One job but 2 different pay levels?

[Deleted User]

I work as an administrator 30 hours a week, which includes managing the company's website. This was initially a small job, taking 2 hours a week, but has grown considerably. I am the only person that works on the website in the company. Two years ago the boss recognised the more complex nature of the work and agreed to give me 5 hours at a higher level of pay. The higher rate of pay is less than £1.20 an hour more. They tried to give me a 2nd contract although I had been doing the work already for 6 years.

I discussed the contract matter with personnel, and she could not understand why I would have a new contract for the website work, as I had been doing an admin role which included the website since 2005. She said that as there’s just one job description, it would be one contract. She explained that someone would have a second contract if they were an administrator and then took on a second entirely different role, kitchen assistant for example. She advised that as the website was part of the job role, I should be paid on the one, higher rate, for the whole of the job.

They eventually agreed that my job should have one contract, but they did not offer to increase my pay to the higher rate for the whole of my job.

I'm doing at least 10 hours a week on website work now. I've been told that I have to time myself and write down exactly how long the work takes, and that some of the admin surrounding the website work should be paid at the lower rate. I really feel I have a case for 30 hours at the higher rate, and would appreciate thoughts on this.

Many thanks

StuC75

If you are only spending 10 hours a week, then why do you feel a case for 30 hours?

At £1.20 per hour extra is it worth such grief? Many places may have just had the extra work assigned without any consideration of extra money for performing the work (may be viewing if this work was done within you normal week as being part of the job, or if extra undertaken as Overtime)..

[Deleted User]

Because I understood from personnel that 'as the website was part of the job role, I should be paid on the one, higher rate, for the whole of the job'

Do other jobs have a different rate of pay for different levels of work? I don't know of any. Obviously everyone has some aspects of their work that have a higher level of responsibility, but don't get different hourly rates?

Thanks

Cycrow

some jobs can have multiple rates.

when i worked nights at asda i was on 2 rates, a day and night right.
The first few hours i worked i was paid for the day rate, and the rest i got the night right

[Deleted User]

Oops, sorry didn't make it clear, I only work daytime, so no enhanced night/evening shifts etc.

Savvy_Sue

OK, so if you've been there more than 2 years, and Personnel can't see what the problem is, you could consider putting in a grievance?

If you're not in a union, I might consider joining first, waiting a few months and then doing this, perhaps after taking advice from the union.

theoretica

Your case for a pay rise seems to be that your last pay rise was given in a very strange way. You could instead point out you bring the same skills and effort to all of your job. Are there other administrators in the company and do you know if they are all paid at the lower level?

Takeaway_Addict

My thoughts are that its very unlikely that there is any right to the higher rate, you need to negotiate your worth but as it is you have agreed to current structure doing the current amount of work at the current remuneration.

[Deleted User]

Thank you for the helpful replies.

Takeaway_Addict - I didn't actually sign my contract 2 years ago as I felt a variation letter should have been provided, but they did a new contract with changes of terms, which I advised them I did not accept, so perhaps a door open on that?! The job/work has increased which I am sure they appreciate.

theoretica - Thank you for your thoughts, and no there is no one else getting different levels of pay in the company, unless they have 2 jobs, which isn't the case for me.

Savvy_Sue - I am thinking of approaching the union, but wanted some opinions on this first, so thanks for suggesting you think this might be the way to go.

I really do not accept that some of the admin surrounding the website work should be paid at the lower rate, which is how they are trying to deal with this. Thanks for all the responses.

Joosing

Savvy_Sue

Deleted_User wrote: »

Savvy_Sue - I am thinking of approaching the union, but wanted some opinions on this first, so thanks for suggesting you think this might be the way to go.

If you're a member, it's always worth approaching the union, IMO. At the very least, the value of including the phrase "I shall have to take advice from my union" in a letter can be priceless! Or completely valueless, depending on how confident the employer is of being in the right.

anamenottaken

Deleted_User wrote: »

Thank you for the helpful replies.

Takeaway_Addict - I didn't actually sign my contract 2 years ago as I felt a variation letter should have been provided, but they did a new contract with changes of terms, which I advised them I did not accept, so perhaps a door open on that?! The job/work has increased which I am sure they appreciate. No need for you to sign for you to be deemed to be working to the contract. How was your not accepting documented?

theoretica - Thank you for your thoughts, and no there is no one else getting different levels of pay in the company, unless they have 2 jobs, which isn't the case for me.

Savvy_Sue - I am thinking of approaching the union, but wanted some opinions on this first, so thanks for suggesting you think this might be the way to go.

I really do not accept that some of the admin surrounding the website work should be paid at the lower rate, which is how they are trying to deal with this. Thanks for all the responses.

Joosing

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