New colleague paid more than me

Melaniep101

Hi all

Just wondered if someone could advise on how I should approach this problem.

My company has recently employed a new member of the team, doing the same role as me, but I have found out they are being paid £5k more than me. They are younger than me and have less experience than me. I have been here 18 months.

As we are not allowed to discuss salaries, how can I approach my boss with this issue?

Any help would be appreciated.

M
x

gaz_jones

When you accepted the role were you happy with the money they offered you? This new person may not have been so managed to get the wages up a bit.

If you feel you are underpaid then just approach your boss and discuss the possibility of a pay rise.



Edit to add: Perhaps you could look for similar jobs in the local paper/online and see what salaries you would be expecting at another company. If you pay is considerably less then this could be a good way to persuade yoru manager to bump up your pay a bit.

xxlaurissaxx

I would speak to your boss. Ask to be paid the same and why they aren't the same. xx

pinkshoes

Just approach your boss and ask why your colleague is paid £5k more than you, as you'd like to know what you can do to get to the same pay level, and as it currently stands, you have more experience, so need to understand why they're being paid more.

OrangeProse

Bit of a minefield, this one.

Most companies in the private sector (correct me if I am wrong) enter into salary negotiations on an individual basis with the potential hiree - i.e. no structured pay grades. So, more often than not, you can find people doing similar - or identical - jobs on a team on varying salaries. The fact that your new colleague managed to wallop an extra few grand onto his or her salary is a bit of a case of 'bully for him/her', unfortunately.

None of which helps you much, I realise.

You might also find that there are contractual obligations on you not to discuss your package with anyone other than your line manager. In that case, if you went to your boss and raised the issue, you might face some awkward questions about how you found out that the new colleague is being paid more than you.

Also, you will struggle to justify asking for a payrise based simply on a colleague being on a different salary to you (I'm not saying that you would put it that baldly, but management might take it that way!).

A better idea might be to file this information privately in your own mind as 'useful to know' and work out a structured plan of bumping your own salary up a bit. You could talk to your boss, but structure it in a positive way - perhaps suggest that the two of you sit down and discuss ways in which you could improve your position and package over an agreed period of time.

Yes it's slower, yes it's likely to involve additional work, but there's a lot to be said about playing this sort of thing the company's way. Your boss is likely to be much more comfortable and amenable having this kind of conversation than 'oi, Diane's on more money than me, can I have a payrise?'. Your additional experience and time served can also be extremely useful here, as you may well be a better prospect for promotion or further duties than your new colleague, who at the moment is something of an unknown quantity.

maninthestreet

Ask your boss what you have to do to secure a payrise - confronting him/her with the knowledge you know the new hirer is paid 5K more than you, and demanding pay parity may not get the results you were hoping for.

littlestar1981

I wouldnt say 'why is he paid more than me?' I'd ask for a pay rise and base it on reasons like you have x responsibilities, your current performance, the market rates, etc

robnye

pinkshoes - suggestion is the better way to go,

by raising the issue in a non agressive manner and asking for positive feedback can help make all the difference, at the end of the day, it may work

HopeAndDriftWood

Whatever you do, don't say that you know the newer employee is being paid more.

I used to work in a nursery, and joined on £2 an hour more then someone who did the same job and had been there much longer. We also were not allowed to talk about wage, but at a parents evening one night we got onto the conversation, and the other girl was furious. She demanded to know why she was paid less, but instead of being given a pay rise she was given a disciplinary and told that everybody joined on different rates.

Suggest a pay review and take it from there?

DKLS

All the places I have worked, it has been a condition of employment that you don't discuss salary with colleagues, and if caught its a sackable offence.
There has been up to 15K difference in salary for the same role.

Op When is your next review? As that is when you should be discussing a pay rise, and justifications for it.
E.g I have brought in xxx amount of additional business, I have taken on xxx additional duties and therefore deserve a raise etc

1trainer1

i am in a fortunate position of getting paid more than a lot of my colleagues but whenever people ask me about their wage i try to make it as i am on teh same wage as them then they dont feel too down.

my two cents would be that speak to a few other colleagues to see if they are on more than you as well, if they are then start applying for a few jobs and make sure your boss is aware you are thinking of leaving and then if they think you are worth hanging onto they will give you a pay rise. tell them you are applying for other roles as they are better for you financially and they will understand.