Duped out of payrise

[Undersoldxzxz]

Duped is maybe the wrong word... I’ve been told by my boss that due to COVID etc there are no pay rises this year and our bonus structure has also changed. I accepted this as happy to be employed etc and as I was told there were no exceptions

Today I overheard a conversation between my boss and a member of the team which seemed to be a whispered chat about a pay rise for a reportee (numbers and ‘backdated’). I’ve also heard that there have been negotiations regarding the bonus scheme

Am I just stupid for accepting the no pay rise stance?

I have undersold myself at this job for a number of years due to lack of confidence. I’ve been promoted to roles with more responsibility but have been learning on the job so didn’t feel able to negotiate a raise when given the jobs

I realise getting a raise is up to me to negotiate but I just feel a bit sick about all the extra hours I have put in, the holidays I have worked over.

What can I do in this situation?

I mean this kindly. But leave.
Too many women put up with being underpaid and under recognised. If they dont value you - someone else will. At least get your CV out there and see what you're worth. You can make your decision when you see the options in front of you.

Go and speak to your manager. If you don't know for sure you need to find out before you take the next step (which for me would be sitting down face to face and outlining why I should be getting a pay rise)...

Thank you for replying, I need to pluck up the courage to even write my CV
I now have a huge amount of responsibility but as I feel I need help and guidance, it hasn’t felt legitimate to ask for more money.

Can you source genuine pay scale references for your role? Either internally or externally (preferably both). If you can it's very hard for a manager to argue against them.

That's how others get ahead OP. Even if you don't leave it's something I always recommend people do is getting their CV out there to see how much you are worth on the open market (you know what I mean!).

Then you're able to have a structured conversation with your boss because you're not talking theory and the chat will be around how you're able to get closer to market value in your role.

Unfortunately my workplace likes to keep things vague. I suppose it helps to keep things unclear as few people offer up their salary for fear of being the low paid one. It also varies hugely by department and role despite responsibilities and impact varying massively.
I just feel lied to and stupid for accepting how the business has struggled and how we need to pull together despite already working over and above this past year

Also, you say that you need 'help and guidance' but are you just talking about working under the supervision of your manager, which is usual for most employees - after all, they wouldn't want you to make unilateral decisions. Are you asking for handholding or are you running ideas past someone with more decision making power than you?

I suppose I fear that if I push to hard I might get left in the cold when I need help from my boss to learn and get the job right

Do you work for solicitors? This is the reason I left after thirty years underpaid, excuses for no wage rises when I saw the accounts. Everyone on different pay for doing the same job, secret pay rises and bonuses, so much bullshit.

What I am trying to express is that your manager is actually paid to supervise your work. That is not a favour to you, it is his job. He (or she) is supposed to discuss your work and your progress, set targets and plan for your progression. You are thinking about this as if it is a lovely thing that you are getting as a bonus.

@Tanfastic - not a solicitor - I’m sorry to hear that, it must have been a terrible feeling

@growinggreyer - you are right, it’s just that I work in a sector/business where knowledge is currency and very little is written down, it is all learnt on the job. With COVID it hasn’t been possible to do that properly so I am quite reliant. Due to this I am probably asking for hand holding.

I need to take charge of the situation for myself - thank you everyone for your help

What about emailing your manager and saying that you’ve heard that the pay rise/bonus scheme is being reinstated this year so he wanted to remind him that all the extra work / hours you’ve done et cetera?

@SunIsComing - I’ve had quite a few in-depth chats about the whole situation these past few weeks as there are team members who are pushing for pay rises that have been refused. I feel like I have been managed through these conversations about others - ‘they’re not getting anything as no one is getting anything’

I think if my employer was routinely lying to staff about pay etc, I'd be looking for another job.

@Undersoldxzxz I am sorry you feel like this I also wondering if we work for the same company! I too have heard of potential pay rises being backdated after being told there would be none earlier in the year. Surely can't be so common to backtrack like that! Anyway, the main purpose of my message is to tell you that I feel exactly the same as you, my responsibilities have grown but I still don't feel hugely legitimate asking for more money (I never feel totally secure and valued even though I have had fantastic ratings), I also need to write my CV. The pay structure is very unclear so I am not even sure what a good/ bad salary looks like and I fear it is a clever way for companies to underpay people like us. I hope you get was your deserve and you have given me the push to write my CV today, so thank you!

delights of working in finance - access to payroll info

I see it differently to most previous posters. I find t difficult to believe that an employer would tell one person there are no pay rises this year if it isn’t generally true - mainly because they are likely to be found out. My immediate thought is that the person being discussed was an exception rather than the rule and there are perhaps extenuating circumstances you do not know about.

For peace of mind, maybe double check and get second hand verification (e.g. from HR) that there are generally no pay rises this year. It doesn’t seem that surprising that a company might have a pay rise freeze this year.

@LakieLady

I think if my employer was routinely lying to staff about pay etc, I'd be looking for another job.

Yep, it will screw you up over the years if you don't and you'll become bitter. I wish I'd left my old profession years ago. So much bullshit, lying, making staff feel worthless. Wanting their pound of flesh for a pittance whilst lining their own pockets. Get out now op. Find a firm where transparency is top of the agenda.

Just do your job, recognise your own value and raise it if your not happy with your remuneration.

Sorry to use their thread for this. I’m in a similar situation. Always had payrises and bonuses but this year when most of the team left half way through the year have been told my grade aren’t getting one. For some reason I feel unsure that this is correct. Unfortunately I don’t know the two others at my grade as they are new and joined after I went on mat leave. I’m thinking of asking HR to confirm but I don’t want my manager to know I’m asking... I hope they will respect my request for confidentiality

Join the union. They can find out what’s going on and ask questions anonymously.

A long time ago I worked for a company that announced a blanket "no payrises" one year. I took them at their word as you did. Although I wasn't senior, my role required access to the payroll. Guess what? Some people did get a pay rise that year. Every single one of them was a man. My boss told me that the thing they had in common was that they had asked (either threatened to leave or had come in with some other negotiating tactic). I felt cheated like you do but I also realised that if you don't take action yourself then nothing will happen for you. I prepared my CV and I was offered a position with a 20% pay rise. My company offered to match it but I was excited about the new job and happy to move on. Please don't be afraid to stand up for yourself because you can't count on someone else to do it for you.

As women we have been very passive when it comes to pay. Very often when I have taken over a new area I look down the pay for teams and it is notably uneven between women and men. Often women perform as well or better than their male counterparts only to find that because men push harder and negotiate more aggressively they finish up with more pay. Do not be afraid to move, and push hard for a pay rise. Also, if you are aware of differentials do not be afraid to point these out.