No payrise or pay review in 10 Years
No payrise or pay review in 10 Years
Author
Discussion

CraigNewmarket

Original Poster:

172 posts

165 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Good Morning,

10 years ago i took on a Job in Cambridge looking after the IT in a primary school since then I have had no payrise or pay review other than cost of living.

Every year since my job has gotten bigger with new staff and equipment bought each year which is left to me alone to support and maintain. We also have had the addition of a children centre last year which again is down to me alone to support with IT issues.

For an example we have gone from 80 computers/laptops now to over 120 laptops computers and tablets.

I also get yearly performance targets which I meet but still haven't had any meeting about a pay review.

I was going to write and email suggesting these points to the headteacher pointing out my points that he cant disagree with.

I am on a modest salary of 20k while teachers and keystage leaders get a payrise each year some on 40k plus.

Can anyone give me any pointers?


Some Gump

13,018 posts

215 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Leave, get a better job.

ReallyReallyGood

1,641 posts

159 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Aside from the obvious and leaving, try and get a feel for what the average salary for your kind of role is if possible. Perhaps look at job adverts for similar roles in similar organisations.

MacW

1,351 posts

205 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Some Gump said:
Leave, get a better job.
Very much this.

10 years of looking after the IT needs for a school and still only being paid £20k is stretching the limits of belief for me.

It is extremely unlikely they are ever going to pay you anything near market value. In fact I very much doubt they even understand how much this sort of service should cost them and won't until you have left and they need to source alternative support.

p1stonhead

30,139 posts

196 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
CraigNewmarket said:
Good Morning,

10 years ago i took on a Job in Cambridge looking after the IT in a primary school since then I have had no payrise or pay review other than cost of living.

Every year since my job has gotten bigger with new staff and equipment bought each year which is left to me alone to support and maintain. We also have had the addition of a children centre last year which again is down to me alone to support with IT issues.

For an example we have gone from 80 computers/laptops now to over 120 laptops computers and tablets.

I also get yearly performance targets which I meet but still haven't had any meeting about a pay review.

I was going to write and email suggesting these points to the headteacher pointing out my points that he cant disagree with.

I am on a modest salary of 20k while teachers and keystage leaders get a payrise each year some on 40k plus.

Can anyone give me any pointers?
Why would you stay there for that long?!

EnthusiastOwned

730 posts

146 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
p1stonhead said:
Why would you stay there for that long?!
This.

If I've not had a sniff of things to come within 6-12 months of working in the role and nothing has materialised within another 6-12 months I'm looking elsewhere.

Slurms

1,254 posts

233 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
CraigNewmarket said:
Good Morning,

10 years ago i took on a Job in Cambridge looking after the IT in a primary school since then I have had no payrise or pay review other than cost of living.

Every year since my job has gotten bigger with new staff and equipment bought each year which is left to me alone to support and maintain. We also have had the addition of a children centre last year which again is down to me alone to support with IT issues.

For an example we have gone from 80 computers/laptops now to over 120 laptops computers and tablets.

I also get yearly performance targets which I meet but still haven't had any meeting about a pay review.

I was going to write and email suggesting these points to the headteacher pointing out my points that he cant disagree with.

I am on a modest salary of 20k while teachers and keystage leaders get a payrise each year some on 40k plus.

Can anyone give me any pointers?
They're taking advantage.

Raise the issue if they don't come up with something credible then leave.

Du1point8

22,857 posts

221 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
EnthusiastOwned said:
p1stonhead said:
Why would you stay there for that long?!
This.

If I've not had a sniff of things to come within 6-12 months of working in the role and nothing has materialised within another 6-12 months I'm looking elsewhere.
OP has well and truly been bent over and fked for the past 10 years.

School has been laughing at him for never asking for a review, etc... so they have never bothered with it and got OP cheap.

However it also OPs fault for not doing anything sooner... If I were the OP, I would get evidence of the market rate, then organise a meeting face to face and not over email, or a letter.

Asterix

24,438 posts

257 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Yeah - OP probably can't even go and say 'look, here's what the open market is paying for my role' as it will be 50% plus increase minimum (I'd assume) and its unlikely they'd entertain that.

Only thing I can say OP is you're going to be a happy bunny soon as you're going to get a nice uplift when you move jobs in the near future.

Jonathan27

761 posts

193 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
CraigNewmarket said:
Good Morning,

I have had no payrise or pay review other than cost of living.
So you have had a pay rise then!

edc

9,624 posts

280 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Jonathan27 said:
CraigNewmarket said:
Good Morning,

I have had no payrise or pay review other than cost of living.
So you have had a pay rise then!
I'd somewhat agree with this. It isn't abnormal for somebody doing fundamentally the same role and work with no promotion to only get inflation related increases. I can point to possibly hundreds of people at the last few places I have worked where this has applied. Believe it or not but there are many people who work for decades doing the same work who get such increases. You need to build a business case for why you feel you are deserving of more. This could include all sorts of things such as increased user base, more complext hardware of software, new skills or technologies acquired, proven cost savings for the organisation, increased user satisfaction, less downtime, boradening of the role, more responsibility etc etc.

