Just Wondered If An Employer Can Do This?

SallyUK

He advertised this job:

Receptionist/Personal Injury Legal Assistant : Ref. BT5662
Date submitted: 6 November 2008
£14000 - £18000 per annum + Good Package + Good Package
Permanent

My question is this - he's offered a salary much less than the £14000 as stated in the advert, can he do this even though it's been advertised as £14k?


Sally

Troubled_Joe

No contract has been entered into so yes he can.

If I was to clutch at straws I'd make a hopeful claim for damages for misrepresentation (which would be your travel costs and half a day off work).

poker_face

SallyUK wrote: »

He advertised this job:

Receptionist/Personal Injury Legal Assistant : Ref. BT5662
Date submitted: 6 November 2008
£14000 - £18000 per annum + Good Package + Good Package
Permanent

My question is this - he's offered a salary much less than the £14000 as stated in the advert, can he do this even though it's been advertised as £14k?


Sally

Have you tried negotiating up to the advertised price?
Have they given you a reason for it being lower?

SallyUK

It wasn't me that was offered it - the person was told that as this was a new post in new premises the employer had had a lot of expense in getting it ready, but surely he shouldn't have had the starting salary as advertised at £14k?

Sally

Reds-on-Sea

I think wage brackets like this are meant to be taken with a pinch of salt. There was a recent post on here about a guy who got an internal promotion and then was upset as he only got a £4k payrise when the lower wage bracket in the ad was £10k more than what he was currently earning.

Why do you think agencies etc ask you how much you currently earn? It's so they know how cheap they can get you for, you don't autmatically get what's advertised unfortunately. I take it more as a guide to how much experience is required within that field.

Reds-on-Sea

SallyUK wrote: »

It wasn't me that was offered it - the person was told that as this was a new post in new premises the employer had had a lot of expense in getting it ready, but surely he shouldn't have had the starting salary as advertised at £14k?

Sally

sorry Sally, when you put it like that, yes, I agree, he shouldn't have put that if he didn't have the intention of paying it. What I was trying to get across in my last post was that employers will only pay what people are willing to take the job for. If the candidate in question turns it down, he can either up the offer or get someone else who will work for less money.

It's a bit like buying/selling a house.

If the candidate is too good to lose, he should offer more.

PasturesNew

Employers do it all the time. They pay the least they think they can get away with.

I was interviewed for a job at £25k once, 50 miles from home. They dragged me out for two full interviews, then back for a third. I turned out again (bloomin' expensive all this driving) and sat there like a lemon. Then was called into the Board Room to be told they'd dragged me out so the boss could make me a job offer, only he'd not bothered turning up. They then offered me 10% less, saying it was for the trial period. I was annoyed, I was already not keen on the job as it was so far and the cost of driving there/back would be so much (and it was 8am to 6pm). But I said "OK".

Then after the 3 month trial they said they couldn't afford to put it up - and within a year they made me redundant as they hadn't had an increase in business they'd expected. They let me keep doing the job as the department was wound down, on a self-employed basis.

So employers can do what they want really. It's then your (annoyed) choice whether to accept their offer.

SallyUK

Thanks everyone.

Your replies have been really helpful.

Sally
xx

Reds-on-Sea

On the same subject - as I'm kinda in this situation at the mo, can new employers find out what you were earning in your previous position if you tell a little porkie pie and have exaggerated it a little bit?

thanks

Obukit

Reds-on-Sea wrote: »

On the same subject - as I'm kinda in this situation at the mo, can new employers find out what you were earning in your previous position if you tell a little porkie pie and have exaggerated it a little bit?

thanks

If they find out you have lied about your previous pay, they will normally terminate your job on the grounds of obtaining employment by deception. It really depends whether they follow up your references - if they do, you are likely on dodgy ground.

After all, would you employ someone and trust them with your company's money/clients/keys etc. if they lie to you from the start? Sorry if that sounds harsh but trustworthiness is key to all jobs, which is why breach of trust is always treated as gross misconduct.

ceridwen

Maybe things have changed since my day - but I wasnt aware that previous employers gave details of what pay one has received in a job - I thought references only concerned things like one's ability to do a job/reliability/etc? Are they now likely to quote payrate?

Errr...and there is just the leetle point that how come its okay for employers to lie about what salary they pay (ie saying the pay is less than the advert stated) - but not for a would-be employee to lie about what salary they earned? Sauce for the goose.....