Pay dispute in new role

[Devoilmum]

I’ve been in the company about 3 years now and after about 18 months an opportunity came up in a different department to cover maternity leave. This role was a different grade to the one I was on and I was paid a small supplement during the time I was there.
Fast forward to now and the person I was covering didn’t return. I applied for and was given the job. However, I’m being told I don’t qualify to be paid the starting salary for the job I’m now doing, even though my job grade has gone up. I’ve been told I’ll receive a salary increase due to my past year performance, but even with this I’ll be over 1k a year under the base salary for my new grade.
To my mind, my salary should go up to at least the starting salary for my new grade, and my pay rise should be added onto that. (I was the top performer in the team last year despite just joining with no experience).
I can’t seem to get a straight answer from anyone and the story keeps changing.
Does this sound correct? Am I misunderstanding something?

Sounds like they are penny pinching, have they suffered with covid? Unless they've changed the banding of the grade, you can't be on a grade and underneath it in terms of pay at the same time.

Call their bluff and decline the position? They'd then need to weigh up paying you the correct pay or paying to hire someone new and train them etc.

I think it should go to base yes, I can see the argument for them not to add the pay rise.

I’d assume op they are struggling financially. I’d try to negotiate it to get the increase in x months time when things turn around.

Thanks for replies,

Definitely not changed the banding. It’s on the job description, showing as my grade and matches that of my colleague’s.

We’ve worked all through Covid, busier than ever and although there may have been a small hit initially, they’ve recovered.

I’ve not had anything in writing yet confirming the job or the salary, still waiting 2 months on. This is how it was relayed to me verbally.

I don't get the penny pinching over £1k - recruiting someone will cost them more. Take the job and then move your butt to somewhere that doesn't treat you like this.

@Bluntness100 yes I can see why they’d not add the pay rise to the base salary but I’ve earned it fair and square as spent the whole past year doing the role.

My ‘pay rise’ equates to £17 a month and even with that I’ll still be over 2.5k under the base salary. Which means that it’ll take years to actually get to the point of being paid the job role minimum.

I’m already looking for another job as I’m fed up with the fact that this is all so unclear. No one can give me an answer.

Complain. And stand your ground. They're totally taking the piss.

Urgh, why do companies do this? If they employed someone outside of the organisation, they'd be paying them at least the starting salary. But you've got over a year experience of actually doing the role. They already know that you're capable, and they won't need to invest anyone's time to train or learn how the systems work as you, so that's another "saving" against employing a new person.

I'd be tempted to say that you don't want the job and you'd like to go back to your old one.

Some companies have a maximum % increase of salary on promotion. It's odd but if it's somewhere formal enough to have pay bands I imagine there's a policy reason for it.

Cheeky bastards! Are you in a union?

Did you have the salary conversation with the hiring manager or HR?

If the salary band is advertised I don’t see how they can do this and expect you to think it’s ok.

Have you signed a contract for the new role and given your notice for the previous role?

If you have done neither of these I suggest sending a short email to advise as of x date you will be returning to your previous role due to the failure to reach an agreement on salary.

@bookgirl1982

Some companies have a maximum % increase of salary on promotion. It's odd but if it's somewhere formal enough to have pay bands I imagine there's a policy reason for it.

That right ours is £2k maximum however if you are promoted you would go to the next band so if the difference between current salary and new band is £3k difference you would get it

I don't think you can argue a pay rise but not following banding isn't right unless there is something you haven't told us?

Can you clarify that all jobs are graded, that each grade has a pay band and that you are being offered below the minimum of the pay band for your new grade. If this is the case you may have ground for an equal pay claim. What salary was offered in the job advert?

Also read the pay policy and see what it says about internal promotion.

Gather all your evidence then when you get your contract you can decide your next steps.

Looking for another job is also a good idea.

It depends what you mean by is it “correct”. It’s an internal decision so it may or may not be correct.

I would be asking in what way do you not “qualify” to be paid the salary for the job, what criteria do you not meet, or ask them to point you to whichever rule or policy they are relying on.