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Original poster

To be annoyed about this salary...

86 replies

damejudydench · 22/10/2013 22:34

I was approached by an agency today for a short term PA role. Job is for a FTSE 250 supporting the CEO, CFO and management team just outside London. It looks like a full on role and I have a LOT of experience at that level.

Salary is £22k.

I have just looked at the company's Annual Report and the top three directors earn a total in excess of £5m (including pensions and incentives).

I'm wondering just how much bigger the pay gap is going to get.

OP posts:
Original poster
damejudydench · 22/10/2013 23:01

I know which company it is.

The job was advertised last year through a different agency. £22k pro rata for 25 hours looking after a management team of 8!!! Bizarrely, the first agency approached me about that too. I told them to naff off.

OP posts:
Birdy28 · 22/10/2013 23:02

It doesn't surprise me. I'm looking for a new PA job at the moment.

I was told recently by a recruitment company that roles offering more than £30k were rare nowadays and that the market for those roles is so saturated that people who have more experience and should be on 40k plus, were taking the lower paid roles.

It means that people like me who have only 5 years experience and are aiming for the £30k mark haven't got a chance of competing with the more experienced PA's. Confused

Original poster
damejudydench · 22/10/2013 23:03

Where are you, Birdy?

OP posts:
FloozeyLoozey · 22/10/2013 23:43

I only earn slightly more and I'm an office manager with a team of six to line manage and a lot of stress and responsibility.
Sounds realistic.

Original poster
damejudydench · 23/10/2013 00:07

Floozey, how is that realistic? Are you in a parallel universe?

The top three directors earn £5 million between them and it's supporting eight of them. At that level, they're not going to be at all demanding are they?

OP posts:
PerpendicularVincentPrice · 23/10/2013 01:08

It's a low salary for the role - at that level it should be in the 40-50k bracket, especially so close to London.

I know several experienced PAs in large companies and that's the standard. I think they'll struggle to get experienced candidates paying so little.

Monty27 · 23/10/2013 01:12

Go to the interview. Do a hard negotiation. Greedy piss taking gits Angry

raisah · 23/10/2013 01:17

I get that working part time 26 hours.

Have a look at the recruitment pages of the institutions that you want to work for and apply directly. Higher ed institutions like universities are normally better at respecting work life balances than ftse companies.

Also remember that temping companies will recieve a % on top of the salary that you earn so eventhough the outlay to the firm is more, only a portion goes to you.

Want2bSupermum · 23/10/2013 01:36

I wouldn't want to work for a company that doesn't value their employees. EA to CEO here in NYC makes between $100-150k plus bonus. 22k a year is a joke.

For kicks and giggles I would be tempted to tell them you are interested but want to pick the three days a week you will work.

Casperthefriendlyspook · 23/10/2013 07:10

raisah - I've worked in Universities for over 10 years and have to disagree I'm afraid. There's very little notice taken of work life balance once you're past quite a junior level... Oh, and the salaries are generally not great either... My PA certainly earns less than £25k. Just as well I like my job, eh? :)

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 23/10/2013 07:34

You either want the job or not.

Birdy28 · 23/10/2013 08:10

Dame, I commute into central London.

Companies just don't seem to value PA's anymore.

Birdy28 · 23/10/2013 08:15

Oops posted too soon!

£22k is too low for a good PA particularly for supporting multiple Directors and a team. Its hard to believe the agency is even entertaining the idea that they will even get someone good who is capable of supporting multiple Directors for that.

Amateurish · 23/10/2013 08:18

Market forces and all that. They will pay the minimum they can get away with. Why get upset about it? Just ignore, and move on to the next offering.

marriedinwhiteisback · 23/10/2013 08:25

I think it depends what you are on now to be perfectly honest. If you are on nothing then it is a big step up. If it's temporary you might not be doing the full scope of the job description but the more day to day stuff. It might be a way of getting a foot in the door and getting something permanent. It might also be because the company is well regarded and just a couple of weeks there helps people to get the next and possibly better assignment.

It's what they are prepared to offer. You need to decide if it's worth your while to take it. And I don't think it's right to compare your worth to the most senior people in the organisation - they are earning what the organisation is prepared to pay them presumably due to their skills and their reputations. I imagine if you go in with the "not fair" attitude; "I'm being ripped off attitude" then you might go in with the wrong attitude and that won't be what they are looking for.

With years of experience and professional qualifications I don't earn a fortune but I work locally and I love my job and do it because it suits rather than earning double with an extra two hours of travelling which would not afford an acceptable work/life balance.

Two weeks on the equiv of £22k if you aren't working at present is £22k for that time that you aren't getting now. It will give you experience of a blue chip and make you more employable at higher rates in the future - especially if they like you.

SantiagoToots · 23/10/2013 08:35

YANBU, it's ridiculous. I wasn't getting far off that as a secretarial temp in Croydon during uni holidays in the late-90's!

My counter-offer in "insulting salaries" is this: Dynamic, international, digital marketing company seeking portfolio/programme manager in central london with extensive experience. 23k.

fishybits · 23/10/2013 08:44

My sister is a pa in London in a hedge fund company and earns 45K+. She's not earned less than 40k for 10 years and has only been in this role for 3 years.

The jobs are out there, you just have to go to the right agency.

Chunderella · 23/10/2013 08:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nicename · 23/10/2013 08:52

I would have expected double that. Its not for a part time role is is?

Last city job I had was a faorly good salary but the 'working day' was 9-6. Hand on, when did a basic working day become 8 hours (pus going in early, working late and not stopping for lunch)?

ksrwr · 23/10/2013 08:53

dame judy dench - this is EXACTLY my job... and if you want me to let you know how much you should really be being paid message me.

MissPlumBroughtALadder · 23/10/2013 08:53

My sister is an executive PA for a financial company. She earns more than 85K plus perks!
22K is a joke, and I feel indicative of employment conditions generally going downhill in Britain at the moment.

nicename · 23/10/2013 08:58

I think they are chancing it - assuming that people are so desperate that they will take any job going.

I remember one boss doing this - I pointed out to her that she was taking on a man with over 30 years work experience, had run his own business etc for a pretty junior role paying peanuts. Needless to say, he was off at the first whiff of a decent job after spending a few months telling her what to do and us how to do our jobs properly (he had no experience in what I did so I just smiled and flicked the odd elastic band his way).

expatinscotland · 23/10/2013 09:01

I'd avoid the agency at all costs.

flowery · 23/10/2013 09:18

How much the directors earn is completely irrelevant. What is relevant is the role itself, the responsibilities, experience level they are looking for etc.

I would agree that the salary sounds very low for a PA supporting directors in a FTSE250.

nicename · 23/10/2013 09:18

They will realise that they will get candidates with little experience or people way over qualified (who will get itchy feet). They will up the salary and readvertise but would you want to work for a business so mean/incompetent/naive/stupid?

Keep looking.

I once negotiated (hard) for a specific salary for a part time job. Turns out the HOUR officer didn't understand pro rata to I ended up getting the full whack for part time. Of course the job was a nightmare, I was working every day, weekends, evenings, constantly at their beck and call... But hey, that makes me smile to this day.