to potentially try and get a proper payrise in a part time job via another job offer

[workingdilemma]

A little long - apologies

I've been working in the same place now for quite a few years. A few years in, I went part time (3 days/week) Relatively speaking compared to most, it's a great situation as

a) It's a not an industry where part time work is the norm. So a rare thing.
b) It's a relatively well paid job
c) I have some flexibility in when I work each week.
d) My workmates are a good bunch
e) The work is, most of the time, reasonably interesting - though I could do with more of a challenge more regularly as I like to be stretched. I've made this clear recently - though the scope for this is limited.

The company too is onto a very good deal with me compared to a full time worker imho, as my output is easily as good as some similar grade full time workers despite working less and being a lot cheaper. No sick days (just rearrange for later in week) etc as well. All round it works. The company is more than happy with me.

Also worth mentioning I was promoted a few years back, but didn't really get much of a pay bump. More of a more prestigious title thing - not a lot really changed. I said I wasn't over the moon about it at the time, and at each review since, but it hasn't been rectified - although I know that my new manager's manager was surprised at what my salary was when he saw it for the first time.

Basically, I know that if I was a full time worker, this would have been fixed by now. From discussions in the office, although no-one talks about salary directly, it's pretty clear that quite a few people (less senior) are on more than me (equalising for full time work), and looking around job sites too, I think I get a significant bump elsewhere.

They know though it's probably a much harder thing for me to leave then others, and maintain the part time work. However...

....I've recently been approached by a lot of recruiters, and made it clear that I'm reasonably happy where I am given everything. One has now said this might be a possibility to have a go at moving. The role potentially would be a > 30% bump in salary - up to a very tasty sum indeed.

It does have me thinking. If I can get another part time job offer, I'd have proven that it's not impossible, and I am worth the true market rate.

If that situation happens, and the other job is good and also offers growth ops, I would probably take it. If however, it wasn't necessarily the best fit (but the money was much better), would I be unreasonable to turn that job down, but 'use' the offer to get myself back to the compensation I think I should be on?

I'm not interested in wasting the other companies time, but I do feel the situation I'm in allows my company to not exactly have much incentive to bump my pay otherwise. Or is there another way

(well done for reading all that!)

Bump, just in case anyone has any advice. If not, I'll ask for the thread to be deleted for cleaning up purposes. Thanks!

Why not approach your boss to say that you would like your salary reviewed as you feel it is under market rate. Take several comparative job adverts with salaries to evidence your statement.

If they agree, then you've saved yourself and potentially new employers a lot of time and hassle.

If they decline it, then look around and find something suitable. Then give them the ultimatum.

If you are in a well paid job, taking the bull by the horns on the matter of salary is something that you should be able to do without having to waste all of that time first.

Best of luck.

It's certainly something that a lot of people do. I would feel bad about wasting the other company's time, so I think it's probably better to follow Shakes' suggestion first, making it clear to your employers that you are absolutely serious about following this through if they don't sort out your pay.

Thanks Shakes. My immediate boss agrees with me, as does his manager I think. However, the 'purse strings' appear to be higher up the chain - and, as I alluded to, given the nature of my situation with part time jobs being very rare in the industry, they know it's potentially much more difficult for me to make a jump.

Absolutely - I could go down the line of saying 'look - there's adverts saying I would get X' - but I think they would just throw back a 'we can't pay that at the moment' and know unless I go back full time, it will be difficult to do anything.

It's technically unfair, as legally part time workers shouldn't be at a disadvantage, but it's near impossible to prove that my salary isn't on par, given the opaqueness of the structure in our office and given that it's not like I'm terribly paid anyway.

I'll try again, but if I can get an interview elsewhere, I'm going to go for it. The money on offer is outstanding - they couldn't possibly match it I anyway I think, and if I can get in the door, I'll convince them of the merits of part time - I'm certain of that.

Yes Icimoi - I would feel bad about that, so if I manage to get offered a job elsewhere at the pay level I think I should be at, I will have to take it. I've come to terms with that because having chatted to the recruiter, the package would be simply unmatchable at my place.

