Feel like I'm being taken for a fool over pay

[EvaBeaversProtege]

Bear with me as this may be complicated.

I'll try not to drip feed & will try to answer any questions that may arise.

I have been working at the private company for 6 years now.

I had been working part time until December when I took on a full time role in a different office to cover a maternity post.

The other office is further away but at interview (which lasted 2mins) they made it clear there was no money in the company, if I was happy to take on this post it would be full time hours on the same rate I was earning (about 10p more than NMW) and I wouldn't get travel expenses.

So I talked to dh & we decided in the short term it would be okay, I'd get more experience & money & by the time the maternity post ended I would hopefully be able to find a different full time job elsewhere.

I was doing fine, there's a lot of extra responsibility in this role, longer days and extra after work meetings to attend (all I knew before I took the job on)

However, and this is really annoying me - a rule in our contracts state we must not discuss our wages with other employees. But I have been chatting to a colleague who had been there for 6 months, she doesn't have the same level of responsibility as me, but came to the company with experience, it transpires she is earning £5,000 a year more than me.

Also, I have found out that another colleague who effectively stepped up to cover maternity (same as me) got a wage increase too. I also know a male colleague who is doing the same role is on a higher wage.

I have been feeling rubbish over this since I've heard - in fact I am off sick (due to something else) & it's only when I had time to think about it & chat to dh about it, I feel like I'm totally worthless.

As it's a private company they seem to get away with so much more than public companies could.

I'm still off sick & I feel like staying off until I find a job with less responsibility - let's face it, NMW isn't that great to be taking the stress I was.

A friend (colleague) said I should go in & explain to HR how I feel, I don't think this would work.

Has anyone any advice? I really feel so low.

Hi I m no expert but is there anyway you can investigate with a union if you are a member. If there is a male doing the same job as you but more pay are you able to claim sex discrimination in a tribunal.?

Hi, surprisingly no, I am not in a union, nor are we encouraged to be in one.

I do have a name & number of a union representative, though if I'm not a member I'm sure he won't want to be talking to me.

I am afraid that they are just better at negotiation than you. There are no laws to say you need to get paid the same as everyone else and unless you can cite discrimination there is little you can do.

I feared that funky.

Still sticks in my gut though. :(

Any rule in your contract preventing you from discussing pay is unlawful and enforceable. From what you say it doesn't sound like there is a transparent pay system in place which may be questionable under equal pay legislation. Can you not raise a grievance? Yes I would speak to HR, and see what sort of response you get.

Sorry, that should say unenforceable!

It's hard to describe the company I work for. HR is one person who does about 3 other jobs too.

It's a family owned business, the son is our general manager & doesn't really have a clue about how the business works - for him it's all about cutting corners & saving money, not about company morale.

The short answer is, I need a new job.