Offering half my job for twice the money

MissNice

Hi, just looking for some advice. I've been in my current role for nearly 2 years, I was hired with the title of administrator to do all the admin and purchasing for my company to help out our accountant who was doing a fair bit of this.
Since I've started the accountant has gone on maternity leave (about 11 months ago) and I have taken on about 90% of her work. I'm not a qualified accountant so we have a bookkeeper in to work on sage and do end of quarter accounts etc. I handle all our invoicing (in and out) sort out the companies insurances, look after our quality control and credit control plus my normal job of all the admin and purchasing. I'm basically the office manager/ accounts/ purchasing, yet with the title of administrator.
Now since she has gone on maternity leave the company has opened a new branch and more than doubled in size and we have been the busiest we have ever been since the company started. I could just about cope last year covering her work and mine, but since we've got busier and taken on a lot more staff, I have been struggling to cope, there's so much work that even if I worked til midnight every night I still wouldn't have it all done. I've told them time and time again that I can't focus on the main thing they hired me for which is purchasing and some of it is being handed off to other members of staff now. I've been asking them since before Christmas to get me some help in the form of a new member of staff.
This week they have finally started recruiting for somebody to help me, they have told me they are looking for a credit and quality controller and I will need to train them when they start.
All good so far, until I found out how much they are offering them- between £7-11k more per year! Last year I worked a ridiculous amount of unpaid overtime and basically bent over backwards to help them, they gave me a small pay rise but still about £3k less than the average for the work I do. This year I haven't done much overtime because I'm struggling with ME and the stress and hours of work is making me ill. I'm really annoyed that they are offering what is half my job, probably to somebody with a little but more experience, but not £7-11k extra!
I tried pushing them for a compromise in salary last year and to meet in the middle between the average wage for my job and what I was currently on, and they gave me about a 5% rise, which is better than nothing I guess but not what I'm worth!
I'm looking for another job now because I'm fed up of taking on so much stress and working so hard and not getting much in return. Is there anything I can do before I find something new? I know they really struggle when I'm not there and it will be very hard to replace me on the same salary. They told me last year that I'm a very hard worker and very good at what I do but "with more experience" I can get a fair salary so I know if I say it feels unfair they will just bring it down to experience.
Am I asking for too much in this economic climate or am I just asking for a fair wage?!

double_mummy

is there any reason you cant apply for the job?

MissNice

I probably could but they know my strengths are in purchasing and they will probably say I don't have the experience so I doubt they'll consider it

sulphate

I'm in a similar position, although my job haven't started looking for someone else and I doubt they will. I didn't get any payrise other than the standard 1% given to everyone else. Just look for another job, sounds like you need to.

double_mummy

always worth a shot though if you have been doing the position anyway is the credit control thing something you would be interested in doing? have you had a look at doing a course towards it? if the pay is something that is upsetting you go for it you are looking for another job anyway so go for it the worse they can say is no

Sanne

If you'd be interested in it (and in staying with your current employer) I'd try to apply for that job.

Otherwise, sounds like you've got to look elsewhere - I've just done this and they'll certainly need to pay £12k more if they want someone doing my job and at least £8k more for somebody doing 3/4 of my job. Also got a couple of small pay rises but nowhere near what they'll have to cough up now for my replacement. So I'm moving on - and am getting a 30% higher salary than before.

PasturesNew

A Credit/Quality Controller role is a much higher level job than the tasks you've been doing.... it sounds to me like they're recruiting an Accounting Professional with responsibility for credit and accounts across the company - so a decision maker and strategy maker, where the buck stops if cashflow/credit gets out of hand and takes the company down.

While a lot of that seems like regular data input/paper shuffling, the title implies it's a serious financial role.... so not the same job at all. It's more of a Management/Board type of job where your neck's on the line and you have to take ownership of making tough decisions, fighting the cause and dealing with awkward creditor situations/decisions.

Jobseeeker

Are they specifying a certain qualification?

MissNice

We will still have a bookkeeper so they will be the one who gets the blame if there are any financial !!!! ups, the credit controller will be doing what I do but will have a bit more time to put more effort into it! No they haven't specified any qualifications.
I've just narrowly missed out on a job doing what I do but that pays £4-7k more per year, would have got the job if the girl leaving didn't change her mind and decide she wanted the job. She's going from a receptionist to purchaser so I'm hoping she can't cope and they offer me the job! Not sure whether I ought to tell work I could have this job offered to me for more money and see if they will up my pay or just keep looking and hope I get out of there soon!