There is no way they would give me a 40% raise, given I've been struggling to get 10%!

If you're happy in your job but dissatisfied because of salary, I would certainly ask for a private meeting with whoever stating you're looking elsewhere and have seen x, or have had an offer of y. You might get a bidding war!

If your line managers think you are highly valued yet underpaid then I would expect them to do something about it and support your application for a raise. If you "round up" your salary to that of a full-time equivalent, are you still a long way off?

However if the answer is "we can't afford it" then you know exactly where you stand and you will never get the raise you want at that company.

People do this all the time, they give their current employer the opportunity to counter offer. Sometimes we do counter offer but sometimes we choose not to and let the employee go. So make sure you really want to leave before you start negotiating and that you have the new job offer in writing etc.
employee: I am thinking of leaving, I have an offer of x from x company and its x more than I am in here
Manager: ok, finish next month
Employee thinks oops, I actually didn't want to leave/don't have an actual ofer etc

It does work, but be careful

As Heels said if you use the job offer to try and get a higher salary then you need to be prepared to walk if they don't offer you more money.

Agree it's common to do this and if you handle well, it could pay off.

Now need to give myself a pep talk as just saw my job advertised elsewhere for £21k more than I get. Yes my job is probably more flexible but £21k's worth of flexibility? Probably not.

the £21k more job is also in a shithole of a place that I'd never willingly work in but I'll skim over that

If you "round up" your salary to that of a full-time equivalent, are you still a long way off?

Yep, intlman - that's the problem in a nutshell. If I was full time, the company would be much more afraid of me leaving, and would be much more inclined to be competitive. I probably wouldn't have to be posturing at all - I genuinely believe they'd have done it themselves without me even asking.

As it is, they have less incentive even if I express my dissatisfaction. Hence me attempting to prove that I can get another part time job.

I don't think that interviewing for a "maybe" job is wasting the other company's time, providing you're clear about what you want (and the job's not obviously completely unsuitable). From a hiring manager's perspective, I know we might be flexible for the right candidate (e.g. offer eventual home working to attract a great candidate) but wouldn't necessarily advertise this.

From a candidate's perspective, I have also taken a "meh, not what I'm looking for really but the recruiter is keen and it's interview practice" role. When I turned up at interview it was much better than I'd imagined from the job ad. It's the company's chance to win you over too - you really are doing them a favour to allow them a crack at making a good pitch to you.

It's a gamble that might not pay off.

If you were to do that at my company, they would just let you leave. They would believe that you were generally unhappy at the company, and that if they gave you a pay rise, you would leave soon anyway.

Yeah I've completely revised the way I think about things since the OP. If another company is willing to offer me part time work, then I'm taking it very seriously indeed, especially if it's 40% more than I'm on!

The only way I would be wasting their time is if I wasn't being upfront about wanting part time work, getting another job offer and then turning round to my place and saying - "Look, that's what I'd get if I was full time'. They would probably quite rightly say - 'Piss off there then and lose your flexibility', even if every party was a loser in that scenario because it would be very dishonest.

In which case I would go back to them with the simple statement that you are underpaid. You can use both the other role and the fact that, on a pro rata basis, you earn less than a full time employee as evidence. Do you have an HR department who could provide some (anonymous) salary comparators?

If you are a permanent employee (as opposed to a contractor/consultant) then you should have the same rights as every other employee, including pay, and you should not be disadvantaged due to your part-time status. Allowing for the pro rata adjustment obviously!

I do understand that direct discussions around salary can be difficult. However if you don't ask, you don't get.

Also agree with pps, applying for another job is never a waste of time. You may be surprised how good it is or you may hate the other company. Without applying, you'll never know.

You can try to raise it directly first but don't feel bad for doing what you propose - they are the ones who are taking the michael by paying you an under the market rate salary for 3 years and not rewarding you appropriately - potentially because you are part time (and/or female). You could consider that there is a potential equal pay claim here...

