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.

I think they are unlikely to give salary data as part of a reference:

Most companies will only confirm the dates of employment.

It's not a big difference and I reckon most people inflate salary slightly.

As an employer I get asked all sorts of questions on reference forms. I never answer them!
I certainly wouldn’t answer about salary, especially without the individuals express consent. If an employee or ex-employee asked me to confirm it I would, but only with permission.

my favourite mind blowing reference question, on a reference I’m working on now, is “has X ever taken any paternal leave and what are the names of the children”.
….. I’m not even acknowledging that one!! Let alone answering it!

Never give a salary except perhaps as an expectation of what you want them to pay you. That said... They can't and won't check it, and most employers these days limit references to when you started and what your title was. Personal referees presumably don't know your salary, and also wouldn't be asked.

1. They won't ask on your reference
2. Even if they did, your current employer would be mad to give it. Dates of employment and last job titles are the standard these days, nothing more.
3. You don't hand your P45 over any more, you fill in an HMRC New Starter Form.
4. Your new employer wouldn't give a fig about £1k anyway

Congratulations!

They don’t confirm your salary, in fact it’s such an unfair question to ask I’m the first place. My response to it is “my salary expectations are between A&B.

dint worry about anything. Also stop selling yourself short.

It would cost them a lot more to go through recruitment again so I wouldn’t worry too
much.
you have agreed a new salary so they just want to know current salary to try and get you to take less.

I honestly wouldn't worry, even if they looked at your P60, that amount of difference is tiny. You could say you purchased an extra weeks leave as a salary sacrifice or had a salary sacrifice to purchase something which was a perk of your job. My employer used to offer up to £1000 for tech products from Currys to be repaid over a year out of your salary, but I would still given my actual salary had I have purchased anything as its a total package. I hope you enjoy your new role x

No. Don’t lie. That is a terrible strategy.

No, they would be asking for your P45 which shows pay for the current tax year to date. It doesn’t, however, state your current salary and the discrepancy could be easily explained by the salary you quoted being a recent pay rise so earlier in the tax year your salary was lower. Or just say your ex employer is dragging their feet getting the P45 to you and opt to provide a P46 declaration instead. Though I agree with previous posters that your previous employer would not provide your current salary details without your written permission anyway as it would be a GDPR breach.

I've worked in HR for 25 years and have never worked for a company where we ask for salaries in references. I've written thousands and never disclosed it, you'll be fine.

Your P45! goes straight to payroll, the decision makers on your new salary will never see it and the payroll staff won't know or care about your negotiations or disclosures x

It'll be fine. I've just recruited and lots of applicants left their wage blank on the form. I didn't blame them. It's none of my business

You are under no obligation to tell anyone your current salary. This is how employers get away with underpaying people; especially women. (25 years experience in finance etc)

P45 just shows earnings year to date. You don't need to hand it in

That gives off a bad attitude.

I always say "I don't wish to share that".

I'm so glad in nhs recruitment we don't ask. It's optional on the application form but whilst it's useful context to understand why someone is applying I don't really think it's particularly relevant and I'd hate to put anyone in a position they felt bad about being wrong about it!

Did you get the job @Helloyouok as this is old ?

@Blondeshavemorefun yes I got the job thanks 😊

Kind of forgot I started this thread and am chuckling about how naive/paranoid I was being!

You were all right, didn't matter whatsoever and in future I will probably decline the current salary question (although in my niche industry most hiring is done via specific recruiters who have that info from your current job and convey it to the hiring company).

You don't need to provide a P45 to start a new job.

Best come clean

Don't worry. It's not important

Although, if one has a salary sacrifice car or pension the P45/P60 will show earning after salary sacrificed amounts, which could be £60k or more lower than actual salary in a full tax year :)