Sexism or just unfair?

[Notnastypasty]

I’m part of the management team at work. I do a good job and my boss tells me I’m valued and he appreciates all that I do. I’ve been there a few years. I found out today that everyone else on my level is on 25% or 50% more than me, all men.

I feel really upset by this because most of these people are piss takers (my boss knows this and it angers him but he does nothing about it). I asked to speak to him today and asked why I wasn’t on the same pay rate and he said he couldn’t put up my wage at the moment due to cash flow (small business). I then find out that an unqualified guy that he took on last month (not management level) is also on 25% more than me! If he doesn’t have the money then how is this possible? He couldn’t give me a reason.

I love my job but to say I now feel under valued is an understatement! Am I right in thinking it’s just one big boys club?!

I tried but because we use an outsourced company they will only speak to him! Seems ridiculous.

It isn't fair but recruiting at the moment is crazy. If he wants skills he has to pay over the odds.
You've registered your dissatisfaction. I'd start looking for another job where you will also be able to command a high salary.

That’s ridiculous OP! How would employees be able to raise a grievance for example?

The more you post the worse your company and manager seem

I know, it’s not a great picture I’m painting is it. I’m reluctant to leave because the job really fits around my life and other responsibilities but I feel like I might not have a choice…

You do have a choice!
You can apply to do the same job at a different company and get more money!
Get your LinkedIn profile up to date. Change the setting to open to work.

And always ask for 10% more than the recruiter offers. I did that as a joke test in 2 jobs. As I heard that men never take the first offer. What happened? Yep they agreed more money. Blew me away, it was literally just to see what would happen.

Walk

If you had in your notice that may trigger him finding a pot of money to pay you.

good luck

It's worth keeping in mind that not only have you been underpaid all this time, but that will also have has an impact on both yours and your employers pension contributions as these are done on a percentage of pay. If your pay review each year is done on a percentage basis you would never have had a chance to catch up either. So you have lower pay, a smaller pension and no chance of catching up to the men. I'd be bloody furious, and I'd be job hunting hard.

He's paying you less because he thinks he can - there's no consequence for him - at the moment!

You need to send him the law on Equal Pay (eg from the ACAS, CIPD or a legal firm's website).

Remind him that he is in breach of the law - as you carry out equal work to the men.

Tell him that if he does not increase your salary to that of the men you will raise a formal grievance and if this does not resolve the issue, you will be submitting a claim at Employment Tribunal for loss of earnings (you can do this within a certain timeframe after you leave your employment).

He should also be made aware that you can claim for up to 6 years of lost earnings.

Yes go for back pay too.

What do you think HR are for? Their job is to protect who pays their wages - the employer. If you want someone on your side, it's called "the union".

Whilst I don't think there's anything "right" about this OP, I would be cautious about putting too much faith in ACAS. The phone line is a call centre with unqualified people working from a script, are not allowed to give legal advice, and can't possibly know the ins and outs based solely on one side of of the story. I see loads of people misled by ACAS advice. Their front line are not the people who do the serious work of intervention. Get better advice before doing anything that could put you at risk.

Keep your foot on the pedal with this one but also start looking around for other jobs. See what else is out there and what they are offering.

Sad but so often it is just a boys club. Performance does not even feature, unless it is yours which will be held to scrutiny every inch of the way.

www.equalpayportal.co.uk/for-workers/

Thanks for this - really helpful!

How bloody tiresome. What's he going to do if you leave? Pay a bloke 25% more to do less that you do?

I would push him on this but make a concerted effort to find another job in the meantime.

Men dish up this shit because lots of women would put up with it. The relationships board is full of it. It's time we collectively say we're not putting up with sub-standard treatment and voting with our feet.

I changed to public sector as I was completely fed up with the lack of transparency over pay and doing a job that was typically undervalued because it was 'women's work'.

Lots of good advice and telling me to find another job. Which is completely right and the advice I’d give someone else! I’ll be giving my boss a deadline to increase my salary. I’m reluctant to go (despite being so angry over this) because I have the flexibility and autonomy I’d struggle to find elsewhere.

If nothing happens then I will end up leaving and go down the route to a tribunal. I suppose I could stay and still go down that road but for a payout of a few thousand it’s probably not worth my life being made a misery at work!

so the response to that is that if no one else would take on the job your pay, why does he think you will? You don’t have to say you will resign..but he has just explicitly told you he is not paying the going rate to you. He’s a fecking idiot really…make sure you write down what he said and maybe even ask him above question by email so you’ve got written proof. You can then raise a grievance to tackle it. Look at ACAS on basic legal requirements for handling grievances as they have to respond etc within certain time frames.

Don't assume that you will struggle to find the same autonomy and flexibility elsewhere. The tide is currently changing and employees have a lot more bargaining power. After Covid, a lot of people have realised they want a life and employers are realising this.

Every time you have a conversation, make notes and send an email summary to him so it is clear what has been discussed. If he has a problem with what's in the email then he'll need to raise this with you directly. I'd be inclined to record the conversation on my phone for my own purposes to make sure those notes are concise!

If you job really is equal then best option is to leave when you can and find a better paid job but be careful. Where I work the supervisors are on the same pay grade a the rest of us dealing with customers mostly women all part time shifts. We turn up on time do the job, go home and forget about it till next shift.
Managers mostly men work a full rota and much more responsibility, they have to be able to start at 7am and stay unit 9 pm if on late rota, not family friendly, they do earn their salaries

I’ll be giving my boss a deadline to increase my salary

Ok, but start job hunting seriously now. Get another offer, ideally only verbal at this stage, which will be in line with current market rates. DON'T accept it yet.

Tell your boss you have been offered X and that while you actually prefer your current job the difference in salary is just too great to justify staying where you are so unless they can better the offer you will regretfully have to accept it.

Don't let him fob you off. You want a new offer with higher pay in writing and starting this month before you agree to stay.

If in the meantime he increases anyway that's great, you can stop job hunting.

If you wait til he misses your deadline before jobhunting and he fobs you off again you have wasted time you could have spent securing a better paid job.