Any HR people or employment lawyers on here.

[B1G GK]

Ive got a couple of questions regarding equality and contract payments.

[Dupont666]

try richburley on here... hes good

[edc]

An equal pay claim?

[B1G GK]

edc said:

An equal pay claim?

Yes,
Top and bottom is new people (started in May) didnt get any extra for xmas and its been classed as a shift swap, where some longer employees get a bonus payment as they did on their old contract,
I am hoping to get hold of another contract to compare against mine to see if there is anything that states why they should get a bonus payment and I dont.

[edc]

Equal Pay Act claims are relatively rare and rely on a 'comparator'. Getting access to data can be difficult.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I believe it's quite common (and legal) that newer people have a different contract to longer serving employees.

Comparing your own pay to others is generally a road to nowhere.

Edited by 2 sMoKiN bArReLs on Tuesday 26th January 20:09

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

...presumably you were happy with your contract?

[B1G GK]

edc said:

Equal Pay Act claims are relatively rare and rely on a 'comparator'. Getting access to data can be difficult.

Kinda screwed as its a same sex comparison
http://www.equalities.gov.uk/what_we_do/women_and_...

[briangriffin]

does this apply if there are men and women on lower pay for exactly the same job (just different titles)?

the woman on lower pay isn't paid less because she is a woman as there are also men being paid less. It seems it's more of a money saving exercise despite large profits being made in the workplace and even greater ones by the company as a whole.

any advice on this one?

[edc]

briangriffin said:

does this apply if there are men and women on lower pay for exactly the same job (just different titles)?

the woman on lower pay isn't paid less because she is a woman as there are also men being paid less. It seems it's more of a money saving exercise despite large profits being made in the workplace and even greater ones by the company as a whole.

any advice on this one?

So what you are saying is that there are men and women doing the same type of work with the same responsibility but perhaps with different job titles. There are men and women paid the same sort of rates at the upper end of the pay spectrum and there are men and women who are paid broadly the same at the lower end of the spectrum. Whilst this might feel unfair that doesn't necessarily make it unlawful.

[briangriffin]

edc said:

So what you are saying is that there are men and women doing the same type of work with the same responsibility but perhaps with different job titles. There are men and women paid the same sort of rates at the upper end of the pay spectrum and there are men and women who are paid broadly the same at the lower end of the spectrum. Whilst this might feel unfair that doesn't necessarily make it unlawful.

I'm not sure that your referring to experience there but they aren't paid differently based on experience. They work exactly the same job with exactly the same tasks and responsibilities and exactly the same hours. Funnily there are 2 people on the lower pay grade that actually cover more roles than those paid more than them.


this was all brought in as a cost saving exercise for a company making hundreds of millions in this country and billions worldwide.

[edc]

briangriffin said:

I'm not sure that your referring to experience there but they aren't paid differently based on experience. They work exactly the same job with exactly the same tasks and responsibilities and exactly the same hours. Funnily there are 2 people on the lower pay grade that actually cover more roles than those paid more than them.


this was all brought in as a cost saving exercise for a company making hundreds of millions in this country and billions worldwide.

I didn't refer to experience at all. From what you write there doesn't appear to be any difference in pay between men and women as such. It just so happens that some are paid at say 25k per annum and others are paid at say 27k per annum and that there are men and women earning at both levels.

[briangriffin]

edc said:

I didn't refer to experience at all. From what you write there doesn't appear to be any difference in pay between men and women as such. It just so happens that some are paid at say 25k per annum and others are paid at say 27k per annum and that there are men and women earning at both levels.

Yeah pretty much but the pay disparity is much larger than that, so basically there is no claim these days unless you can prove it discrimation based on sex etc?

[edc]

briangriffin said:

edc said:

I didn't refer to experience at all. From what you write there doesn't appear to be any difference in pay between men and women as such. It just so happens that some are paid at say 25k per annum and others are paid at say 27k per annum and that there are men and women earning at both levels.

Yeah pretty much but the pay disparity is much larger than that, so basically there is no claim these days unless you can prove it discrimation based on sex etc?

Equal pay claims have for many years been based on some form of unlawful discrimination. A pay disparity is not in itself unlawful.

For the scenario you describe a Works Council or Union may serve you better. But then the likely complaint will become some are paid the same despite having less experience, some don't work as hard, some are not as good/productive etc. The law can't cover all scenarios.