unfair pay? should I say something?

[shouldisaysometh1ng]

I work in a team of 5. I have been one with the longest tenure here (10 years) - some aspects of our work are simple and some more complex. Since I have been here so long, I tend to take over the complex bits. I am currently training also a new team member.
I am the only part time worker in my team (I care for a family member with health issues and disabilities). I found out this week, that my hourly pay is the lowest (it was pure chance). I have raving performance reviews. I have asked for pay rises several times but told the company cannot afford.

I am really upset. It feels like I am being punished for working part time. Even the new colleague who only started a couple of months ago and who is being trained by me is on more.

Should I raise this? I am very conflict avoidant. Not in a union. Could Acas help? Or should I just accept that I am not worth the same pay as other staff within my team as I work part time only.

I am just really, really upset about it :(

You could start dropping the Part Time Workers legislation into conversation - you appear to be being discriminated against due to being part time, which isn’t legal.

As for being conflict avoidant, you need to drop that shit. You’re being treated like dirt - get angry and start bringing it up else nothing will change!

Thank you, will google it. It is a blue chip company with a huge HR department. surely they would be aware of such legislation?

I am also not sure if I earn less because of my part time hours. But that appears on the face of it the only difference but how can I find out for sure?

An email to your manager, copied to HR, advising that you appear to be earning considerably less than full
time colleagues (comparatively) including the brand new member of staff that you are training. Ask why this is and what their plans are to ensure that your pay is equitable (as required by the Part Time Workers legislation) and reflects your responsibilities.

Take all emotion out of this. It’s a business conversation.

Or should I just accept that I am not worth the same pay as other staff within my team as I work part time only.

No way! Fwiw I'm part time and my reviews often commented that my output wasn't really different from a FT worker.
I can't compare my salary to the rest of my team now as they're all in the US but when I dropped from full to half time my pay was simply pro rata'd.

Apart from the illegality of discriminating against pt workers in general, there might be an additional 'indirect discrimination' problem as women are so much more likely to be PT because of shouldering the bulk of caring responsibilities.

I am also not sure if I earn less because of my part time hours. But that appears on the face of it the only difference but how can I find out for sure?

You will take home less because you work less hours. But what's important here is your hourly rate. That should not be any different because you are part time

Join a union before you raise this and take a little time to prepare. I once heard HR discussing how to handle an issue and they were keen to know who was in a union.

You’ve been there the longest. It probably is just a simple case of people who joined the company after you negotiated a better wage package.

Write your letter then copy it into chat gpt and get it to improve it without being too long or with any emotion. I use it for all my emails it’s amazing.

You’ve been there the longest. It probably is just a simple case of people who joined the company after you negotiated a better wage package.

That is what I think. I am not good at negotiating and as I said, my requests for pay rises were turned down. It's probably my own fault.

I’ve been in HR over 20 years (now a Director) and have never cared about who is or isn’t in a union (unless planning for strikes and even then it’s about headcount rather than individuals).

I was in a similar situation so I eventually put on my big girl pants and asked for a pay rise (firmly), got a small one and said it wasn’t good enough - got another. Found a new job offering even more and they offered to match it. Then I left.

they’ve shown you no loyalty so don’t feel you owe them anything. And stop taking on all the difficult bits - leave those to the higher paid

You just have to convince them you’re prepared to walk

Honestly, I'm sure you're a lovely person but PLEASE leave this "probably my fault" out of it. Being conflict avoidant is great, but it shouldn't be something that allows people to take advantage of you. I'm a bit like you but have learned to fake being quite straightforward and honest about stuff like this, because it really is easier for everyone.

They're far likelier to give you what you want if you say what exactly that is, no apologies, no embarrassment.

@OnceAgainWithFeeling

With all your HR experience - what would you suggest in my situation? As I said, I asked for a rise but got rejected. Is it normal to be payed at a lower rate when working PT due to caring responsibilities?

Well you could tell them that it could be interpreted as discrimination on quite a few levels. And you woul like to have a pay review.

