Asking for pay rise?

Glittermonkey

Hi guys,

I found out this week that a new colleague (who I've been training) is on about £500 per year more than me. I asked around today and found out that his wage is normal and all other people at my level are on this!

I'm more experienced than the guy I'm training and I'm also learning a new role that only one other person in our company of around 400 people can do.

Our company has cut back on everything and wages are a bit of a sore point (we aren't paid well at all) so I want to ask for my salary to be increased but dont really want to rock the boat too much cos I know they dont care about the staff that much and in their eyes they could replace me with somebody cheaper.

I feel my salary should be increased at least to inline with his, if not more or possibly backdated to April (both would be nice, but I wont hold my breath).

The £500 only works out to be £20 more per month, but that is £20 I dont have!

Whats the best way of approaching my boss without sound like all I'm after is more money?

bev79

Straightaway it sounds like discrimination, as he is a guy (if you are a gal?!). If you don't want to get in to that issue, You can list your reasons for asking eg your acheivements, how you have added value to the company, exceeded expectations etc does your job spec are you meant to train new people? You need to be assertive and calm, but decide whether you want to discuss knowing other peoples salaries as in some firms this is a disciplinary offence. Good luck! Also, try ACAS website for advice.

LandyAndy

Glittermonkey wrote: »

Hi guys,

I found out this week that a new colleague (who I've been training) is on about £500 per year more than me. I asked around today and found out that his wage is normal and all other people at my level are on this!

I'm more experienced than the guy I'm training and I'm also learning a new role that only one other person in our company of around 400 people can do.

Our company has cut back on everything and wages are a bit of a sore point (we aren't paid well at all) so I want to ask for my salary to be increased but dont really want to rock the boat too much cos I know they dont care about the staff that much and in their eyes they could replace me with somebody cheaper If they can do that why have they recruited someone, who you are training, on a HIGHER salary?.

I feel my salary should be increased at least to inline with his, if not more or possibly backdated to April (both would be nice, but I wont hold my breath).

The £500 only works out to be £20 more per month, but that is £20 I dont have!

Whats the best way of approaching my boss without sound like all I'm after is more money?

Sit down with your boss and say that you have discovered that other people on your grade are paid more. Ask him for the explanation. Be prepared for the explanation to be 'that they are better than you at the job '. Ask him to consider increasing your pay to the standard level as soon as possible. Your next step will depend on how these questions go.

rog2

You have a long year GM - by my calculation £500 is equal to more than £40 per month.
This situation is intolerable - I would suggest, initially, a quiet word with your boss, or HR dept.
I take it that you are not in a union.
Just tell your boss/HR that you feel that the situation is unfair and ask them what they can do about it.
Approach your boss as a friend, rather than as a disgruntled colleague, but be firm, and try to convince him that a pay rise is HIS idea, rather than yours.

LandyAndy

bev79 wrote: »

Straightaway it sounds like discrimination, as he is a guy (if you are a gal?!). If you don't want to get in to that issue, You can list your reasons for asking eg your acheivements, how you have added value to the company, exceeded expectations etc does your job spec are you meant to train new people? You need to be assertive and calm, but decide whether you want to discuss knowing other peoples salaries as in some firms this is a disciplinary offence. Good luck! Also, try ACAS website for advice.

Surely it is the person disclosing the information who would be disciplined. Otherwise you could get people you don't like sacked by saying to them, in earshot of the boss, 'guess what, I earn £90,000 a year' . How cool would that be?:cool:

Glittermonkey

Ok, so firm and calm is the way forward.

Bev - yes he is a guy, but I know is not a discrimination thing as the new girls in other departments are starting on the same as him (except they are having probation periods and he isn't?)

LandyAndy - They could bring somebody in cheaper as we have many newish people who are only on about £13k. If they were to do my role they would get a higher salary but probably not as much as mine as I've been there 8 years so have benefited from the annual salary increases etc.

rog2 - Yes I am in a union. I will speak to my boss, she is nice, but too nice at times. Poor woman, shes not in the union and our comapny have brought external people in at the same level as her on about £20k more a year! They obviously use the experience line, but I'd be pretty pee'ed off if I were her! (I worked the £500 out after tax, but if it was £40 per month than I'm even more annoyed lol)

I always get nervous talking about stuff like this but I'm sure I will manage to be calm and fingers crossed it goes my way.

