Is it legal to pay a trainee more than someone qualified in the same business?

[CaptainKirksNipples]

Hey everyone I am hoping for some advice.

My sister is only 20 and has qualified as a dental nurse, she recently got a £1k pay rise for completing her studies and secured a job at the dentist she had trained with.

Today at lunch she discovered that one of the other trainees is earning more than her although she hasn't qualified. This girl will get a £1k rise when she qualifies so my sis will be about £2k worse off even though she qualified first!

I told her to speak to the manager about it but he says that there is nothing he can do this year because of the wage budget.

Any advice or tips please?

It's perfectly legal. A company can pay each person whatever they want/negotiate.

There's not a lot your sister can do except talk to the manager again or find another job.

Unfortunately in an open market things like this do happen. It is up to your sister to negotiate the best wage she can and ditto the trainees. Seems the trainee did a better job at it. Sorry.

Yes perfectly legal. If the other person doing the same job was a man, then she could bring an Equal Pay claim, however as it's another woman the law doesn't get involved at all. Really other than illegal discrimination the only legal restrictions on pay are around minimum wage - everything else is about internal procedures and individual negotiation.

Ah ok thanks for your responses. She was working for under minimum wage while she was training and the £1k rise brought it to just above. Had no idea they got paid so little!

The other girl is getting 70p per hour above her which is above £1k over a year. Problem is she will get the pay rise when she completes her studies so will be on much more. I will say to my sister to say something to the manager.

I know people negotiate wages all the time, it was the difference between qualified and not that made me think there could be something she could complain about. She does a good job but is not good at speaking up for herself!