School HR References Question (non teaching)

[Woush]

TLDR: Do references for non-teaching staff members include current salary?

I got offered an amazing job with a big pay rise. Moving from a non-teaching role to another non teaching role, different school in a different county.

I didn't put my current salary on the job application, I left the box blank.

Got offered the job verbally on the day, which I accepted, but no mention of salary. Next day got the offer letter, offering bottom of scale. I have responded negotiating for a higher start salary, giving reasons.

The problem is that all this happened the back end of this week, so schools now broke up. HR responded to say that I won't likely get an answer until January. I am aware my school has already had an responded to the reference request. So when considering my negotiation, the new school will have my reference.

My current salary is a lot, lot less than the offer already on the table. That's why I didn't put it on the application form. But I don't want the fact that I'm already getting a massive pay rise to be a barrier to negotiating for more.

I want to know if that barrier is likely to be there, or if I'm worrying over nothing. Do school references for non-teaching staff usually ask for / give current salary?

They will have done the reference before your interview. I would just ask your currently employer. I’m not surprised that the school is offering you bottom of the scale as their budgets are very tight.

Just because the new salary is more, it doesn't mean it's enough. They aren't to know what salary you require for your outgoings- e.g. that you pay for Wraparound now, or that your mortgage has increased by 400 a month...

References don't normally provide salary information. Usually it's to confirm the role you have/had, that you're in good standing (no major poor performance concerns) and your dates of employment.

Thank you @Valhalla17 that's what I'm hoping, so reassuring to hear.

@Iwishiwasasilentnight

They will have done the reference before your interview. I would just ask your currently employer. I’m not surprised that the school is offering you bottom of the scale as their budgets are very tight.

Thank you for replying, but your response is not very helpful. References before interview are required in teaching staff but not routine for non-teaching contracts. I also didn't ask, because I know my reference request was received by my current school the day after I accepted thr new job.

Also, negotiating start salaries is routine. I've negotiated upwards all of the (school based) jobs I've started in recent years. Given I've offered to take on a fairly substantial additional steam of work in addition to what was on the job description, I have strong grounds to negotiate. I'm confident they'll increase the offer.

I'm aware school budgets are tight. That's not new information. All the schools I have worked with see the value in investing in outstanding staff, thankfully.

I’m sorry if my post was unhelpful. If I knew you would have thought it was unhelpful I would have obviously not bothered. In the last school I was in references were asked for in advance for all staff.