Badger_Lady

See your request from the company's point of view, then tell your boss why it's in their interest to increase your salary (but gently, don't make threats!).

1) Do some research into comparable pay scales - look at job adverts for similar jobs in your region and compare them to your own. You can also check on http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers/salary/?gclid=CLv7ipCpjo4CFRAFEgodeXC2Ew to see what you should be on, although this really is a rough guide!

Your employer should be seeking to benchmark your pay with its jobs market, otherwise they risk losing you to a competitor so, if you're being paid less than you could be elsewhere, point this out to them.

2) Pull together some evidence of how you have benefited the company - positive reviews from staff / your boss (they have short memories!), particular work you've done since your last payrise that's benefited the company, and training that you've given your peers, proving that you have knowledge beyond them!

3) They may be able to recruit someone cheaper, but there would inevitably be a period of training during which they would be less productive, and they would have to splash out on recruitment anything up to £10k!

It doesn't hurt to ask - in fact, it proves that you're serious about career progression. And if it doesn't sound like your boss is receiving the request very well, mentioning that you've discovered your peers' salaries is often a clincher.

Go for it! Be polite and rational, show that you know what you're worth, and be confident about requesting it. I did the same thing a few years ago and went from £16,800 to £17,500 - totally worthwhile.

LandyAndy

Glittermonkey wrote: »

Ok, so firm and calm is the way forward.

Bev - yes he is a guy, but I know is not a discrimination thing as the new girls in other departments are starting on the same as him (except they are having probation periods and he isn't?)

LandyAndy - They could bring somebody in cheaper as we have many newish people who are only on about £13k. If they were to do my role they would get a higher salary but probably not as much as mine as I've been there 8 years so have benefited from the annual salary increases etc.

rog2 - Yes I am in a union. I will speak to my boss, she is nice, but too nice at times. Poor woman, shes not in the union and our comapny have brought external people in at the same level as her on about £20k more a year! They obviously use the experience line, but I'd be pretty pee'ed off if I were her! (I worked the £500 out after tax, but if it was £40 per month than I'm even more annoyed lol)

I always get nervous talking about stuff like this but I'm sure I will manage to be calm and fingers crossed it goes my way.

Sorry if I'm getting confused here. The person you are training is not going to do the same job as you? Are they going to do other things that justify their higher salary? Why are you comparable to this person if they could get someoone the same as you for less? I'm not being picky I just want to properly understand your thinking.

pinkkat8910

rog2 wrote: »

You have a long year GM - by my calculation £500 is equal to more than £40 per month.

You've got to deduct tax from that!

Glittermonkey

Sorry, its being a bit confusing.

The guy they have taken on has taken over my old role. We are the same level and same title but I was responsible for one certain thing, which he has now taken over after I trained him. At the moment Im training for a role that has A LOT more responsibliltiy (for example, is spent £1.5m of our companys money today, to be this is huge role to be taking on and if i mess up it affects our whole company), so I think this justifys why my salary should be higher than his.

I'd only be replaced with somebody cheaper if someone who is on the low salary decided to apply for it. The guy I've recently trained has been with the company the same amount of time as me but only got promoted on the 1st of this month so he was on a higher wage than the people on £13k.

Thank you for all your points in the other post, they're really helpful and give me something to work with when I go to discuss it with my boss.

pinkkat8910

Glittermonkey wrote: »

Sorry, its being a bit confusing.

The guy they have taken on has taken over my old role. We are the same level and same title but I was responsible for one certain thing, which he has now taken over after I trained him. At the moment Im training for a role that has A LOT more responsibliltiy (for example, is spent £1.5m of our companys money today, to be this is huge role to be taking on and if i mess up it affects our whole company), so I think this justifys why my salary should be higher than his.

I'd only be replaced with somebody cheaper if someone who is on the low salary decided to apply for it. The guy I've recently trained has been with the company the same amount of time as me but only got promoted on the 1st of this month so he was on a higher wage than the people on £13k.

Thank you for all your points in the other post, they're really helpful and give me something to work with when I go to discuss it with my boss.

Hi Glittermonkey,

Sounds like a right old predicament...salaries eh?

You need to speak to your boss about it but I would strongly advise against comparing yourself to others. You need to argue your case on your own merits ... so point out your extra responsibility, how well you're doing, etc.

I think sometimes saying I want more because I know what they're on, etc can really go against you - argue your case on your own merits not someone elses

And most importantly - GOOD LUCK!!! let us know how you get on!!