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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:
Dibbydoos · 09/01/2022 19:24

The London weighting isn't necessarily about travel but living costs, so why are they removing it? No-ones living costs have changed have thry? In fact they've gone up.

So fed up of hearing about draper like this.

Sorry you've been caught up in it OP. They are out of order!

LosingTheWill2 · 09/01/2022 19:38

Very cheeky of them

Gbtch · 09/01/2022 19:47

it's public sector with set salary bands and starting salaries, I don't think there will be any room for negotiation.
OP’s
… yes but the removal of London weighting will be discretionary. Definitely challenge!

sue20 · 09/01/2022 19:55

@littlepieces

As it's public sector with set salary bands and starting salaries, I don't think there will be any room for negotiation.
Surely in both directions. They’ve advertised a job and quoted a salary. As public sector they are surely expected to be correct and use a standardised procedure which should include an explanation of any variation to stated salary. Eg if it’s pro rata you expect that to be clear
LimaEchoGolfOscar · 09/01/2022 19:59

Sorry I haven't read all of the posts so apologies if this has already been covered....

From what I can gather you would become part of an already existing team based in London but, due to the pandemic, all team members are currently working from home - is that correct?

I think I also read that the plan eventually is for the team to work a couple of days a week from home but go into the office for the other 3 days.

My obvious question is to ask if the current members of the team have had their salary reduced as they are now working from home - have they?

As you would be approaching the HR department DIRECTLY to finalise details of salary, I don't see that as a future problem as it shouldn't affect the relationship between employee & Line Manager. I don't remember ever discussing salary expectations with colleagues & certainly not with any superiors at any level.

My only suggestion would be for you to liaise with the HR department.....

Please do let us know what choices you considered, discounted & eventually acted upon.... as well as your start date with full salary 😁

Pazuzu · 09/01/2022 20:05

If you do go for the lower salary get it in writing that you're 100% wfh now and going forward and that any attendance in the office will be covered via expenses.

Mandyjack · 09/01/2022 20:32

They could at some point decide to go back to working at the office or decide to work a hybrid method and do both remote and office work. You need to ask about this but if you didn't query the salary before now it's probably down to you not querying it

Howarewenotthereyet · 09/01/2022 21:02

I work in a CS dept. Currently on mat leave. I get a London salary. Have worked from home since the pandemic and pre mat leave. I know the dept was looking at reducing salaries if people wanted a flexible working from home some days/some days in the office contract but for our dept I understand that was a proposal and they are speaking to unions. Interested to know if other gov depts have already implemented this change.
I believe it is very unusual for the CS to advertise a salary and then change it. They do tend to stick to salary bands though.

Patapouf · 09/01/2022 21:40

@littlepieces

As it's public sector with set salary bands and starting salaries, I don't think there will be any room for negotiation.
There's always room for negotiation
Wonderfulstuff · 09/01/2022 22:08

I can't believe the amount of people justifying the employers action. Talk about race to the bottom Confused

I've had this happen to me in the past... I stated that they could pay me the agreed salary or else I'd politely decline the opportunity. Meanwhile I interviewed elsewhere and got another job paying me an appropriate salary. It's a candidates market right now, other employers aren't going to take 4 months to snap you up!

Runnerduck34 · 09/01/2022 23:10

Definitely out of order and definitely worth challenging, 8k is a very significant.
I would ask for the salary as advertised, people have been wfh for a while they should have accurately advertised the salary, they are being completely unreasonable- maybe they are trying it on??
Salary bands will be fixed-but room for negotiation within banding, and london weighting element wont be a banding issue,
I would think twice about working for an employer who did this. On principle I think I would turn it down unless there was some negotiation and it was a job I really really wanted.
IF you do accept it on this basis I would expect WFH to be written into the contract and travel expenses and time off in lieu for travel time for the occasions when you are expected to go to the office, but I think it would be completely reasonable for you to receive the advertised salary, anyone on the reserve list will probably say and expect the same, you are in a stronger position than you think, particularly after a 4 month recruitment process.
As PP have said London weighting is not just for travel but also for higher cost of living/housing cost and this wont have changed. WFH isnt "free" either, you may need to adjust your home, "lose" or multipurpose a room, buy office furniture etc plus heating costs and electricity bills will go up
Contact HR direct -Good Luck.

