Discussing salary in the workplace
Discussion
From a couple of conversations in our office I've found that I am paid significantly less than at least two colleagues who are at the same level as me, they have both been in teh company less time than I have.
I was under the impression that our contracts forbid the discussion of actual salaries between employees. So is there a mechanism where I can express my annoyance and attempt to get more money to bring me on a par with those around me?
We all have similar experience levels, the girl I sit next too is 8 months older than me has 1 years more experience in the NHS, where I have an extra year in the private industry similar to our current roll. So I can see no reason for the £1000's difference in our salary.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
J
I was under the impression that our contracts forbid the discussion of actual salaries between employees. So is there a mechanism where I can express my annoyance and attempt to get more money to bring me on a par with those around me?
We all have similar experience levels, the girl I sit next too is 8 months older than me has 1 years more experience in the NHS, where I have an extra year in the private industry similar to our current roll. So I can see no reason for the £1000's difference in our salary.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
J
Jay12329 said:
From a couple of conversations in our office I've found that I am paid significantly less than at least two colleagues who are at the same level as me, they have both been in teh company less time than I have.
I was under the impression that our contracts forbid the discussion of actual salaries between employees. So is there a mechanism where I can express my annoyance and attempt to get more money to bring me on a par with those around me?
We all have similar experience levels, the girl I sit next too is 8 months older than me has 1 years more experience in the NHS, where I have an extra year in the private industry similar to our current roll. So I can see no reason for the £1000's difference in our salary.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
J
Yes. Go to your manager, express your concerns and ask for a raise.I was under the impression that our contracts forbid the discussion of actual salaries between employees. So is there a mechanism where I can express my annoyance and attempt to get more money to bring me on a par with those around me?
We all have similar experience levels, the girl I sit next too is 8 months older than me has 1 years more experience in the NHS, where I have an extra year in the private industry similar to our current roll. So I can see no reason for the £1000's difference in our salary.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
J
G'kar said:
You negotiate your own salary.
If you are happy to work for x, it irrelevant if the bloke at the next seat managed to get x+y.
Business does not work on a 'waah it's not fair' basis, thank god.
Government organisations tend to work on pay scales, though. You don't have much room to negotiate your pay if the job is attached to a specific pay scale.If you are happy to work for x, it irrelevant if the bloke at the next seat managed to get x+y.
Business does not work on a 'waah it's not fair' basis, thank god.
Personally I would speak with your HR manager/who ever is in charge of salaries and stress that by terms of contract
colleagues are not allowed to discuss salaries in the work place.
You have overheard a colleague of the same position discussing what she earns-this has prompted you to become distressed at being paid a lower salary.
In all honesty I have always been taught to never look left or right-focus on your own objectives in the work place and the rewards will follow.
colleagues are not allowed to discuss salaries in the work place.
You have overheard a colleague of the same position discussing what she earns-this has prompted you to become distressed at being paid a lower salary.
In all honesty I have always been taught to never look left or right-focus on your own objectives in the work place and the rewards will follow.
There doesn’t seam to be a negotiation structure for wages here. I was told what salary I would get, and informed of my annual pay rise (3% pah less than cost of living. Should have been called a pay cut...rant over.)
I know in the current climate I should be happy to have a job but our business is growing and was hugely profitable last year and is still growing if you look at the results from our first quarter this year. (October year, German or something!)
And I feel I am worth a lot more to the company now than a year ago when I started!
J
I know in the current climate I should be happy to have a job but our business is growing and was hugely profitable last year and is still growing if you look at the results from our first quarter this year. (October year, German or something!)
And I feel I am worth a lot more to the company now than a year ago when I started!
J
If you have two people doing the same work or work of equal value then they need to be paid the same. If not then the employer is open to discrimination charges. So, for example, if a female colleague is paid more than you for the same job that has potential to be sex discrimination, if the colleague is older or younger it could be age discrimination etc.
Start by asking why you aren't paid the same, if the work is of equal value you should be. As for not being allowed to discuss salary, that is pretty unenforceable.
Start by asking why you aren't paid the same, if the work is of equal value you should be. As for not being allowed to discuss salary, that is pretty unenforceable.
G'kar said:
You negotiate your own salary.
If you are happy to work for x, it irrelevant if the bloke at the next seat managed to get x+y.
Business does not work on a 'waah it's not fair' basis, thank god.
ah, but in the public sector it does work like that. Are you being decriminated on the basis of age, religion, colour, sexual orientation, gender or disability ? Do you do EXACTLY the same job as the next person and is your performance exactly the same? If the answer to both is no. then it's all about how big your balls are. If it states in your contract that you are not allowed to discuss salaries, then you can't exactly tell them what you know. What you have to do is either :If you are happy to work for x, it irrelevant if the bloke at the next seat managed to get x+y.
