up soon. I want to be prepared. How do you bring it up? How do you know how much to ask for? I’d like to stay in this position, but I’m only making ends meet.”

How can someone convince her boss she deserves more money, without revealing that she knows she’s being underpaid? Three steps:

The 2012 Salary Guide from Robert Half International shows that over­­all starting salaries for administrative professionals are expected to rise 3.4% this year. Among the biggest gains: Senior executive assistants can expect a starting salary between $44,250 and $60,000—a gain of 4.5%.

One admin wrote: “Our company just reorganized and changed our job titles from administrative assistant to ‘office assistant.’ None of the job functions changed. I feel demoted. Should we go to our manager and speak to him about our displeasure or just be quiet and not say a thing?”

Before you go to court with a claim that you’ve been shortchanged on payment for overtime hours, you’ll first have to prove how many hours you actually worked. Proving it just got easier, though, thanks to a powerful new Timesheet app for smartphones from the DOL.