Issues at Work- Underpaid and Overworked

rkhan0019

Hi guys
I wonder if anyone could advise
I work in Data and I am part of the Production Team, i have been with the company for 3.5 years and very commited, I just graduated before then and was in recruitment for a while and switched to this role then. My salary started off at 20k and was put up last year after discussion as it was below average.

In the past 1 year I have been helping other teams within the business, creating data models with team modelling, and doing the billing with team finance. Now we have someone in Billing off for a year on maternity I am set to do her tasks and the whole of end of month billing, whilst still juggling my responsibilities, though some help is provided but i am solely responsible for it. Billing work that I have been set can take up to 7 working days in a month. Now I am not an accountant like the people they recruit in our Finance team and nor did i come into this job I would be doing anything Finance related.

I am facing difficulty in my personal life where the pay is not enough and I can't afford mortgage, and everyday I have been coming into work but feeling dissatisfied, underpaid and used!

This makes me feel so low and sad, I have been looking outside for opportunities but have not had any luck so far but tomorrow I have put in a meeting with my manager. I would stay with the company if they gave me a pay rise to at least £25,000 (the location is literally 12 minutes from me and the work life balance is great). I am wondering how to mention this, as I am sure it will get turned down anyway or I might get an increase by about 3% which for me is a joke. I am the only one of 40 people in the office who helps out different teams whilst still doing my responsibilities.

What can I do? A part of me just wants to walk out, that's how bad it makes me feel that 4 years ago I was a graduate, but I am not anymore and I have this amazing experience but stuck on a grad pay. Last year my manager said at 22k now I am being paid average as they do some sort of Market Research, but having looked at different companies and our competitors, this is not the average.

Many thanks for your help

Oakdene

I guess you can ask, the worst they can say is no really.

lincroft1710

Depends on how much they value you. No or low pay rise means you aren't as useful to them as you think you are. If you think you can do better with another company start looking for another job.

V2-Schneider

Being in a job which seems to breed low pay and low job satisfaction is a killer. Like you, I used to work in recruitment, and every single day I hated that job. Constantly underappreciated and underpaid, leaving was the best thing I ever did. It took a semi-breakdown for me to realise there's more to life than sales. However, that was a huge risk to take. I got lucky. If you don't want to take that risk, what options do you have if you are to remain in data?

Well, I'd approach it from a 'long term plan' perspective. Where do you intend to be in five years time? Be specific with your professional goals and financial goals: what position do you want to achieve, and what salary? Where in data (and life) do you see yourself being?

Showing your employer where you intend to get professionally in the next five years, and the steps you've taken thus far to achieve that goal will really support your case when asking for a pay rise. In fact, don't ask for one - enquire as to the support you can get in meeting your financial goals. Doing this will show you're approaching the low pay from a position of positivity and confidence - which will be important in surpassing what you describe as a desultory 3% increase. You need the employer on your side; make them see what value you can bring to the company, and how you want them to invest in you.

More importantly, it will prove to them that you have, in fact, matched your side of the employer/employee deal. Considering the responsibilities you've taken on, it seems you are doing more than enough. Won't they be obliged to give you a substantial rise if that's the case?

Alternatively, you could get turned down. Are your extra responsibilities relevant to the position you want to achieve? Perhaps the company can't afford it? I don't work in data, so can't really help you with specific factors, but at the very least it may clear the air about things that are in your way, and will provide you with clearer ways of achieving them. As one poster above as pointed out, it could very well be that you're overvaluing yourself!

Either way, this is what I would do before considering my other options. Be realistic and honest with yourself: for where you want to get. Show the employer you're worth investing in.

Takeaway_Addict

rkhan0019 wrote: »

Hi guys
I wonder if anyone could advise
I work in Data and I am part of the Production Team, i have been with the company for 3.5 years and very commited, I just graduated before then and was in recruitment for a while and switched to this role then. My salary started off at 20k and was put up last year after discussion as it was below average.

In the past 1 year I have been helping other teams within the business, creating data models with team modelling, and doing the billing with team finance. Now we have someone in Billing off for a year on maternity I am set to do her tasks and the whole of end of month billing, whilst still juggling my responsibilities, though some help is provided but i am solely responsible for it. Billing work that I have been set can take up to 7 working days in a month. Now I am not an accountant like the people they recruit in our Finance team and nor did i come into this job I would be doing anything Finance related.

I am facing difficulty in my personal life where the pay is not enough and I can't afford mortgage, and everyday I have been coming into work but feeling dissatisfied, underpaid and used!

This makes me feel so low and sad, I have been looking outside for opportunities but have not had any luck so far but tomorrow I have put in a meeting with my manager. I would stay with the company if they gave me a pay rise to at least £25,000 (the location is literally 12 minutes from me and the work life balance is great). I am wondering how to mention this, as I am sure it will get turned down anyway or I might get an increase by about 3% which for me is a joke. I am the only one of 40 people in the office who helps out different teams whilst still doing my responsibilities.