Sheepshanks

40,933 posts

148 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
CraigNewmarket said:
I am on a modest salary of 20k while teachers and keystage leaders get a payrise each year some on 40k plus.
They could hit that level after 10yrs or so, but then stay there for 30yrs.

Not sure about teachers, but NHS workers aren't even getting the cost of living rises now.

Potatoes

3,606 posts

199 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
My advice would be along similar lines to what has been said so far.

Go and search for roles that require similar skills to what you have and for roles similar to the role you are currently doing... there is a difference and that's important here. You'll then have a rough idea of what level your role should be compensated at and you'll have a rough idea what you and your skill set may be worth to other industries. You may also find a few roles that genuinely interest you and this is a good opportunity to get your application in but first and foremost, you're clearly keen to stay at your current company so let's focus on that.

Arrange a face to face meeting with your manager/sponsor/head teacher (whatever is most relevant) and come equipped with what similar sized (if possible) schools pay for these roles. Have as frank a conversation as you can around these figures being far from where you are currently and without going into detail, tell them you're frustrated. This shouldn't be an aggressive or confrontational conversation but a discussion of the facts. Do not over-communicate, give only the facts and end on that this frustrates you.

Your manager/sponsor/head teacher will then understand the facts and how they are impacting a long-term member of staff and will look at what they can do. If you genuinely are looking for a substantial increase it's worthwhile starting to look for a new role anyway but following this initial meeting you'll either have a clear idea or at least a feeling of the outcome.

If you do decide to leave, you'll have a rough idea of what industries require your skill set and which industries in your area pay the best...

I stayed in the same role for 6 years and had 2 years in your situation, had a similar conversation, although in hindight would have removed some of my emotion from the conversation... I was pretty frustrated. I was given the assurances but it seemed clear nothing was actually going to happen so I left... a year later I'm actually going back into a much more interesting role on a completely different salary.

Edited by Potatoes on Wednesday 11th March 12:38

otolith

68,578 posts

233 months

Sheepshanks

40,933 posts

148 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
What's your job title? Bit of Googling suggests there's usually:

ICT Technician - £15-20K
Senior ICT Technician - £20-25K
Network Manager - £25-40K

...but salaries apparently vary massively.

Is the job term time only?

I'd have thought of all places there would be quite a bit of demand for your skills in Cambridge.

MitchT

17,114 posts

238 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
CraigNewmarket said:
10 years ago i took on a Job ... since then I have had no payrise or pay review other than cost of living.
Ditto here, but 17 years. I fact I can't even call it 'cost of living' in my case.

p1stonhead

30,139 posts

196 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
MitchT said:
CraigNewmarket said:
10 years ago i took on a Job ... since then I have had no payrise or pay review other than cost of living.
Ditto here, but 17 years. I fact I can't even call it 'cost of living' in my case.
Again, why?!

There are thousands of jobs everywhere. There is no excuse for being taken advantage of for that long.

edc

9,624 posts

280 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
p1stonhead said:
Again, why?!

There are thousands of jobs everywhere. There is no excuse for being taken advantage of for that long.
Unbelieveably some people are happy with their lot and may have no desire for more and more responsibility or the desire or need for higher levels of pay. Just because somebody has been doing the same work for a long time and not received much more than inflation based increases does not mean they are being taken advantage of. Nobody has forced them to stay working where they do. Indeed, leaving aside the salary the organisation probably has a lot going for it for people to stay a long time and what may be comparatively low salary.

iphonedyou

10,409 posts

186 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
edc said:
Unbelieveably some people are happy with their lot and may have no desire for more and more responsibility or the desire or need for higher levels of pay. Just because somebody has been doing the same work for a long time and not received much more than inflation based increases does not mean they are being taken advantage of. Nobody has forced them to stay working where they do. Indeed, leaving aside the salary the organisation probably has a lot going for it for people to stay a long time and what may be comparatively low salary.
But MitchT, to whom the poster you quoted was responding, hasn't received even cost of living rises. Which would explain his incredulity.

Edited to correct poster reference.

Edited by iphonedyou on Wednesday 11th March 15:39

p1stonhead

30,139 posts

196 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
iphonedyou said:
But MitchT, to whom the poster you quoted was responding, hasn't received even cost of living rises. Which would explain Mitch's incredulity.
Exactly.

What kind of person works for less and less each year and doesn't put up a fuss? They are effectively giving him a pay cut each year.

Madness. Sorry Mitch but you are being mugged off and have been for at least 15 years.

Edited by p1stonhead on Wednesday 11th March 15:10