It’s another maternity one

[Whatafunnyoldworld]

Name change for this one just in case.

Just looking for others honest thoughts on this , there’s a back story of a few things done prior to me leaving also but I don’t want to be too outing , bu this feels like the straw that broke the camels back.

I am currently on maternity leave from my mid senior management role.

I have found out that all of my direct reports ( 7 people) have given double the pay rise % I have been awarded. This is not a performance based increase and even if it was none of these employees have received an higher marking than me. As all 7 have been awarded it I also doubt there were other factors involved.

The manager gets given a pool of money and splits it as they see fit and I honestly cannot see a scenario that if I was physically in work that this would happen.

( Unless of course managers were forgoing pay rises to give our direct reports more of an increase or something but that would require discussion and agreement.)

I was not contacted prior to pay rises being awarded so was never given the chance to discuss it.

Is this maternity discrimination? Bearing in mind I have 2/3 other instances of similar type behaviour prior to me leaving also.

Not enough information. Can you even show you were treated unfavourably due to maternity?

If organisations are uprating the pay of the people at lower ranks in the organisation (eg because they've fallen below market rate) then the scenario you describe is what commonly happens.

The previous system of giving managers carte blanche to determine pay rises sounds more problematic with risk of discrimination. Maybe they changed it to introduce fairness.

You're basically speculating. If you have concerns seek confidential professional advice.

I suppose to a certain degree yes I am speculating … hence my request for people’s views .

The process hasn’t been changed , it remains the same where the manager effectively decides who gets what , however an employees annual performance rating score is usually used as a guide by most managers to avoid issues as you have alluded too so those getting a poor rating such as “ needs improvement” would not get a rise but those that “ meets standards” would get one and it would be same % amount for all.

It’s also not a market rate rise , the salaries were all recently reviewed and aligned as part of a different exercise.

With the above being as it were, i can’t think of any fair reason as to why I would not get the same % rise.

I will ask my employer directly but still interested in what others think.