Hoping for some advice please. Due to start mat leave for first baby over the Summer. Have been in my job for 5 years with no issues - I've worked my butt off for them! A few weeks ago the org started recruiting for my mat cover but they said they weren't getting great applicants (it's not a niche job but covers quite a wide remit of skills) and that they may have to pay more to find the right person. At that point I said in passing that I'd be a bit unhappy about someone coming in to get a lot more than me after I've been there 5 years, and they basically said they understood but 'needs must'.
A few weeks on they've not found anyone up to it after interviewing several candidates. They're going to ask an agency to try again but I've seen the job advertised at a good few grand more than I'm paid (and about 10 grand more than I got when I started). I had a look at my rights and understand that I can say I'm not happy but that they may feel valid in saying they have to offer more to recruit quicly/find someone good enough. OR I can ask for the pay to be matched when I come back but no guarantees they have to do that. The problem is is that I feel really frozen out of the recruitment process now and feel that they probably won't tell me about what salary they offer and/or may get arsey if I ask. I get on well with the people involved and don't want to rock the boat but I also don't want to get screwed over when things are about to get super expensive for me, or regret not saying somethin.
I understand how things work legally but I feel really upset about the ethics of it when I've worked so hard and was blocked from negotiating my salary when I got offered the job (I made the point that I'd had a recent pay rise in the role I had at the time and would now also have to pay more for travel, etc, but they were really firm about not going up the payscale, even a little). WWYD?
Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.
Work
WWYD? Can they pay my mat cover more than me?
NightandViolets · 20/06/2022 12:58
NightandViolets · 20/06/2022 13:24
Ok. Quite surprised by the comments tbh - it is my role that they’re covering. And I have been involved in recruitment- sifted cvs and did the first interviews. I’m not expecting to be told the final figure they give someone successful, but I do have an issue with them offering a much higher salary in the ad.
NightandViolets · 20/06/2022 13:39
Ok. It’s an eye opener for me then - I’ve been involved in recruiting lots of mat cover roles in previous jobs and we’ve always offered the same salary as the woman they’re covering for, and the candidates accepted. Maybe the market has moved on, and I’m probably being extra sensitive because I’ve worked really hard and feel a bit weird anyway about handing over to someone, especially if they struggle to recruit and the new person isn’t great but still gets paid more. Iwork for a small org so I reckon there’d be other colleagues who’d feel a bit put out that a role at the same level was advertised so much higher than their own. I wanted to negotiate up when I was offered the job but they just wouldn’t budge and I was so desperate to leave where I was I agreed to it.
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.