I accidentally lied about salary

[Helloyouok]

Hi, I'm hoping for a bit of reassurance but feel free to also tell me off because I've been a bit silly.

I've been offered a new job, which involves a salary increase, and I successfully managed to negotiate a bit more than what I was originally offered.

In my current role I genuinely thought I was on £36.5k, so this is what I've been telling interviewers I'm on when asked. However I checked my Compensation statement just now and to my horror I'm actually on just under £35.5k! I'm not sure why I thought I was on more, I think I'm my head I've always said I'm on around 36k and then somehow added the 0.5 along the way so that's just the figure that stuck in my head.

Anyway the new job is about to contact my references and I'm having a bit of a meltdown because if they ask for current salary and notice the discrepancy will I be pulled up for lying, or even worse the offer retracted? It was a genuine mistake on my part.

They’ll be able to tell by your p45 but the difference is so minimal they won’t care.

They definitely won’t ask your referees but mine did ask for a payslip / P60 to confirm my salary, (it’s a public sector type so they have strict rules on salary scales) so if similar, it may get flagged. If it does, just feign ignorance and apologise for the error.

If you’re in the UK, HR will only confirm your title and dates of employment. They will definitely not share your current salary!!!

Additionally, never tell new job your current salary!! Unless you’re on like 600k and being headhunted and wrangling the finer details of a bonus structure - you just say what your expectations are. They have no right to know what you currently earn and this question is SO easily dodged.

I wouldn't call that a lie.

If anyone bothers to even check (they won’t) the difference can be a salary sacrifice benefit, an attachment of earnings order etc. no one will investigate in any detail over such a negligible amount.

I always lie about my current salary - adding on about 5K. It’s how you negotiate more. As a hiring manager I’ve never ever received confirmation of someone’s current salary, and if HR have found out they’ve never said to me. The idea that you wouldn’t fudge the numbers a bit is wild to me?

Why should they know your salary? It’s absolutely none of their business anyway.

Also, thinking about it, women are disadvantaged if they disclose their current pay to prospective employers because of the gender pay gap which still persists.

Your P45 will confirm the salary.

I’ve not worked everywhere… but am fairly certain most bigger companies only confirm dates of employment and job title. Actually “total compensation” not always available to person doing the references … like if there was any shift differential, overtime, one time award …

I’ve never had a reference check what I earn, I don’t even get why this is an issue. References can only confirm if you worked somewhere you say you did for the period you did. Nobody in payroll who gets your P45 is going to give 2 shits what you used to earn. If I get asked in an interview what I’m on I always inflate because usually it’s a tactic to try and lowball you. Some might say it’s how I got a £14k pay rise when I last moved jobs.

It won’t show salary sacrifice amounts (e.g. pension) so there is no way to tell from a P45 for most people. I put a big chunk into my pension so my taxable income looks far less than it actually is.

No it doesn’t. It confirms your taxable income. Salary sacrifice amounts (such as pension) will not show.

No they won’t if she salary sacrifices a pension. It will show less. I put 20% of my salary into my pension via salary sacrifice so my P45 would show a much lower sum than I actually earn.

I don't think that they can tell your salary to the person calling for a reference anyway - I've never heard of that happening.

And whilst it's been a long time since I've had to apply for a job (got to the age where I mainly get them from referrals), I always used to inflate my salary when interviewing - after all, I wanted a decent offer!

They only want to know your current salary do they can try to offer you as little as possible to take the job.

I gave incorrect information the last time that I changed job and it was more than a £1k discrepancy.

Wouldn't even worry about it

If you ever do overtime your could say that's the increase

I’m in HR and I’d just treat it as you rounding. I’d be more concerned if I was paying you appropriately to make you feel valued in your new position tbh than counting pennies.

OP I know plenty of men who have deliberately lied to prospective employers about their current salary so they can negotiate a bigger pay increase. Don't worry.

I wouldn’t worry about this. Honestly it’s not really anyone’s business and you ask for the salary you think the new job is worth and what you are worth. They either agree or don’t! And it’s not like you’ve asked for a huge difference. If anyone says anything and I doubt they would, say you had some other benefits eg petrol or healthcare that equated to that amount. Good luck!

Don't worry, and congrats on the new job!

Reference forms don't ask for salary and they won't ask your old employer what salary you were on (if you're in the UK).

On job application forms where it asks for current salary i never fill in this box. It's not their concern! And in interviews etc I ask for what I deserve for the new job - nothing to do with the old one. This tactic has worked thus far!

They generally only ask your position, starting & ending employment dates and if you are eligible for rehire.

Wow! I’m so impressed, that’s a £25k increase! Good on you.

It's nothing, don't give it a second thought. How do they know when they see your p45 for month 11 that staff weren't normally paid and given an annual bonus in month 12, (they don't).