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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the real salary should have been advertised?

346 replies

littlepieces · 08/01/2022 01:27

I've just been through over four months of interviews, reference checks etc. for a public sector job. Yesterday HR called me to confirm details and casually dropped the bombshell that they're offering me a lower salary than was advertised. I was meant to qualify for a London salary uplift, as it's a London based role, but because the department is working remotely due to Covid that isn't happening now.

BUT, the department has been working remotely since the start of the pandemic, March 2020.

So why didn't they just advertise the remote salary? I would never have applied and wasted my time if they had. Without the uplift I'll be taking a pay cut. AIBU or would I be right to challenge this?

OP posts:
monkeyoven · 09/01/2022 18:02

Civil service really unflexible. New starters start at the bottom of the pay band. Since I started in 2010 there has been no progression pay so you’ll stay at the bottom of the pay band. Pay freezes mean that pay has fallen significantly. Promotion is the only way up. They should have said if it was a london based role or not.

Perimeni · 09/01/2022 18:02

I'd tell them the salary you want and, if you are able go elsewhere if they don't give you what you're after. They will have had to get a salary range signed off for your recruitment so it's at their discretion to give you the extra. If you have to take the job you can always look for something else in the meantime. Good luck.

busymomtoone · 09/01/2022 18:07

After such a laborious interview process they are not going to want to lose you. Yes all LAs and public depots are stretched- but having advertised a specific salary they cannot change that so far down the line!! I would just be reasonable and say you understand they might not want to honour full weighting with home working - but that equally they surely understand you cannot take a pay cut. There is always wiggle room within the bands. If they aren’t willing to compromise at all then I’d question whether it’s the right move. If you do jump I would also ensure you have in writing that the full weighting as advertised will be restored as and when you return to office working. Never good to be seen as a pushover !!

DirtyDancing · 09/01/2022 18:07

They should match your current salary. If it's civil service they can put in a business case and it shouldn't be hard to approve

Tzimi · 09/01/2022 18:07

Just tell them you're not interested, as you can't afford to take a pay cut.

DonaPatrizia · 09/01/2022 18:08

Just to add, I don’t think you can take this job even if they backtrack and honour the original salary. You’d be in a place of suspicion and mistrust from day one, which is not a good start. Even if they did it accidentally and not to be deceitful they are still incompetent. If you can get £10k more for doing your current job then go for it - sounds as if you may be undervalued in your current job and the new one would be a backward step. Good luck, value yourself and don’t take any nonsense. You’re worth better than this.

KarenTheGammonRemoaner · 09/01/2022 18:08

I think the key point is whether you are living in London because the cost of living there is three times what it is where I am and you NEED that extra money. I took a 10K pay cut to come to Liverpool and was better off! It's ridiculous. Working from home incurs its own costs so I don't find this fair at all. Also, you agreed to go on the advertised salary. I'm not sure the legalities as this was pre-contract signing but it seems they should pay you what they led you to believe you were applying for.

angela99999 · 09/01/2022 18:11

Sorry, haven't read all the posts. Just discuss it with them, explaining that you can't take a salary reduction. Surely your current salary was shown on your CV. Perhaps they assumed it included a London Weighting.

Fredstheteds · 09/01/2022 18:11

So when the office is needed in London they will negotiate on your salary? You will need to factor in travelling and 8k is a lot of money

Luredbyapomegranate · 09/01/2022 18:14

If they advertise it as being in London, and you are in London, then yes I would expect you to get it. Whether you are in the office is neither here nor there, London weighing is to deal with higher costs of living, which is mostly properly. Their logic is no commute, I assume - fair enough if they had said that.

I’d tell them you expect to be paid it - you never know.

If it doesn’t happen but it suits your career plans, then take it with a plan to move on as soon as you have the experience they can give you eg 18 months. Or turn it down.

Be factual rather than stroppy about it.

Thirtytimesround · 09/01/2022 18:17

Classic civil service mess. When I was being recruited I couldn’t believe how bad the process was, but I figured things would be better once I started the job. They weren’t. Left after a couple of years. Tbh OP you probably had a narrow escape!

Abigail12345654321 · 09/01/2022 18:25

@heelforheelandtoefortoe

I think the London weighting is unfair.

