Is this discrimination?

theoretica

Illegal discrimination - probably not.   Really annoying - definitely!

Unless the salary is in line with what male colleagues are being paid and has revealed that you were being paid less and there was no non-discriminatory reason for that.

You could of course apply for the job - or suggest your former colleagues who are still there to do so if the offered salary is higher than theirs.

Undervalued

lancstulip said:

I feel that it’s because I’m female which would most definitely be discrimination! 

IF you could prove that was the main reason then you might have a claim but that won't be easy, even if it happens to be true.

Otherwise I could employ two people of the same gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation etc to do the same job. One might be better qualified but I could quite lawfully pay the other one twice the salary just because I like them more (or for no reason at all). Perfectly lawful!

TELLIT01

Elliott.T123 said:

This is going to happen more and more in the current market.
I am seeing it already as a recruiter.

Companies are losing staff and discovering that the market is moving quickly so instead of paying the same salary to replace someone they are having to increase the salary to tempt people to apply.

The other thing that is happening is far more counter offers when people do resign. Companies realise that they will have to pay more and spend time training a new starter so are counter offering people to stay.

The lack of a counter offer from your existing/previous employer possibly says all you need to know about how highly they valued your services.  Then again, it may just be policy that they don't make counter offers.

TBagpuss

It isn't unlawful discrimination.

If they were paying you less than the other people already working with you, and if you could prove that the reason was because you are a woman and they are men, that would be unlawful discrimination. 

However,it soundsas though what has happened is that they have not given any payrises, they are now having to replace you and have realised that to do so, they are going to have to pay more .

It's possible that some of your peers were already on higher pay but it doesn't sound as though you have any evidence that that's the case, and if it was, you don't know whether your gender is the reason or what other factors re in play.

Right now, unemployment is very low, so anyone with skills which are in demand is in a strong position to negotiate a higher salary. Some companies are addressing this by raising pay so it is more attractiveto their existing emplyees to stay, others are beinhd the curve and only realising at the point when they start trying to find a new employee.

It sounds as though you found this for yourself - you got a new job at a higher rate of pay than your old. Someone else going into your job will probably be dpoing exactly the same thing.   And if your formeer colleagues have seen the ad as well then they may well be using it as leverage to push to a salaray increase. 

pinkshoes

Sounds to me they are dangling a carrot to get people in the door for interview. 

I know many companies that offer a much higher salary just to get some good people through the door, then when the job is offered, a much lower salary is offered with the job offer. 

I'm not sure where discrimination comes into this. Did you personally ask for a pay rise before leaving?

Smithcom

lancstulip said:

I feel that it’s because I’m female which would most definitely be discrimination! 

You do realise that being female, doesn't automatically mean that you have been treated unfairly?

A job has been offered to other candidates, presumably open to both women and men.   

I can understand you being annoyed, but these situations will become very common, such is the pace of increasing salaries at the moment.

You may want to revisit your views re discrimination, and possibly do a little research before you jump to what appear to be unfounded conclusions.

If you want to stay, at the higher salary, why don't you talk to your current employer?    Or are you just after a bit of compo in time for the summer holidays?