Mollymoostoo · 10/01/2022 06:50

Speak to ACAS and see what they say.

LadyWithLapdog · 10/01/2022 07:51

8k is a large enough chunk that I'd walk away if they don't budge. I'm annoyed on your behalf and with the PP who try to justify this as being fair, to be expected, but of course and all that nonsense. Good luck!

LadyWithLapdog · 10/01/2022 07:54

There are huge problems in recruitment nowadays (public and private), I think you have the upper hand. You're not taking the rest of the taxpayers for a ride. Good luck.

Theonlyoneiknow · 10/01/2022 08:53

You are absolutely right to challenge this. £8K less, wow! Good Luck OP, keep us posted.

PlanktonsComputerWife · 10/01/2022 08:55

Very crap of them

Oreo78 · 10/01/2022 10:29

Yeah, public sector jobs are notorious when they advertise. Whatever salary they advertise, always expect it to be lower because they will wrangle it like that. For example, a school or college will advertise the highest possible salary in that band, but not add what one would actually earn pro-rata if it is an education job and term time only. No wonder people are leaving public services in their drones. Wishing you all the best OP.

Whatayear81 · 10/01/2022 10:32

@Theonlyoneiknow

You are absolutely right to challenge this. £8K less, wow! Good Luck OP, keep us posted.
The Op did not say it was £8k did she?
PeachyPeachTrees · 10/01/2022 11:01

OP did say it was an £8K difference. I don't know the full salary offered but in any case it would be taking a pay cut when the OP applied for the job for a pay increase.

Whatayear81 · 10/01/2022 11:07

I’ve gone through posts and I can’t see any ref to £8k?

PeachyPeachTrees · 10/01/2022 11:14

As you have a secure job, I would decline the job and make it clear it is because of the lower salary than advertised.

You're right to be annoyed by their deception.

Slightly different, but my brother lives in Birmingham and has applied for a civil servant job in Newcastle. He got the job and last Friday he got the formal contract and found the job is actually in Scotland! He queried it and they said that's where the vacancy is. He wasn't planning on moving so far from friends and family and has been mulling it over this weekend. HR called this morning and are like hurrying him up! The start date is also sooner than advertised, leaving him no room for relocating between jobs. He'd probably have to get a b&b while he looks for a rental.

Mirw · 10/01/2022 12:21

If you were expecting the salary advertised, then go for it. More people are going to tribunal on issues like this. And winning! Too many companies are at it, and the tribunal service is now challenging them. It would be worth taking advice on this...

Plexie · 10/01/2022 13:38

@Whatayear81

I’ve gone through posts and I can’t see any ref to £8k?
OP mentioned the £8k in a post on Saturday at 01:54

It's a very underfunded department and asking them to pay me an extra £8k than what they're offering me now seems unlikely.

£8k seems a lot to me (I've only ever had a flat rate of £3-4K) but in a subsequent post the OP referred to the job advert stating LW as a percentage of salary so maybe that's the way the CS does it.

Tzimi · 10/01/2022 13:41

@Mirw

If you were expecting the salary advertised, then go for it. More people are going to tribunal on issues like this. And winning! Too many companies are at it, and the tribunal service is now challenging them. It would be worth taking advice on this...
But I thought you had to be working somewhere for 2 years plus to take them to an industrial tribunal?
Tzimi · 10/01/2022 13:43

I would just turn the offer down, to be honest. They probably think that just because you've spent the last 4 months going through a tortuous recruitment procedure, you're just going to cave in & accept whatever salary they offer you. Just tell them no, then they can focus on some other poor sod & put them through the same procedure.