Company messed up salary- unsure what to do

As always my second thought is "Would this have happened to a man ?"

Way Back When, as I was getting into the jobs market (Nineteen Eighty Mumble) I had two interesting experiences.

The first was with the Civil Service. I was offered the job, but the offer letter was just over £900 light on the advert. Turns out because my birthday is later in the year, I was getting the lower salary because everything was based on age.

When I turned that one down, I received an offer from BT. Again just over £1,000 short on the advert. When queried it turned out that they had 2 London weightings, and this job only attracted the lower weighting as it was based in Fulham, not the City.

The ongoing productivity crisis in the UK has never seemed mysterious to me.

But you know the gross is different and should dispute based on that.

This misses the point. Even if OP’s maths was correct it would still be an issue. OP signed s contract based on a contractual amount and now they are paying her less than that.

Whether the difference is £15 or £140 really does not matter.

And HR have very little to do with salaries, that is Payroll's jurisdiction. Even the Academies mostly use the LA Payroll dept. You certainly need to involve your union asap but I am assuming that, unless you are in Scotland, where schools will be starting the Autumn term soon, that you are employed as a member of support/Admin staff.

OP, you should be employed at a specified point on the appropriate payscale, which can then be translated into a gross salary amount. The payscale point is the one that should be in your contract, amounts can change more easily than payscale points.

I’ve recruited in education for around 18 years and I’d expect the organisation to have the integrity to stand by the advertised salary. Someone has really dropped the ball somewhere along the line. As other posters have advised speak to ACAS and your union if you’re in one.

What is the salary on TES?
What does your contract say?
What is the gross and net pay on your payslip?
What is the tax code on your payslip?

Without these nobody can really help you.

Union.

She knows that the TES and contract say the same thing and has confirmed this, but she doesn’t have a pay slip yet so she can’t provide it

Afaik you interviewed and accepted a role on a salary of x. You signed a contract with a salary of x. So that’s what they need to pay you.

Whatever bollocks is going on behind the scenes is for HR to sort out.

If they try an impose a lower salary than advertised and contracted for then contact your union and a lawyer.

The position was advertised at a certain salary for x hours. You have signed a contract for that salary at x hours. That is your salary. Have you started the job?

To confirm this see a solicitor for 30 mins free. Contact ACAS.

OP only started work yesterday so she has yet to see any payslips. In any case, we don't need to know the tax code or the gross and net pay details.

The TES job ad and the contract both stated the same (higher) salary, but HR verbally informed her yesterday, her first day at work, that there had been a mistake and that the salary would be lower.

As the problem appears to be an internal fuck-up, its up to the company to come up with a solution. The OP should not agree to anything other than what is in the job ad/job offer letter/contract without taking legal advice and she should stick to this position.

You're due the pay it says on the contract aren't you? Once you've signed it then it's their problem legally? They do sound absolutely chaotic and lying about the reduction etc.

But as it stands they must pay you what it says on the contract you signed surely? It sounds like a crap workplace though.

I’m not being funny but it is easy to predict the tax and national insurance on a new salary. There are clear and prescriptive rules and many, many online calculators to help.

Then making a mistake should be their problem, not yours and they have to honour what they put in your offer id think. Maybe that’s why they didn’t change the contract- as they realized they can’t do that?

Exactly.

If you struggle to think of a suitable reply when ambushed, always reply with “I’ll need time to think about that” and don’t let anyone brow beat you into responding further.

In your shoes, I’d threaten them with breach of contract if they don’t pay the salary that was advertised.

Not sure why you think any of this is your fault.

You applied for a post with a salary of X.
You signed a contract with a salary of X.
HR ring you and say the new salary is Y.
Y is an unaccapetable salary to you.

You need to speak to ACAS, well done for knowing that so many people don't. If you are in a union speak to them as well.

But also ring the HR people again and say that you have signed a contract agreeing the salary of X and so am confused how it can now be changed verbally. They might well apologise and that it is all a mistake. But ring them and ask before you kick up a perfectly reasonable stink.

@ThatLovingNavyLion are you support or teaching staff? I'm wondering if the disconnect between their £15 and your £140 is down to TTO calculations. But whether it is or not they need to pay you the salary on the contract they issued.

Do they include pension contributions (the school may not use TPS, I’m not sure if academies have to and independent schools definitely don’t) and student loan repayments?

I taught for many years before I retired and rarely had a contract before I started work, if at all. I knew enough law to know that a contract didn’t need to be on paper to exist, though. Things may be different now.

Given the trouble they seem to have with getting the salary right, I'm not sure I'd trust them ever to get the net pay right.

Mr L was payroll manager at an independent school for a while. He couldn't believe how many variations in terms and conditions there were, and how staff who were deciding who should work there had very little clue about how much difference it made when people were appointed on a f/t as opposed to TTO basis. Some additions to pay for taking on extra responsibility were TTO even when the salary was annual, that used to really confuse people.

Huge red flag

See this for the bad omen that this is. I would not want to work in such a school.

Is there a need to be so arsey??

I think people come onto threads to just lash out. It's like they are so unhappy in their own lives and need to project it into the OP. It's sad really :(