Salary issue and requesting a bigger pay rise

[jimthecat]

Posted this in chat but had no replies so trying again!

I started working for a consulting firm in 2007. Worked for them for about 5 years before deciding to go in house. Then after working in house for a couple of years and going on maternity leave my old boss offered me to return to consulting with a 4 day week and flexible hours in my home town.

I was really happy to take the role and have been back for almost 2 years. During that time I was offered to manage a small team and it's going well. I recently had my appraisal and I had met and exceeded all expectations.

When I returned I was offered a base salary and a car allowance. After a year the car allowance policy was changed; half the cash was put into my salary as a pay rise on the base (worked out at 5%) and the other half remained as an allowance but due to my grade in the organization, I had to take the car. So as it stands, my net salary at the end of the month is now less than a year ago but I do have a car (although don't strictly need it for personal use as we have a family car).

I spoke to my bosses about a pay rise to compensate for managing and training my team which was refused because I need to manage 3 people to move up to the next grade. This should happen soon and I will then get a pay rise (10% which will equate to me getting the same net salary I started on when I had the car allowance).

Now here's my gripe... I met up with a friend yesterday who i met through work. She also left to do something else and is now coming back. She's coming back in a grade lower than I am now but for a different team in the organisation. However the job is the same although she has no management. She told me her salary and she's earning more than me! Her current salary will be the same as mine will be when I get my promotion, meaning when I am 2 grades higher than she is and managing a three person team (can be stressful!). The only thing extra I have is the car.

I'm really pissed off. I feel I'm being taken advantage of. I want to have a discussion with my boss about it on Monday but I already talked a lot to him about my salary before Christmas and it was made clear nothing can be done without moving grades. Obviously it's also a delicate subject as my friend gave me this info off the record.

Sorry for the long ranty post but I am disappointed in my company. Any advice of how I should approach it? Or do I just have to put up and shut up? To clarify what I would like is a bigger salary increase when I am promoted as the information i have received makes me feel that I am underpaid today.

[daisychain01]

Comparing salaries with colleagues sets you on the road to perdition, you will invariably wish you didn't know as it can feel really demoralising as you found out.

Decide whether you feel it is worth rocking the boat at this stage. Calculate what you think you are likely to get in a pay increase and take off 42% for tax/NI (sounds like you are a higher tax bracket). Ask yourself if it's worth it.

If I were you I'd keep a lid on it until your next formal Performance Development discussion and take in a list of reasons for a pay increase. Make it easier for your boss to say yes!

[jimthecat]

Thanks for your reply.
You're right and i wish she hadn't told me her salary. I didn't ask, she volunteered the information (she will think I'm on more due to my grade and mangement).
Tax is not an issue, we are abroad and there are no brackets.

[AndnoneforGretchenWeinersBye]

In a similar position - manage a team of 29, as does my colleague / peer. He is on a higher salary than me. This is due to him asking for more money when being offered the role, and being given it. At the time of recruitment, he was also a performance grade higher than me. My results are better, and I am now outperforming him from an appraisal perspective. However - he volunteered his pay info and we are discouraged from discussing it in my company, so it is "one of those things", annoyingly. My next appraisal may involve me asking for the pay information of males vs females though!

[HotChoc10]

Does it have to be 'one of those things' though?

[KungFuEric]

You seem to be ignoring the benefit of the car, if you sacrificed that what difference would there be to your salary?