You could have two employees doing the same job but one lives in London and gets paid the weighting.

That employee could be utterly shit at their job and the other one could be amazing but paid less.

I have a younger than me, single childless colleague, who still lives with their parents earning more than me simply because they (pre covid) commuted into London. They (like me) got their travel expenses paid so didn't need the money for that either.

The expense of London doesn't mean non London employees don't need additional pay too.

Why do you mention that your colleague is young, single, childless and living with their parents?

Are you suggesting pay should be based on social circumstances? An extra increment for each year we sustain a relationship? Move up a grade when we give birth? Massive bonus when we buy a house?

Such a strange thing to include. Why shouldn’t they have their travel paid, like you? What does it matter that you have rent to pay? I think you’re maybe confusing your employer with a socialist state.

mrsbeeton999 · 09/01/2022 18:26

I think it’s really out of order to offer a lower salary so far into the recruitment process. I work for a county council and negotiated a £5.5k increase on starting salary when I started. I had taken a severance package and wasn’t working which they knew but still immediately offered more when I queried the initial offered salary

007Stocko · 09/01/2022 18:44

Well if your not going to take the job at the revised salary then you have nothing to loose in telling them you want the originally advertised salary or its a no thank you.

Whatayear81 · 09/01/2022 18:47

@Abigail12345654321

Click on the link. It’s updated again and now the first one doesn’t have anything about a London weighting

Whereas the job before when I clicked… did!

Mumontour85 · 09/01/2022 18:50

I find it utterly bonkers that you've gone through 4 months worth of the recruitment process without having this conversation!
A lot of the time the salary stated in the advert is subject to various things and never a promise... I really find it amazing that money wasn't mentioned by either party before this moment.

If it is not enough to justify leaving your current role then dont take this one. Be honest with them, if they think you are worth it they will negotiate and come to a compromise. If they don't then you don't want to work for them anyway 🤷‍♀️

Very frustrating situation, but I have to say that you have some responsibility for not raising the question sooner!

Xenia · 09/01/2022 18:51

Just say you will not take the job if it is less than the advertised salary and if they don't like it reject the job, carry on with your current job and look for another one a higher pay.

Pugroll · 09/01/2022 18:58

@Mumontour85

I find it utterly bonkers that you've gone through 4 months worth of the recruitment process without having this conversation! A lot of the time the salary stated in the advert is subject to various things and never a promise... I really find it amazing that money wasn't mentioned by either party before this moment.

If it is not enough to justify leaving your current role then dont take this one. Be honest with them, if they think you are worth it they will negotiate and come to a compromise. If they don't then you don't want to work for them anyway 🤷‍♀️

Very frustrating situation, but I have to say that you have some responsibility for not raising the question sooner!

Usually it is a promise for a civil service job though.
guardiansofthegalaxychocs · 09/01/2022 19:01

@littlepieces

As it's public sector with set salary bands and starting salaries, I don't think there will be any room for negotiation.
If you aren’t going to take it then I think you have nothing to lose by saying that you only applied based on the advertised salary and unfortunately wouldn’t be in a position to accept unless they can honour it.
mussymummy · 09/01/2022 19:02

This is not all on them surely in 4 months as someone who is interviewing with a company you should have been grown up enough / had the balls to raise this with them. Interviewing is a 2 way street and sorry but you should have done your due diligence to confirm certain elements of the job before it got this far

ginforme · 09/01/2022 19:04

I work in HR in the public sector and there's always room for negotiation. The problem might be that you said it was a mass hiring campaign - it might be harder if that's the case - if they pay you higher they maybe worried they'll have to do the same for everyone else too...

Scottsy100 · 09/01/2022 19:07

They have completely wasted your time and falsely advertised a position that actually doesn’t exist

howrudeforme · 09/01/2022 19:08

I thought London weighting was a thing of the 80’s 🤨

They are not offering the salary as advertised , the one that enticed you to go through a 4 month process. Public sector London - not great.

Negotiate but putting the onus on them to honour the salary as advertised.

franbrad · 09/01/2022 19:20

I started on the top band for my job but it was standard practice for anyone transferring from my previous job. I still took a slight pay drop even so. However I made it clear at interview I wouldn't move if it was anything but top band.

mrbreezeet1 · 09/01/2022 19:23

No!
YANBU!