Medium sized startup, getting salary increases beyond what I think is reasonable

Malthusian

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Do you think these are being posted by employees of MSE?

No part of the OP's question is remotely implausible. Small VC-funded startups are known to pay their employees salaries out of kilter with the market, and people worry about weird things. That doesn't mean it isn't a wind-up, it just means that there's no reason to think it isn't genuine.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Malthusian wrote: »

No part of the OP's question is remotely implausible. Small VC-funded startups are known to pay their employees salaries out of kilter with the market, and people worry about weird things. That doesn't mean it isn't a wind-up, it just means that there's no reason to think it isn't genuine.

It's more the manner of the asking. There's no real question that can be answered and finished with. They are asked vaguely, in a way calculated to draw opinions, and then the OP, if they come back at all, tends to do so just to stir the water a bit and keep it running; most usually by picking out one or two controversial posts and concentrating on them at the expense of the other 97% of sensible opinion. Keep an eye on some of thee threads and I hope you will see what I mean.

I am not saying anything about this one but I, personally, am certainly seeing a trend.

nicechap

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

It's more the manner of the asking. There's no real question that can be answered and finished with. They are asked vaguely, in a way calculated to draw opinions, and then the OP, if they come back at all, tends to do so just to stir the water a bit and keep it running; most usually by picking out one or two controversial posts and concentrating on them at the expense of the other 97% of sensible opinion. Keep an eye on some of thee threads and I hope you will see what I mean.

I am not saying anything about this one but I, personally, am certainly seeing a trend.

I definitely pick up on the style, half a story, sometimes lots of emotional but irrelevant back story. generally only hear what they want to. Look at today's Ive been overpaid £1k by an old employer, what shall I do with it.

steampowered

Understood - if you are in a back office role which can be consolidated, and there is a trade sale, that could result in some roles being made redundant.

However the higher your salary, the higher the redundancy payment that would have to be made, if a buyer of the business wanted to make you redundant. You qualify for statutory redundancy pay once you hit two years' service.

It can take many years for a sale to take place, so personally I think the higher salary by far outweighs any additional risk of possibly being made redundant and having to find another job at some unknown point in the future.

Marvel1

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Your job is always insecure unless you work for the government.

Didn't they close DVLA local offices a few years ago?

Fireflyaway

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Your job is always insecure unless you work for the government. Anything can happen at any time. Companies fold, get bought out, merge, restructure, and people get made redundant. Employment rights will not protect you in case of redundancy.

Them paying you less won't make your job more secure, and if you think the company has already targeted you as someone expendable, then it's not secure however much they pay you. As said above, if you don't like it find another job for less money - although the sensible thing is to wait and take the extra money for as long as possible and then do that.

People change jobs. Just don't assume you are at this company for life; take advantage of it while you can.

Government jobs are not necessarily secure. I worked in local government and my role was taken away after a restructure. I recently started a job with another local authority and that was as a result of another restructure. This time I was on the lucky end but others lost their jobs for that to happen. It not secure. No job is 100% secure. I

In OP situation I would ensure I had an up to date cv and some savings ( should do that anyway) In case things to wrong. Enjoy the extra money whilst it's there. No job is stable so live for the now and he prepared for the future. That's all you can do.

Marcon

luckysh0t wrote: »

What are an employee's rights in this admittedly strange scenario of not wanting too big a salary that would be ripe for cutting if 'strategic realignment' etc where to take place?

Simple: none.

getmore4less

You are looking at this the wrong way.

Why focus on being just one of a pack on a low wage that might get overlooked in a cull giving you a sense of job security(that does not exist).

Why not use the current opportunity to make yourself more important than the rest become the one person any takeover has to keep because you are just too important to lose.
Also just as important more skilled and valuable to other companies.

if you think you know the kind of place that might take you over become knowledgeable of how they work so you can integrate quickly and show a positive attitude to any merger

Also make sure shares are part of the remuneration package if you think the place has a future.

In the technical IT sector there is one major player that goes round mopping up start ups once established(5-15 a year), people know this and create the sort of companies they want, one person I know is on their 3rd start up/take over and doing very nicely from it.

They also have rounds of job losses on a regular basis not all hit the news because they use generous settlement agreements and people move on.

Doshwaster

I would have thought that anyone who priorities job security over salary shouldn't be working for a start-up in the first place. New businesses often have to pay over market rate to attract people (or offer other incentives such as share options) as they are inherently more risky jobs than a corporate or public sector position

The deposit for my first house came from the share options I had from working for a start-up which was eventually acquired. When a company isn't worth much then it doesn't cost anything to offer your staff a small percentage of the business.

ReadingTim

luckysh0t wrote: »

What are an employee's rights in this admittedly strange scenario of not wanting too big a salary that would be ripe for cutting if 'strategic realignment' etc where to take place?

Absolutely none whatsoever: being on a lower salary won't necessarily save you from the axe.

In fact, it's a massive own goal, as they'll just pay you less now, and still axe you in a year or two's time....