Work woes

[NewbeeMummy]

Half a rant, half AIBU, half looking for advice

Since returning to work from Maternity leave, I have been treated like I'm a second class citizen. I work in a technical field and I'm the only woman in our team, but I am just as capable and qualified as the guys in our team.

here is a list of things that have really pissed me off...

1. I'm constantly given crappy admin tasks (being told they're exciting challenges - I mean fFS I'm not 5), while the guys go out and earn commission
2. I am paid a fraction for what the guys earn
3. as I'm not able to go out and earn commission money is starting to become really tight, and when I asked for justification as to the salary differences I was told if I didn't like it I could just fuck off.
4. I've recently discovered that when the guys are given the same crappy admin jobs that I often get roped in to help them out with, they are allowed to claim commission on it, where as I get told in no uncertain terms that I cannot.

I'm prepared to be told I'm being unreasonable, I have a stinking cold and feel like death warmed up, so I may be over reacting.

Sorry I mistyped that last post

"I have the exact salary of two of my male colleagues"

Should read I know the exact salaries.

I earn half of what the next lowest person gets paid, and about a quater of what the highest earner gets paid. So we're not talking a small amount

Thanks MarchPane, will give them a call this afternoon, currently have a lurking boss and no where private to make a quick call.

You're welcome

Very best of luck. I've been there and it's the crappest but you can overcome it. And each woman who stands up to this BS makes it easier for the next.

Unfortunately it sounds like you've now got the whiff of 'troublemaker' about you.

When you left things were good and you were in negotiations with your old boss over pay and role on the team.

On your return, most of the management structure have been made redundant, and due to the trouble caused by a frankly appauling example of HR, the new boss has got it in for you. He is flatly refusing to even consider a pay rise or change of role.

Would you say this is a fair interpretation?

How are you on HALF as much as the next person in your team structure? Are you sure they arent winding you up? For a technical role (IT?) the salary is generally advertised with the job.

Were you taken on in the same role? Or did you start as admin and now due to experience you feel your contribution is not being recognised financially?

TBH - I think if you hadnt been on maternity leave, you'd have been made redundant when the others went. They could't do this then, so they are hoping you'll go now.

good luck with this, i had the same when i was in it in a big company and i threatened legal action/newspapers etc and ended up with a 17% payrise to match my male equivalent...

It is hard work but can be done!!!

ccpccp how can she be a 'troublemaker' when she is simply asking for a pay rise in line with her responsibilities (which she is more than entitled to do)? and how can you justify her boss telling her to 'fuck off' - in my little world he is considered as more of a troublemaker IMO

i think you are making some unfair assumptions

Newbee Have you emailed HR or called the NCT? How did it go??

summerbird73 I agree with ccpccp she probably has been unfairly labelled but none of this is fair and I don't think ccpccp was suggesting she deserved it - just telling it like it is.

I was also wondering how the op got on

Lurking - what a nightmare OP, all of this and the added stress of being at work away from your little one.

I'm surprised that HR are so poor, you think now that you have 'raised' the issue they would ensure they are following the books. I do hope OP you will fight this and succeed.
Good luck

Aside from the Potential discrimination issue (which sounds like something you should definately follow up with HR), Is your job now exactly the same as the other guys in the office or has it changed since you went on ML?

What I mean by that is, are they sales guys or technical guys (or a bit of both)?

Just trying to work out how you would get commission for a technical role.

I'm not doubting you, but you should find out these points before talking to HR.

As an addendum to my above post...

Do the other guys work as consultants/salesmen and are they charging fees to clients? Is the admin work that they do admin work on behalf of those clients and therefore chargeable in fees/commission?

If it is, then is your role exactly the same? (i.e. your work is chargeable to clients). If so, then you should probably be are entitled to the same, however, if your role is in a client team adminstrator/technical support type role and not a commission earning role, and this has not changed from when you went on ML, then it would be hard to justify why you should be receiving the same money?

Hi all,

Sorry been mad busy today, but thought I would jump on and update you all.

I've got a meeting with an employment lawyer, thanks to my mum who had some rainy day cash saved up and decided to step in and help out.

I did email HR to ask for a record/minutes of our meeting and thus far they are just ignoring me (they may be busy, but there are 2 of them)

To answer a few of the new questions, my job is exactly the same as the guys in the team, we're all techinical consultants, our commission is paid on our utilisation, so if we do 50% of billable work for a customer in one month, we'll get 50% of our commission (personally I find this system completely stupid as we don't do any sales so our work flow is completely out of our hands - I have not mentioned this to the new management).

When I refer to admin work, I refer to stuff done for the company we're all employed by. For example, I was asked to write up a comparitive report on the different types of software that are starting to come into our market place (sorry geeky stuff) I was told this would not count towards my utlisation as it wasn't work for a customer and we were not going to make any money of it - fair enough I guess. Then about a week into do my report, I had some customer work come up - and that always takes precedence over non custoerm work (all fine and dandy so far) but my manager asked one of the guys to finish typing up the report from my notes (easy enough, it needed some screen shots and a few minor comments adding - which I had handwritten on a printed copy of the first draft) this colleague was allowed to add the 10 (yes ten!) days it took him to do these minor atlerations to his utilisation and therefore got paid commission on it.

God that's long winded, but I hope it makes sense.

@ marchane - I like the name change, I could do with a name like that today.

Before you spend money on an employment lawyer (and I speak as someone who spent £3,000 to resolve my shitty work situation) do call the nct number and take their advice. It's manned for free by the firm I used.

Once you get a lawyer involved the costs go crazy and you should try to resolve using internal processes where possible first.

I wish I'd had it as an option.

Call Working Families they have solicitors who specialise in maternity employment rights 0800 013 0313, they were fantastic when my friend had a problem. I think they have an email address you can email in for advice. I believe they are a charity so free advice.

Don't spend money on a lawyer until you've exhausted the free legal aid you can get. I highly recommend you give these guys a ring:

www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk/

(0845 3454345 or get them to call you back via the website).

They are the people you would eventually end up talking to if you went through the CAB so you might as well consult them directly. It's free and they have specialist employment lawyers.

At least YOU'VE got a bl**dy job...

Oh yes so she has nelliesmum so it's perfectly fine for her to be discriminated against

Get a bloody grip

good luck newbeemummy - you've received some very sound advice from other mumsnetters, and from your posts I think you have a pretty definite case of sex discrimination... no wonder the 2 people in HR haven't responded to you, they are probably bricking it, having woken yup to the fact that you have been treated appallingly!

I was in a similar situation many years ago, working for an obnoxious boss who saw nothing wrong in publicly stating that part time workers were not committed, and that he needed people on call "24/7" (he had spent some time in the States). He went on to offer me more hours work but with a 30% pay cut!!! Needless to say I refused his offer, took redundancy and walked out with my head held high...

GOOD LUCK

Good advice on here already OP (especially all the numbers to call for your free half hour). Before you phone them I would write it all down using short numbered paragraphs. I am just thinking to get the most out of your 30 minutes you'll need to have it all clear in your head - and where some of the helplines have email addresses it may be worth sending in advance and following up with a phone call to get the best advice. Good luck! And keep us posted please!

nelliesmum don't be such a twat.

Consider me chastised, it was a stupid remark and I am very sorry that I made it.

Nelliesmum are you or DH out of work when you would need to be in work?

I have been out of work for 7 months, I was discriminated against in my previous job after I got back from maternity leave. I was on same pay but the responsibility was gone, however I really didn't know at the time how well off I was. This is my situation, it has of course no bearing on the original post.

No, but it does explain your outburst original post :( Have you taken any legal action?