Business does not work on a 'waah it's not fair' basis, thank god.
a) Talk to your boss about what experience and training you need to earn £X
b) Talk to your boss about job's you've seen advertised doing the same thing in the NHS for £X and tell him you need his support to apply for them (When I worked for Lucas all the staff jobs were advertised on all 77 UK sites and you were guaranteed an interview if your boss thought it a good step up for you)
Pay should be negotiated when joining a company. Most employers will then give annual increases according to it's own rules which may, or may not, include a differential for different employees based on performance.
If you did not come into the job at a higher rate of pay than others at the same skill level you need to practice your negotiating skills!
If you did not come into the job at a higher rate of pay than others at the same skill level you need to practice your negotiating skills!
G'kar said:
You negotiate your own salary.
If you are happy to work for x, it irrelevant if the bloke at the next seat managed to get x+y.
Business does not work on a 'waah it's not fair' basis, thank god.
Surely people are happy if they're getting paid the market rate for their job and how do you judge the market rate if not by what other people doing the same job are getting paid?If you are happy to work for x, it irrelevant if the bloke at the next seat managed to get x+y.
Business does not work on a 'waah it's not fair' basis, thank god.
siscar said:
Start by asking why you aren't paid the same, if the work is of equal value you should be.
As for not being allowed to discuss salary, that is pretty unenforceable.
Jesus. Another armchair lawyer.As for not being allowed to discuss salary, that is pretty unenforceable.
Worst advice ever.
Do NOT go to HR and start saying "oh why am I am paid less than [person]" because (a) you'll not get anywwhere and (b) you will have admitted you are in breach of your contract of employment for discussing salaries.
If you want a rise, go and ask for one, but be prepared to justify it. If you don't get one, grow some balls and leave.
Soovy said:
Jesus. Another armchair lawyer.
Worst advice ever.
Do NOT go to HR and start saying "oh why am I am paid less than [person]" because (a) you'll not get anywwhere and (b) you will have admitted you are in breach of your contract of employment for discussing salaries.
If you want a rise, go and ask for one, but be prepared to justify it. If you don't get one, grow some balls and leave.
Worst advice ever.
Do NOT go to HR and start saying "oh why am I am paid less than [person]" because (a) you'll not get anywwhere and (b) you will have admitted you are in breach of your contract of employment for discussing salaries.
If you want a rise, go and ask for one, but be prepared to justify it. If you don't get one, grow some balls and leave.
. 
siscar said:
If you have two people doing the same work or work of equal value then they need to be paid the same. If not then the employer is open to discrimination charges. So, for example, if a female colleague is paid more than you for the same job that has potential to be sex discrimination, if the colleague is older or younger it could be age discrimination etc.
Start by asking why you aren't paid the same, if the work is of equal value you should be. As for not being allowed to discuss salary, that is pretty unenforceable.
As it happens, it's very enforceable. A couple of organisations I've done consultancy work for - so not as employee - have Terms and Conditions that state any discussion of salary with a person other than your line manager or one of their seniors for sanctioned reasons is gross professional misconduct and subject to summary dismissal. It was there in the handbook, explained on joining so my contacts told me, and easily enforceable as it's possible to be sacked for it. There were no instances these contacts could indicate where it had actually happened, they pointed out that people just don't discuss remuneration as that is what the organisation's policy specifies.Start by asking why you aren't paid the same, if the work is of equal value you should be. As for not being allowed to discuss salary, that is pretty unenforceable.
Back in the days when I worked permanently an email was send around unwittingly by HR with unfortunately listed the salaries of every single member of staff. Quite how I don't know.
But 2 people in my department, same job, 15k difference in pay, this guy with the smaller salary promptly quoted it's what I negotiated, it's what I'm happy with.
(However, I noticed extra projects got slung the way of the higher salaried employee by the boss after that day...)
But 2 people in my department, same job, 15k difference in pay, this guy with the smaller salary promptly quoted it's what I negotiated, it's what I'm happy with.
(However, I noticed extra projects got slung the way of the higher salaried employee by the boss after that day...)
I think the OP is in private industry now?
You could go down the discrimination route, or just ask for a pay rise. At the end of the day you have to be prepared to leave if you don't get what you want.
In the last big company job I had, new people were coming in at way higher salaries than existing employees as it became harder and harder to find good people. Everyone unofficially knew, and it was a good way of getting rid of dead-wood as we refused rises to the people we wanted to leave.
You could go down the discrimination route, or just ask for a pay rise. At the end of the day you have to be prepared to leave if you don't get what you want.
In the last big company job I had, new people were coming in at way higher salaries than existing employees as it became harder and harder to find good people. Everyone unofficially knew, and it was a good way of getting rid of dead-wood as we refused rises to the people we wanted to leave.
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