Then you go to the pay review with what your full time salary should be- evidence from the job market.
And ask them for that plus more to make up for underpayment plus your long serving.

Ball in their court.
If you don't get increased pay then look for another company to work for. And put a review on Glassdoor website.

You should not be paid less because you are part-time. The reason you are part-time is irrelevant. The issue is that being part-time and paid less for another reason - for example, because that was the rate for the job that was the case when you joined - is perfectly legal. It may not be fair, but it is legal. So you would need to show, if it came to a legal case, that the reason you are paid less is because of your part-time hours. That will be hard, and I suspect that it's also probably not the case - if you are the person there the longest, it is likley that subsequent hres have just benn appointed on a higher wage. That doesn't mean that you should do nothing, but you need to be clear about what your argument is - don't make it about them breaking the law unless you can prove that is the case, because that could rebound on you and make them more resistant, not less.

As someone else has mentioned, leaving is often the trigger for these things to make a difference, but if you aren't wanting to look for another job, I would suggest making a case that is based on your value to the company versus the pay that others in the same role get because they were recruited more recently. You might hint at the fact that you may have to look elsewhere if this situation continues because you know that other companies have pay parity between part-time and full time workers. In other words, play your cards carefully, but unless you have evidence, don't accuse them outright of breaking the law - because they may not be.

Thanks all, esp @Quveas. That was really useful. As I said, I have no proof that my lower rate is due to me working reduced ours. Though a few of my colleagues started within a couple of months of me and still outearn me. But as you said, probably starting salaries went up.

I am doing a niche role in a niche industry and it is very very hard to find these roles on a part time and flexible basis - my company has been really flexible in attending appointments etc. I know I will not be able to find a similar role with reduced hours and the added flexibility. I think it's probably not wise to make noises about leaving as I wouldn't be able to see it through in any case.

Best to keep it as it is rather than to ruffle feathers. I didn't realise it was legal to increase starting salaries for new starters which leave long term employees at a disadvantage but I suspect this is probably also a factor here.

I didn't realise it was legal to increase starting salaries for new starters which leave long term employees at a disadvantage but I suspect this is probably also a factor here.

It's not only legal but completely normal, and that's why people now job hop rather than stay at a company for life: It's the only way to get good pay rises.

How long has it been since you job hunted? Flexibility is much more common now than it was even four years ago.

I have been looking for about a year but nothing coming to with the hours I can do. I am registered with recruitment agencies and they say the same thing: problem are the hours I can do. just nada. But I know that already.

No.... You have legislation to protect you. You can't give a P/W £11 an hour and FT £15 an hour, it just doesn't work like that. What if you increased your hours, do you think they'd increase your hourly rate automatically, of course they won't.

They rejected the pay rise to test people, see how much they can get away with.....

You've been given the perfect email to send above quoting legislation.

The easiest way to get PT hours is to start off full time, prove your worth, then ask to reduce. Is there any way you could make that work with your caring responsibilities, e.g. hiring an outside carer for a few months?

I'm sorry you're in this position.

I got a significant pay rise in a similar ish situation.

I wrote to my line manager explaining that I had learned that my pay was lower than x person’s and that it wasn’t appropriate given my experience, qualifications and seniority.

First response was no - he had just negotiated a better salary on joining and come for a higher paying part of the business.

I then wrote to HR saying it wasn’t acceptable and requested details of all salaries and bonuses for my peers.

I got a holding reply, then a good pay rise, back dated 3m. I didn’t get the pay details I asked for and possibly could have pushed further but chose to leave it there.

I was PT but quoted all salaries in Full Time Equivalent by the way.

Write down your request, be calm, clear, to the point and professional. Draft your message, sleep on it and review until you have it just right.

@ItsNotRocketSalad

that is my predicament. There is no way I can outsource the care I provide and go full time. Not even for a few months. Social care will not help at all and it would costs far more than my earning if I pay privately which I absolutely cannot afford. If really sucks being a a carer in this country. We get very little support from anywhere.