How to handle this (unfair pay)

[OverTheHillAndDownTotherSide]

I’ve worked for my employer just shy of 2 years. When I was appointed, my then boss said she wouldn’t give me less than £X as my part of the business is the largest (by far).

There were 2 other people (women) with the same role covering smaller bits of the organisation. One had been in for about 3 years and the other 3-4 months before me.

The org has pay bands but not spinal points that equate with years of service.

Boss left, and new boss came in. During last year’s pay review she discovered that I was on more than my colleagues (I didn’t know) and said she was going to give us all the same. The other 2 got a £5k pay rise each which I had no objection to as we are all pretty experienced and worked well together. Turned out the amount I was being paid was over the top of the payband.

The colleague that had been in slightly longer got promoted and backfilled into her old role. Someone very young into their first role of this nature. She nearly didn’t appoint her, due to the development needs, but we all agreed to help and support. She started about 4 months ago.

Having the biggest share of the company I work long hours, travel a lot and have huge stress getting everything done. My team is 5 times the size of the new colleague’s and 4 times the size of the other. My bit of the org is 24/7 whereas the others are Mon-Fri 9-5.

A couple of months ago I was asked to mentor her. There was a suggestion during that conversation that her salary reflected that she needed to develop into the role. She has huge imposter syndrome and so I spend a lot of time coaching her. She hasn’t gelled with some of her senior stakeholders and I’ve been asked to pick them up because I have more experience. All of which I have done.

I requested a 9 day fortnight about 6 months ago and was told it was too hard for them to manage due to the full on nature of my role. Last week I discovered the new colleague has been given a 9 day fortnight.

Today I’ve discovered she’s on the same salary as me and the other colleague. I’m raging. She has 20 years less experience at this level and is, in my view, sitting pretty on a salary about a third higher than the level of the work she is doing. She works her contracted hours while I build about 50 hours of TOIL a month which is a nightmare for me to take back.

She’s single and childless and lives at home with her parents (not that that should affect pay) while I get little time with my husband and daughter becomes of the demands of my role including now parts of hers).

I feel I’ve been made a complete mug by people I trusted. I’ve applied for another job tonight. I have to see them all in person next week and I’m afraid I’m going to sound petty raising it with my manager. I’m raging though.

So, is it fair to pay someone with no experience the same as someone with 20 years more experience? They
won’t agree an increase for me because I’m already over scale.

For contest she’s on about £18k more than the bottom of the scale.

YANBU to be annoyed. You are effectively having to spend time training her up & then have to do several hours extra to get your own job done.

Maybe speak to others who had pay increased to match yours. That sounded fairer tbh.

Other alternative is to just stop doing so many extra hours. Work like new colleague & when management ask what's going on explain why you're doing so.

So being single, childless and living with her parents, or being sensible enough to work the hours she's paid for is relevent to the fact that you think you should be paid more than her?

You are not being unreasonable in being annoyed at your employer for not valuing your work and experience.

You are being unreasonable for being a mug and letting them walk all over you for years. Your other colleagues (and you) are not owed more money based on length of service, extra unpaid hours you put in, etc - you are owed a reasonable wage based on the responsibility and value you have to the organisation. They have realised years ago that you will put your job before everything else and for the same money - and you let them.

You are being unreasonable for dragging this new employee into your anger. The employer chose to employ her and agreed a level of pay with her. Your anger against her isn't fair because she has done nothing wrong.

When your colleague got promoted why didn’t you apply for her role, given it had less responsibility, shorter hours and the same pay?

I think you will scupper your chance of resolving this issue by referring to her age (if she is good enough she is old enough), her marital status, whether she has children and with whom she lives.

Many organisations have got rid of spine points and I believe this is why we have so many people being promoted before they are ready or really want to do the job, but it is their only way of getting a pay increase. In our organisation this is a big problem but with limited money they have focused on the highest pay increases for those on the lowest pay. Presumably this helps the benefit bill because if low paid staff earn more then in-work benefits for those that qualify end or reduce.Every year the rhetoric is they are considering rewarding experience - it never happens, apart from a ‘spot rate’ for junior staff with two years experience.

I get the gripes but you need to be business focused about this.

The first thing you need is a copy of the pay policy and job evaluation process.

What you are looking for is how they “grade” jobs I.e. how they measure a job is of equal value. Whilst this is routed in equal pay it can work for your situation. Follow the process and ask for your job ( and the other 2 jobs) to be evaluated - this is not the person doing the job but the job content e.g. span of control, decision making, coaching and developing colleagues etc. so you need a detailed job description.
Notes:

1. ideally you want an analytical JE scheme.
2. The fact your colleague is new is irrelevant it’s the job not her.

Hopefully they will do JE and your job comes out higher. This may then result in re-grading and higher pay.

