Dilema, what would you do?

swingaloo

The background

I work for a large company in a warehouse. I was on agency for 3 years and then they advertised 12 company vacancies.
The company use 100s of agencg staff and the general way it works is that they move people from department to department as they are needed.
It may be packing, labelling, sorting, picking etc.
Some agency workers get trained for some of the more skilled jobs. Some of the jobs can be done by anyone, some of the jobs need perhaps a days training, but one of the departments (reciept and cross invoice) need a few weeks training. The workers on this department are classed as 'invoice clerks' and are on better pay then the packers etc who are classed as 'general workers'..

Now the issue-

When the company advertised the vacancied they were for 'general workers'. I applied and got taken on and so my conact was for 'general worker', but because I had trained to do the invoice clerk job I was put in that department and have been doing the job for 11 months. I earn £1.24 an hour less than others doing the same work. I accepted that as I had applied for an advertised position of 'general worker' and knew I could be put on any department so didnt really have an argument.

BUT, now they are advertising another vacancy. Its for 'invoice clerk' on our department as they need an extra pair of hands. There are 2 agency girls who have been on training on the department and are applying for the position.

Now if they are sucessful they will also be on more money than me even though they have only been working within the company for 5 months.

So, I thought I woulod apply for the position as well. But I have been told that I cant do this as I am already working within the department and they need an additional person.
I spoke to HR who say that my contract is for 'general worker' and that cant be changed even though they say my boss is pleased with my work and they have no plans to let me go from the department.

It seems so unfair but I need to know how to handle it without rocking the boat too much as I love the job and dont want to move departments if I can avoid it.

Any thought please.

SarEl

Well, your problem is that provided no discrimination (of the unlawful kind) is involved, they don't have to consider an application from anyone, and they don't have to accept one from you. They don't have to offer you more money. And they obviously aren't going to do either. So your only real option is to look for another job. Sorry - that may not be what you hoped to hear, but you can't make them offer you another job or pay you more money.

muddyl

Do you get yearly reviews with pay rises?
If you do, could you wait untilly then and ask if your pay can be upped to match those who you work with.
As an aside, discrimination has already been mentioned. If the the op is doing the same job, same hours etc. Would singling him/her out for lower pay not be discriminating against him/her?

SarEl

muddyl wrote: »

As an aside, discrimination has already been mentioned. If the the op is doing the same job, same hours etc. Would singling him/her out for lower pay not be discriminating against him/her?

Probably not. I considered that but the employer seems clear - he is a general worker and can be relocated within the company. So he is not doing the same job as someone who is an invoice clerk and is their job full stop. Plus - claiming discrimionation does rock the boat somewhat and the OP said they didn't want to???

DVardysShadow

swingaloo wrote: »

Any thought please.

Yes, they are taking the mick, because you are in fact more flexible and capable than an ordinary invoice clerk.

But apart from encouraging them to see reason, there is not a lot you can do about it.

I suggest you go straight for it and ask for a pay rise giving parity with the others doing the role - and you mention that you are not only an invoice clerk, but you can perform many other roles too.

And if that produces no results, then find another job and leave.

Slinky

I had something similar happen to me once. Much as I badgered my boss they wouldn't do anything about it so I resigned with nothing to go to, then temped and found a really great job which I was far happier in. As a result of this I now run my own business earning miles more than I ever would if they'd paid me the extra money.

At the time it felt like I was bashing my head against a brick wall..... but I remembered the saying 'accept the things you cannot change, change the things you cannot accept' and moved on. Best thing I could have done.

OP I hope it works out however YOU want it to, maybe your talents will be appreciated somewhere else.

swingaloo

Probably not. I considered that but the employer seems clear - he is a general worker and can be relocated within the company. So he is not doing the same job as someone who is an invoice clerk and is their job full stop

I perhaps should have mentioned in my opening post, - the invoice clerks are also be moved to other departments as and when needed so everything is exactly the same apart from the job title and pay.

ceridwen

If I were you O.P. - then I would do everything I could to get moved back onto "general work". That way - at least they wouldnt be underpaying me. I would be getting the correct hourly rate for the tasks I was doing.

Hopefully - in the process of you asking for a job in a different department (ie a "general work" one) they will decide they value you too much to let you move over and will up your pay to the correct rate for the job. After all - they've only told you they won't let you apply for a job in the SAME department;).

Start thinking up any excuses you think they might try and make as to why you cant ask for a job in a DIFFERENT department - so that you are ready with your arguments to counter them if they try that.

Fingers crossed for you that your "wished for";) move to another Department will be sufficient to make them realise they dont wish to lose you from your current one. At the least - if they "call your bluff" and move you over to the "general post" you would be telling them you wanted - then at least you'd have the satisfaction of not being deliberately underpaid by them any more.

Sometimes one has to be a little devious with employers and not "face them straight on" - just like some of them do with us then...:). Sometimes the only way to stop "bashing your head against a brick wall" is to think "I'm going to stop trying to get THROUGH this wall - I'll find a way to go ROUND the side of it instead....".