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Original poster

Pregnant, cover already started!

14 replies

Hawkmoth · 16/03/2009 08:47

I work in a small office, my boss has already employed the woman who will be covering my maternity leave from July. At the moment she is working on 'special projects', arranging events, which I don't do, but when I leave she will be doing my job.

She's being paid £6k more than me, pro rata. Is this legal as she will only be doing my job when I'm off, what she's doing now is separate in my mind?

OP posts:
insertwittynicknameHERE · 16/03/2009 09:00

If what she is doing now is separate try not to let it bother you. But if she is still going to be paid more than you would be when you go on mat leave then I don't think that is right.

Post this on the employment section and someone should be able to answer that question for you.

insertwittynicknameHERE · 16/03/2009 09:01

Incidentally when I went on mat leave with DD my bosses got my cover in about 6 weeks before I left and told me to use them to do the work She got very good training lol.

HappyMummyOfOne · 16/03/2009 09:33

If shes not doing your job now then why shouldnt they employ her in other capacities, they must be glad to have the cover ready for July as its not always easy to find good maternity leave cover.

There is no law to say she has to be paid the same as you.

Original poster
Hawkmoth · 16/03/2009 09:50

INWH, isn't this the employment section?

If I just have to lump it, I'll lump it. It will just be galling when I come back to my job that he thinks I as a person doing the same tasks am worth £6k less.

I don't mind her doing the other stuff now, it's quite exciting! Shame there's only one PC for us so on some days we will have to share a desk.

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insertwittynicknameHERE · 16/03/2009 09:59

Oh gawd, take no notice of me, DD had me up at 5am and it has confused me lol I am easily confused at the moment due to a bad case of baby brain.

Sorry about that, I hope you get this sorted.

trixymalixy · 16/03/2009 10:11

Is she on a temporary contract or a permanent contract?

If she's only an agency worker then they do normally get paid more than permanent staff.

I am covering for someone on mat leave atm and I think I get paid more than her. It's not illegal.

Original poster
Hawkmoth · 16/03/2009 10:13

I know the feeling. DD was up four times last night, which is not her usual way.

I guess I'll have to lump it and see how the land lies when I return to work. In all honesty, I'm not sure I'll work the full 18 weeks I have left anyway, as have SPD. I should just count myself lucky eh?

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Original poster
Hawkmoth · 16/03/2009 10:20

Trixy, she's on a permanent contract. The bandings for jobs are very loosely adhered to. If I were to take it that way, all I'd be doing would be filing... really badly.

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trixymalixy · 16/03/2009 11:05

Has she been there longer than you or had more experience/better appraisials etc?

Can you speak to your boss about it?

I found that they had advertised for cover for my job at £5k more than I was being paid while I was off on mat leave for the first time. I spoke to my boss and they upped my salary.

Original poster
Hawkmoth · 16/03/2009 11:34

She's brand new, has a background in sales and no knowledge of this field, but what she is doing now works with that sales background.

TBH, it's fairly typical of my boss to do something like this, my only hope is if there is a law against it. But I don't suppose there is.

I will have a word, but it'll be in vain.

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Twims · 16/03/2009 11:37

But isn;t this normally the case you start a ob on say £10K per annum and as costs rise / inflation etc the person who takes on your job a couple of years later starts on £12k per annum - the reason you're not earning the 12k is because you were happy enough earning the 10k becuase you didn't think about the extra £2k

flowerybeanbag · 16/03/2009 11:48

how do you even know how much she is being paid at all? Has your boss told you?

Your boss has decided he/she needs someone to work on projects and event management, and presumably is paying a reasonable salary for this. Come July, maybe he/she doesn't need so much of that but has taken the view that rather than letting this lady go and trying to recruit someone more like you on a similar salary, it would be easier and make more sense to retain this lady covering your maternity leave, even though it might be a bit more expensive.

Seems reasonable to me. With the greatest of respect, how your boss decides to cover your maternity leave isn't really any of your business. If it was a direct swap, someone exactly with your skills and experience coming in only to do the exact same job, and being offered a substantially bigger salary than you, then fair enough to question it. But this isn't quite that simple.

If you feel your salary isn't appropriate for what you do in terms of market rates and other indicators, you could present appropriate evidence and ask for a raise.

RibenaBerry · 16/03/2009 13:26

What Flowery said

Original poster
Hawkmoth · 16/03/2009 14:47

Agree, but I opened the post!

We've got a staff meeting next week, which is the next time I'll see him. I'll have a word then.

Things will have changed when I get back to work next year. I'll either have a month back at work and then that'll be it, or I'll be swapping jobs and moving up the ladder... I just feel a bit aggrieved now, and could have done with the extra money over the next few months.

Hey ho, the happy world of work.

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