Work situation wwyd

[T0getherindreams]

Ok, Long time reader, first time poster.

I have a serious work situation and I don't know if it's unreasonable for me to be so angry. Not angry really, absolutely furious. I have no idea how to handle this and looking for opinions.

I'll be as brief as possible.

I work for a huge, massive, gigantic company, one you've all heard of. I jave worked here for 14 years. A long time colleague, 12 years or so, has just fucked me over for no obvious reason.

Everyone in my department (including my colleague in question) gets a shift allowance, it's a sweetner for being on call over certain weekends.

Because my colleague (lets call her H) has been on long term sick, left, came back on another contract, her on call allowance is less than mine. I don't know why, same job, but she signed up to a new contract when she came back.

Now, two years ago our department stopped routinely working weekends and since then all new starters are on the contract which H signed. My boss at that time said he wanted flexibility to allow for weekend work if necessary and I had no objection to being called in so he left me on my old contract.

Today he called me into the office first thing, first day back from my leave, and asked me to sign a new contract. Apparently H has been emailing HR about me and saying it's unfair I get paid £40p/m more than her because I'm still on the old contract.

My boss said he's sorry but she has made so much "noise" that HR are now on his back. He said she brought the issue up in a staff meeting while I was leave last week, so everybody knows it's her anyway, and he's not being unprofessional in telling me it was her.

I'm fucking fuming, she gets nothing out of this. Nothing. She has messed with my pay just because she could.

No massive back story, no drip feed. I thought we were good work colleagues, even helped her get out of major trouble a few years back.

No idea why she would do this.

What do i say when I see her tomorrow.

Aibu in being so angry?

What would you do now?
Sorry for the long post.

The company I worked for tried to impose draconian new contracts on my team last December. We all refused. I was made redundant and the rest of my team were fired last month. They called it 'dismiss and re-engage' except no-one was re-engaged. We were all long serving employees who had worked there for between 8 and 42 years.

Have you asked if this change is affecting everyone on the old contract, or only you?

Your union rep is wrong as others have said. Please contact your union’s head office- DH works in industrial relations for a big union and when I ran this by him he says there’s definitely a fight to be had, especially the implication that long term service = an older employee.

There is no solution. She did it, she got her way. The only thing you can do now is either be the angry bitch (because that is how you'll be seen) or take the "moral high ground". Neither are particularly attractive I have to say but it may serve you well to let go of your (understandable) anger and move to icy calm. It's not ideal I know

I agree with pp in that she made a fuss not to fuck with your pay but in increase hers and get a similar contract drawn up for her. She's an absolute imbecile for not thinking it could mean you'd be punished for it. YANBU for being angry, I'd be fucking furious too and would absolutely tell her how I felt.

Has she come back from long term sick recently? And do you have some successes while she was away that might be putting you ahead in other ways? Just wondering if this is more a case if trying to undermine you/cause friction with other colleagues because of jealousy?

Tell everyone at work that she's campaigning for colleagues to get their pay cut behind their backs.

It might not have been her intention, but that's what she's done, and she used friendship to get the info out of you.

If she were an ok person she'd have told you before the meeting and be grovelling now.

Ask everyone to spread the word.

Your manager has also handled this badly and should have shut her down.

I had a similar issue years ago but do to with terms rather than pay. Manager called me into the office and tried to get me to agree to something which according to my contract I didn't have to do. Apparantly others had complained it wasn't fair. Manager said to me "what am I supposed to say to her"....meaning the person who kicked off.

I suggested to the manager she told this other employee that my terms and conditions were none of her business. Refused to agree to do it and was not very impressed with the colleague who had been moaning.

I think I would ignore her or if she gets in ypur face, tell her you’re currently far too angry to speak to her and walk away. Dont get involved in any kind of argument/fracas.

I think I'd be tempted to tell her you didn't sign and can't be forced to so will be keeping the extra £40. If she goes running to the boss, deny saying it. Fuck her.

I would raise a grievance about H: raising this in a strategy meeting was not at all appropriate, and at her level she must know this.

