Unfair pay?

[fortygin]

Hi sorry for the long post.
I’m looking for some advice. I have worked in the same GP practice for almost 17 years.
I started as a receptionist and now work as a Data Administrator. This involves managing the GP contract work, arranging vaccination clinics and assisting the Practice Manager in various tasks.
I was given a payrise for this role 5 years ago but told not to discuss with other admin staff as they would be not be getting a rise.
It has came to light recently due to staff turnover and recruitment that I am getting paid less than every other member of staff despite being the longest serving employee (including among the GP partners and Practice Manager).
Understandably I am very angry and hurt and approached the PM regarding this. She confirmed it was correct and the reason why she has been encouraging me in the last few months to write a formal letter to the Partners asking for a salary to reflect my position.
I have in the last two days spoken to two of the partners who have promised to try to rectify this but we’re defensive and essentially said that I had never asked for a rise and they thought I was unable to take on more hours or accept a payrise due to other ‘income’ coming into my household being affected!!
I asked did they mean four years ago when my exh had an affair and left I said I was unable to do extra hours due to them not being permanent and so not being able to rely on the cash should my tax credits be stopped and the fact I was now doing the majority of the caring, school runs etc for 4 dc. They confirmed it was.
I should say now that my dc are a bit older I have taken on ten extra hours a week and most weeks I work an extra four hours on top of this to help out. My question is, I have always been a proud and loyal employee and it’s most likely my own fault for not asking for extra money. I just assumes all staff followed a pay scale. They have said they will come back to me in a few weeks with a proposition but I feel hurt and disheartened. I am not sure if I will ever feel comfortable there again and I feel my length of service and willingness for my role to evolve has counted for nothing.
Should I sick it up and stay or is it time to move on.
Thanks for getting this far.

Keep your tinder dry op, don't do anything until they've come back to you.

You may find with the right financial compensation you stop feeling like you are, however if they come back with little I'd leave.

People are right when they say people don't leave jobs due to money etc, they leave due to bad managers

Sounds like they've been happy with the status quo and happy to let you get paid less than your peers. In your shoes I'd be totally pissed off

Thank you all for the advice.
They have had a meeting with the PM and she said I will be looked after and wages backdated. They need two weeks to come back to me with a proposition.
I’m holding fire but I’m still looking around.

Good luck. Op!

Fingers crossed!

[quote fortygin]@Motnight apparently not as they are a private partnership in Northern Ireland. I was honestly shocked that they didn’t follow a scale. They are all relatively young GPs and very concerned with their bottom line. One said to me yesterday she didn’t become a doctor to worry about wages but to treat strokes and heart attacks.[/quote]
So why don’t they do it for free or for £20000 per year then?

@Hoppinggreen exactly!

@Anonawoman sounds just like me. I’ve been too passive. I’ve asked for a massive pay rise. Probably won’t get it but we will see. They have said maybe over the next few years I can take some more of their work ie coding etc!!
I’ve done my homework and spoken to someone who does my job in another surgery. She has advised me so I have went in with a good argument.
I was off last week and my PM called me twice as she could not work out how to do a mail merge to send out Covid booster invite.
I’ve made it look too easy, ie arranging and planning a flu vac clinic for 1100 people in a week!
Won’t make that mistake again.
We have skills that should be recognised and they’re not. The whole admin team here is on the verge of leaving but I’m trying to stay out of everyone’s fight and concentrate on my own. I really hope you get what you’re worth. I should know more in 2 weeks, I’ve been told.

@Anonawoman that’s exactly it. I get that it’s stressful to be on the front line and over the last few years I have helped out due to short staffing and a massive increase in demand.
Here’s the thing though no one helps with my work. I help others and my work is left. When one of them is off I help out. When I was off last week my work was all waiting for me when I got back as , simply put, no one else has the skills to do it.

@Anonwoman not it’s good to hear from someone who is in the same boat and to have my feelings validated. Our job is vital to the financial side of the business but because of the nature of our workplace this can be forgotten. I’m not sure many people realise that many of the other admin staff in the practice realise that the money to pay them isn’t just handed to the partners but needs to be earned by various contracts and targets. THATS why I think we deserve a decent wage.

Just seen this thread - congrats @Anonawoman that's great news.

Hope you got properly recompensed for your work Op (& if not, you've found yourself a new job).

@JacquelineCarlyle still there. Got payrise and better terms. Not exactly what I want but a start and a recognition of my position.
We will see what the new year will bring as things were really stressful (thanks Boris!) before I went off on leave before Christmas!

I'm pleased you've had some recognition though Op and in particular for standing up for yourself. I can only imagine how hard your job is (especially at the minute) so here's hoping things are a little better in 2022! Well done on the payrise

@fortygin well done!
I know how you feel, I’ve been there. I knew the salary I was aiming for and if it didn’t come up straight away, I made sure I do it in steps. Got it in the end and salary and recognition, but they never raised my salary without me writing an official letter and explaining I’m worth more that I’m getting (at that time).

@GingerFox2021 thank you. Still not perfect. We are flat out with Covid and covering for isolating staff. I have still a way to go in terms of what worth i think I really bring to the practice.
I may or may not stay here long term but I’m taking every bit of training offered and looking to the future. We are due another small payrise this month so that’s a bonus.

@fortygin that’s a good attitude! Try to learn as much as you can, this will help you for future jobs or pay rise in your current job. My situation was not perfect for many years, but I always tried my best, to learn, to do, so that in the end I got what I wanted. It took almost 10 years 🤔step by step.
And another thing- it’s easier to get higher salaries while changing jobs (many do so in our job), but I really liked what I do, so was going towards my salary step by step. I’m sure I’ve gotten this salary long time ago if I was searching for a new job. There were times in the office when all new people were getting much more than me while doing the same job. I know how this feels to know that.

I worked as a community nurse in Northern ireland. The practice nurses I knew were rarely renumerated appropriately for their jobs, and certainly not comparable with afc. I had to work directly with the gps for years and the god complex was alive and well, I could write a book and as a result would rather starve than have a gp as my employer. They think they're doing you a favour giving you a job, don't expect fairness and equity and don't take anything they say on face value. There was nothing about your post that came as a shock. There are some nice gps but they're often shouted down by their less amiable colleagues.