What would happen in your company in this circumstance?

[Aniita]

A person is offered a new job and signs a contract specifying a certain salary. Between the time the contract is signed and the person starts the job (6-8 weeks due to background checks and notice period), the union announces it has agreed a company-wide (for employees below management level) pay increase of x%. Does the new starter get the salary increase?

The increase doesn't appear in pay packets until a few months after the new starter begins the job.

Is the new job at the same company?

@ThreeRingCircus

Is the new job at the same company?

No, different company

Why don't you ask the company?

But the pay rise and union is at the new company?

I would expect the new starter to get the pay rise.

And join the union!

I'm not clear whether this is regarding a person who is leaving, and will be owed money after they've left, or a new incomer who is going to get more money than they were contractually expecting. Which is it?

Is there salary bands?

Oh I'm not sure on this one. Could the employee call the union and see what they say?

I guess technically if the salary increase applies to current employees, the new starter isn't an employee when the increase takes place. But then the company may want to apply it to her anyway - if she finds out she may be annoyed about it and leave?

No, in my (huge, global) company the new starter wouldn't get it.

We have annual pay rises that occur at the same time each year and every few years an additional one off pay alignment exercise which usually means an increase. If you read the small print though, all of these rises apply 'to employees who began their contract by xyz date' ) - usually several weeks before the new pay effective date.

The pay rise my state it's for employees who joined before xxxx date

Announcement of pay increase date isn't all that relevant imo. What is the date of actual increase? If that's after the contract start date, the newly joined person will get the increase.

It is irrelevant what happens in other companies. What terms were the pay rise agreed on? Is it for all employees in post at a particular date?

We have annual pay rise cycle and it applies to people in post from x date. People who started after that date will be eligible for the next date.

It depends.

Some companies, like NHS for example have spine points so if the offer is spine point 20 £25,000 which is uplifted to £25,500, then you should get the increase.

Other companies have rules which only state that a pay award only applies to people who have been employed since XXX date, or have passed their probation, or aren't subject to disciplinary action etc. The company will stipulate the rules.

Presumably you accepted the salary offered, otherwise you wouldn't have taken the role. There will always be winners and losers with these things - if you get a pay award, it's an unexpected windfall.

In our organisation the new starter wouldn't get the pay increase as like others it's usually in the small print that pay increases are for all employees with at least three months service and in post on XXX date.

@ThreeRingCircus

In our organisation the new starter wouldn't get the pay increase as like others it's usually in the small print that pay increases are for all employees with at least three months service and in post on XXX date.

Same with mine - there's a cut-off date to be eligible.

You need to ask your employer, no one here can know what their policies are

If this is regarding the new job (sorry, not clear), you'd not be getting the raise at our company in this scenario as you are not an employee at the time of the raise agreement. You'd be eligible for further ones, once you actually start your role. Are you actually part of this union or haven't joined them yet?

@ThreeRingCircus

In our organisation the new starter wouldn't get the pay increase as like others it's usually in the small print that pay increases are for all employees with at least three months service and in post on XXX date.

same in my work

Not in my company as not there when raise agreed

In my public sector agency, the pay announcement tells you the dates for pay changes to be valid. Usually % increases will start immediately, but any bonuses will require you to have been in employment on a specific date to be eligible.

At our company new starter would only get the wage rise if they were already in post on the day it was announced. The date for pay rises to apply are always the day they announce.

Some companies give a different day.

Where I work, if it's a performance/service related rise, no the new starter won't get it, but an inflationary rise would be applied to all salaries, including the new starter.