Separately, I'd ask for a copy of the suggested contract and a written explanation of why it's being mooted, and the consequences of not signing, to show to my employment lawyer. It sound like your boss thinks the easiest thing is to get you to capitulate, rather than tell H that she signed her contract and yours is none of her concern. Anyway it sounds like they think you're easier to bully than she is to placate. Perhaps they need to see you aren't going to be a pushover.

Regarding H- you definitely don't want to give her any ammunition, and I'm fact I think the thing that may annoyher most is if you behave as though nothing has happened - I. e. no-one has paid her whining any attention. While being just on the professional side of frosty.

I think she was angling for a pay increase too and hr are taking the opportunity to reduce yours 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’d be gunning for her too.

Do you have to sign a new contract? I get paid more and have more leave than newer colleagues who started years after me. Unfortunate for them I’m paid more but that was the terms I signed up to, not my fault they have been downgraded in later years.

Is there perhaps the option to put in a grievance against her for sharing the details of your contract and salary in a meeting with other managers? Surely that's confidential information? It doesn't fix anything, but it'll hopefully get through to her that she was unprofessional and put her off doing it to someone else or doing anything else to you, if she was planning to.

How odd, it's really common same job different pay. Anyway, I never heard of pay cut for this reason, don't sign the new contract, make them give pay rise to others instead.

Link to the info on changes to contracts from ACAS.
beta.acas.org.uk/changing-an-employment-contract/when-changes-are-not-agreed
Although your employer can do the dismiss/reengage thing already mentioned, that is a big hassle for them and they have to weigh up the risk of you taking legal action. So they might not want to go down that road..
When you say you spoke to the union, do you mean you phoned HQ to speak to them or that the advice is from a workplace rep? As they will not know everything there is to know about employment law (I'm not dissing them, I am one, but I would go above myself for advice on a serious matter like this!)

I'd be asking for a copy of the minutes of that meeting to see what exactly was discussed about you between other members of staff - that was totally inappropriate and unprofessional carry on. She should have taken her fucking moan to HR or payroll, not brought it up in a meeting where there were many members of staff who have no business knowing your salary. As for seeing her tomorrow, I'd hold my head up and walk straight past her without even looking in her direction.

Just read footballmum's post, looks like you have little choice but to sign it :(

I was given choice before but probably becoming less common now. :(

If it were me I’d carry on as if nothing was going on until I knew exactly where I stood. Then I would reassess how or even if I wanted to say anything.

She's clearly not your friend.

I would pursue Hr on this.

so 2 people doing the exact same job 1 gets paid more than the other doing the exact same job and thats fair? i think not and tis only happened because she got sick

I’m sorry this has happened to you OP seems to be mixed opinion re if employer can adjust your contract possibly yes but cant drop your salary this happened to me and had to wait for everyone else to catch up with my salary so sat at same salary for few years irrespective of whether I was highly rated on the performanc scale or not
Personally I would be asking to see the minutes and contact my union or citizens adv as for your friend be professional and never share salary details with anyone again

I wouldn’t ignore her or say anything yet, until you’ve got answers from HR and have decided how you want to approach this.

I do think this should be a lesson in never letting anyone see your payslip, no matter how good a friend you think they are.

so 2 people doing the exact same job 1 gets paid more than the other doing the exact same job and thats fair? i think not and tis only happened because she got sick

This.

This is not about the op. It's about the fact they are now paying her less, the fact they took the decision to fuck over the op too, is not thr colleagues fault,

1. Don't sign, see how it plays out. If they force it as above posters said, then you force the 3 months notice

1. Don't engage H except for any work that you have to. Be polite but cold. Certainly don't mention pay or contract issue and if she asks say it's private

1. Email your manager and HR staying that he is not given permission to discuss your pay it contract with other employees

Disagree with bluntness above. It is the colleagues fault. People get different pay for the same job all the time. You have to fight for your pay that's the world we live in.
Can't believe you think it's ok for H to screw her friend because she got screwed. If gate to be your friend!