The next step if you don’t get a pay rise from JE, then write out a business case using the job descriptions to point out where your job is more heavily loaded e.g. span of control, 24/7 working, travel, even the number of performance reviews you have to do etc. Do not make any comments about the capability of your colleagues but do include the coaching and development you provide I.e. how many hours.

It sounds like your new manager thinks - same grade = same job = same pay = equal pay but your former manager recognised same grade but different job weight + experience therefore different pay which can be objectively justified.

Sadly you may be being paid correctly and your colleagues overpaid but it’s very difficult to take pay away.

I work in a la that doesn't do wage increases so I earned the same on my first day (never done the job before) as my colleague of 40 years experience. I don't agree with it. She gets 5 days more holiday than me and that's it.

I would ignore ore what your colleague is doing/ getting that isn't going to help you.

I would approach it from the

• training someone new
• training causes extra work /overtime
• department too busy for the time allocated already
• roles are not equivalent as x more people, 24/7 service etc.

Then I would cut back the unpaid overtime. You need to show them what you do and what they are taking for granted. Be very much less available for your colleague- it isn't her fault but if you prop her up all the time they're never going to recognise its you doing the work.

It's a shit space to be in OP - and I think your response of applying elsewhere is the right one overall.

She wasn’t promoted, she’s a new hire. It was discussed at the time that she would need to develop into the full role. The role is worth £38k to £53k. She shoot have been appointed at bottom/close to bottom of scale.

we have the same role and contract terms. There was no vdbefit in me switching to that role.

it’s my manager I’m angry with.

I find your comments about her being single and childless really offensive and have somewhat lost sympathy with you for that. If you really think it isn’t relevant then no need to have mentioned it. I am childless and I would be very annoyed to find people think this should be reflected in my salary.

Ultimately, I don’t think it is for you to decide what other people that do not report to you are paid. You can decide whether you are paid enough and if not, you ask for a pay rise or leave for a better paid job. Focus on you.

I didn’t mean that her salary should reflect her status re relationship and parenthood. Just that the unfairness that the scale of the roles impacts on more than just me. The job descriptions don’t reflect it in any any way.

There is an expectation of even more over coming months, but actually there is an external motivator for me to reclaim that time as I’m studying for some professional qualifications and will need to be on top of that.

There is absolutely no way they will pay me more or take money from her. So I guess the power is mine to scale back and take back control of my life.

Why would you even want them to "take money from her"?! You're focusing on her (in ways that are personal and unfair, not just the quality of her work and experience.) If you feel underpaid, get another job.

As a pp said, you shouldn't be working more than your contracted hours, and you shouldn't expect anyone else to either.

An earlier poster mentioned taking pay away. I was just addressing that.

I’ve never worked in a role where the working hours are the working hours……..

Since you are currently studying I would take that as a hint to be looking for a new job to reflect your skills and new qualification, but stay where you are atm, and make sure you take your TOIL if you aren’t getting any study leave, and if you are come to think about it.

When you have finished your studies is the time to move, it is a perfect reason to give to both old and new employers.

Cut back on the mentoring. If the new appointee has questions direct her towards the two other people who are doing the same job for the same pay and say it is good for her to learn how to work with other colleagues.

I’ll be moving before then (it’s 2-3 years of study). Have applied for a couple of times and have an initial interview next week. I’ll absolutely be scaling back (and had indeed flagged that to my manager when I signed up for the qualification in August). It will be completely scaled back though, rather than just not working till 11pm most nights.

*couple of things

Ah, I assumed for some reason, my assumption, not your fault, that you were coming to the end of your studies so could hang on for a bit longer. Good luck with the interview next week , at least you know you will be leaving your team in capable hands ( irony alert!!!!!)

I had a similar situation at work. A large team, we are all on roughly the same pay for the same job. The area that I was looking after was huge and complex. Constantly chasing ur tail, doing extra hours and never get a minute to do anything.

I did it for 18months and started to really hate my job. I told my boss how difficult it was. I worked with 2 others doing the same job and they felt it too. Everyone who done that area never lasted more than a year then wld leave.

I got moved last year into a different area and it's so much easier. I don't work late very often and it is less stressful overall. My mgr even agrees that the old role should be paid more but as it's technically the same role they will not. Madness in my eyes!

I'd be even more annoyed if ur shoes about the 9 day fortnight and wld be bringing that up with my mgr.

Hi OP, I think you misunderstood me or I misunderstood the situation You mentioned in the fifth para of your first post that an experienced colleague got promoted, I’m assuming that is the post to which they have recruited the new hire. My point was if you wanted an easier role, which you say is the case with that position, then you could have applied to move roles then, instead of them hiring someone else.

Anyway it’s too late for that now. I think @Sisterpita gives good advice on next steps. In my organisation you would get no more money but it would shine a light on the unfairness. Ultimately you probably have to get promoted or leave. Do you have to repay your course fees if you leave?