Why would a temp doing my job get 12k more than me?

[onehitwonder]

I am helping to recruit a 6 month temp into a role identical to mine, but for a different department. I have found out that the role is being positioned at between 3k and 12k more than I am currently paid. Unsurprisingly I am going to speak to head of hr about this. What do I say? I don't expect a massive pay rise for no reason and have been pushing for internal move and more responsibility anyway to try and get a decent pay rise prior to this, but just feel really undermined and demotivated by this. Any ideas how to approach this with HR?

[BlingLoving]

I take it you are a permanent employee? Temps are generally paid more: they dint have job security, they don't get benefits, no paid holiday etc

[SueWhite]

Is that including agency fees? They are often about 50%

[onehitwonder]

to be clear this is up to 30% more than I earn. The role being recruited to is temp with a possibility to become permanent.

[onehitwonder]

not including agency fee, it is what the candidate would be paid.

[breatheslowly]

I think that the difference may be down to job security - but temps do get paid holiday. Is the temp going to be a contractor rather than an employee?

[AMumInScotland]

No pension payments, no sick pay, no holiday pay, no job security. Temps and contractors often get a better-looking rate of pay to make up for these kinds of things.

[racetobed]

My sympathy onehit, I found out that the temp who covered my mat leave got £4K more than me I see your point about benefits, bling, but I felt it devalued my 5 year contribution to the organisation.
And temps do get a minimum of 28 days paid holiday now, don't they?

[onehitwonder]

temp would I believe be paid direct under our normal T&C's including sick/holiday etc so it is really the short term element and possibly pension/bonus which is different.

[BlingLoving]

It's not great on paper, but don't underestimate what the lack of benefits and job security mean. If I changed to a contractor, freelance gig, I would earn, on paper, between 25 and 50% more.

If you really feel you are underpaid, ask for a raise, but don't base it on the temp's salary.

[onehitwonder]

I had expected possibly a few K more due to the downsides of temping as mentioned......it is the scale of it that has shocked me. Also the fact that I will be the person that will be helping him or her to pick up the role.

[Grevling]

Temp or contractor they are very different things.

Contractors = Don't get holiday by virtue of working through umbrellas or their own limited companies. No job security, no holidays have to hold lots of insurance.

Temps - Same as perm employees but with less job security (i.e. no security pas end of contract).

I know it seems rubbish but they want someone to hit the ground running and do 6 months then maybe wave good by to them. For that they usually have to attract a higher standard of worker or someone that has specific industry/ company experience direct to the role in question.

Both of these can be raised in normal employees by training but do to the way mat cover normally works time is not available so you have to hire this in and it costs £££.

[Menagerie]

When I temped employers sometimes asked me to go permanent and the rate of pay they offered immediately dropped steeply. So if it is temp to permanent, the pay won't necessarily stay spiked at the temp rate IYSWIM.