What can I do? A part of me just wants to walk out, that's how bad it makes me feel that 4 years ago I was a graduate, but I am not anymore and I have this amazing experience but stuck on a grad pay. Last year my manager said at 22k now I am being paid average as they do some sort of Market Research, but having looked at different companies and our competitors, this is not the average.

Many thanks for your help

Is getting £3k extra really going to suddenly change your mood and outlook?

Sounds like there are bigger underlying issues you need to resolve which might mean moving on.

sulphate

I’ve just put a business case to my manager’s manager for a pay rise, and IMO this is what you need to be doing if you want to be taken seriously. There’s plenty of information on Google about putting a case together for this reason.

In doing so, you need to think seriously about what you have done or are doing that qualifies you for one. Helping out other teams and taking on additional workload, despite popular belief, doesn’t mean that you deserve more ££, because actually it’s something that everyone should be doing. Being committed should be a given as well. Are the additional responsibilities you are taking on are of the same level as your job, or are you doing responsibilities that had previously been done by someone who was paid more than you? This is a key factor. Where I work, an application for a regrade/pay rise needs to include clear evidence that the responsibilities/duties must have permanently changed to a level that would justify the rise.

If you were on 20k until a year ago when you were put on 22k and are now asking for another 3k, that basically means you are asking for a 2-3k pay rise every year which at this level might be seen as quite excessive. A 3% pay rise isn’t a “joke” and certainly nothing to be sniffed at - some organisations are only awarding pay rises of 1-2% or nothing at all. Sure, you might be able to get more money elsewhere, but would there be a longer commute or less of a work/life balance that you obviously value? So think about if your expectations are realistic.

Don’t even think about mentioning that the pay isn’t enough to pay your personal expenses, you will be laughed out of the office. That’s not your employer’s problem.

Undervalued

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Is getting £3k extra really going to suddenly change your mood and outlook?

Sounds like there are bigger underlying issues you need to resolve which might mean moving on.

Indeed.

Sixty quid a week, works out about eight pounds per working day after paying tax and NI!

How much does a pound an hour change?

sangie595

I am slightly perplexed as to the problem. You have outgrown your job. The way that people tend to deal with this is to get another one, isn't it? It's fairly common for people, especially when younger, to work beyond their remit, as that is how they garner the skills to move on and progress.

fozzeh

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Is getting £3k extra really going to suddenly change your mood and outlook?

Sounds like there are bigger underlying issues you need to resolve which might mean moving on.

Percentage terms, after tax, it's around 10%. That's a pretty big rise.

I do sympathise and empathise with the OP. I started at a new place last year and got a 4% rise. This year, I've put in a lot of work and have become much more valued with taking on a lot of work so will be interesting to see what happens there.

I'm stuck looking for QBE jobs though (for comparison) because never sat any high level qualifications...but they're paying £5k more in other places!

Would be interesting to see how they get along.

Savvy_Sue

I think the OP needs to decide whether or not they WANT to stay in this job, which has some advantages (easy to get to, if nothing else), or just get out.

And I think there's more to it than a payrise.

If you feel overworked, then you need to look at what might help. If the finance work to cover someone's maternity leave is too much, then you need to consider whether it will always be too much, or whether if you 'lost' some other job, this would be a good and interesting development for you. And if it would, then can you make a positive suggestion of how you could 'lose' that job.

But the other thing is to give some thought about resolving the personal life 'stuff'. And if financial worries are part of that, then at the same time as job-hunting, using the Debt Free board could be a great help.

ReadingTim

First off, if you can't afford the mortgage on your current rate of pay, you need to do something about that, regardless of whether you hate your job or love it. Reducing outgoings and/or increasing income will sort that, and should be addressed before you consider job satisfaction.

Next to consider is your company's attitude to pay - generally, and for the type of role you have, as well as pay in the industry generally. Obviously, some industries pay well and come companies pay well. Many companies pay certain roles and certain staff well, but others...not so. Where do you think your company fits? For example, I worked for a company which paid very senior people and its sales staff very well, but the back office and support staff pretty poorly: lower end of industry average, no more than rate of inflation pay rises (if that), as they regarded all of those roles as expendable and replaceable. Your manager's comment here is telling, but the good news is that the change of role is good justification for a pay increase, as you're taking on additional responsibilities - surely that should be worth more to them than before?

Secondly, unless there are lots of people at your level or doing the same role/job, many companies lose track of what the market rate really is regardless of pay benchmarking. They only belatedly realise that they're going to have to pay a certain rate to get anyone, but that amount is greater than they'd ever consider paying the current person. I saw this myself - l left one role and say it advertised at nearly £10k more than they were paying me - an amount I knew they'd never pay me! Gutting, but nothing you can do about it!

Finally though, if you're looking elsewhere and haven't had any success, you're not in a very strong position. Walking out of the current job won't pay the mortgage, while threatening to leave if you don't get a pay rise risks them calling your bluff and saying no. What do you do then? Realising that a company isn't as committed to you as you are to it isn't a very nice feeling, nor is being told 'we don't think you're worth as much as you think you're worth'...