You can try to raise it directly first but don't feel bad for doing what you propose - they are the ones who are taking the michael by paying you an under the market rate salary for 3 years and not rewarding you appropriately - potentially because you are part time (and/or female). You could consider that there is a potential equal pay claim here...

A couple of thing spring to mind

From your employer's perspective, why would they increase your salary, if they are already getting the perfect solution in you? It's the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" situation many people face, who are paid lower than other colleagues but still doing an excellent job. They are already getting maximum value.

As other PPs have pointed out, be very careful about bargaining with your current employer. It is likely to end badly, as it creates bad feeling and they could turn round and invite you to take up the other role. Then you've burned your bridges.

Could you draw up a list of objectives with your line manager, with a set timeframe and on successful completion, you receive your pay Rise?

Or, as you seem to be thinking, see if you can get a better paid role elsewhere?

It could be your present role only commands a certain salary scale and, despite you doing an excellent job, it just can't attract a higher salary. And it is part time, so may not represent an exact like for like equivalent full time role?

I'm very reticent to go down the full on equal pay claim route gaslamp, because it would destroy the working relationship where I am, and is very difficult to prove.

But yeah, I think I am going to take the advice of everyone and go back again with some more evidence of jobs being advertised, glass door/payscale etc and say - look - there's less senior positions being advertised at rates above mine (indeed the job I've been contacted about has a lesser title!)

The last time I did this, I got short shrift saying 'Our survey's say different', but this time if I get the knock back I will say I've been approached and turned things down, but gently say

'I'd hate to think that my concerns aren't being taken seriously because I am part-time.'

Which is a line I haven't used before. It will probably annoy someone up the chain, but I have nothing to be ashamed of, you're all quite correct. Thanks!

The company I used to work for, would absolutely ignore any interviews and job offers and pay. Their feeling was, if you had gone to that much trouble, they'd already lost you, and they were not to be 'blackmailed' with it.

I had to leave to get paid properly, and indeed go a 40% payrise. I was working 9 day fortnights at the start, and now work 4 days a week. I finish early on Mon/Wed so I can pick up DS1 from school to spend a little quality time with him alone. The flexibility is there, if you are an in demand industry, a quality employee, and they respect you.

It could be your present role only commands a certain salary scale and, despite you doing an excellent job, it just can't attract a higher salary. And it is part time, so may not represent an exact like for like equivalent full time role?

I'm sure it does have a certain salary scale - but goes way higher than mine (I'd not be shocked if they adjusted the bottom end when I was promoted just to fit me in!). There' is no question of that, unless my company is really, really not competitive.

But, judging by our car park, and tax band/mortgage salary multiple discussions that people have in the office, they definitely are not with most!

The part time nature simply doesn't affect the job in any way too, so it's not that either. It's pure 'we don't need to pay more as there's no way that they'll get another part time job'.

Get another other job offer and leave is the way to go.

I've been in a similar situation previously. Whilst having another job offer on the table can put you in a powerful position, I would strongly discourage playing this card unless you a willing to see it through it and have an offer in the bag.

You are, in effect, threatening to leave if the situation is not rectified and if for whatever reason they can't/don't see fit to give you an appropriate rise in pay and you don't leave, you will be giving them an unfavourable impression of yourself and your loyalty to your team/company.

I would suggest talking to your boss first about it all and highlighting that you've done your research re your market value and asking directly if you could be brought in line with this.

Good luck!

Your approach sounds good to me OP - it seems clear they'll never give you more without being pushed, so going back and gently but firmly calling them on it gives you the chance to find out if they will increase it.

Workingdilemma - I wouldn't go down the equal pay route either but then I'm a lawyer and would avoid all litigation at all costs! However, if you are feeling that this (getting a job offer and using it as a negotiation point) might not be good form, you should bear in mind that your pay level might be of such a low level as to give you a potential claim. I wouldn't feel bad. However I would probably move on if I could find another job