Looking genuine advice here folks.
When I started with my employer 10 years ago, it was considered standard practice that you would enter as a basic grade 1 and then you would progress up the grades if possible to a team manager which is a grade 5. Although there is a pay scale for each grade, there was absolutely no option to negotiate your salary. None. You can go to the mid point of a scale but never could you actually get to the higher end. There was the option to transfer to other departments if a role came up and you were successful but the pay scales were all the same across the company. I enjoy my department and the people so I've never looked elsewhere.
A rough breakdown of grade pay scales is:
Grade 1 £16000 - £24000
Grade 2 £18000 - £25000
Grade 3 £20000 - £26500
Grade 4 £21000 - £28000
Grade 5 £23000 - £33000
The grading scale goes right up to grade 12 (big bucks). Doesn't interest me.
There are 12 teams of varying sizes. I manage a team of 20. The issue is that it has been discovered that new employees that have started within the past year have been able to negotiate a starting salary of up to approx £23k in some cases. The new employees have told existing employees and have shown them their contracts and payslips as proof (not maliciously might I add). I've seen these myself and it's a disgrace.
I know my work inside and out and I interviewed a few of these people and some of them barely passed the interview. Some are 19 or 20 years old and this is their first ever job so have nothing to warrant this kind of salary over myself or other long term colleagues. The issue appears to arise after the interview stage when HR agree negotiable contracts with the interviewees. This means that a grade 1 starting at £23000 is earning approx £1000 less than me yearly and I am grade 5.
This has been highlighted to my managers and their managers who have repeatedly denied any such knowledge of it (even though we know for a fact this is not the case). When HR were contacted we've been told where to go, when the Union has been contacted they've given us advice but stated our hands are tied as we are tied to our current contracts which I understand.
We have been told under no circumstances are existing staff able to negotiate their salary. As a point, a colleague handed in their notice, reapplied and was successful and was able to negotiate their salary and earn an additional £6000 on their old salary. It's farcical and made a complete laughing stock of the whole situation. The colleague that reapplied has been made to sign a non-disclosure form so they cannot advise of their new wage which has only been introduced the past month apparently so they are definitely trying to cover this up.
Really at my wit's end here and the thing is I actually love my job, I think all staff should be treated equal but it's certainly not happening here. I really can't be arsed with the hassle of all this leaving and reapplying. Is it something that needs to be taken to a higher level? E.g Equality Commission.
I appreciate I am being very vague in my job but I can't give to much away I hope you'll understand. Has anyone any guidance or advice for us in this situation? PM any info to me also.
When I started with my employer 10 years ago, it was considered standard practice that you would enter as a basic grade 1 and then you would progress up the grades if possible to a team manager which is a grade 5. Although there is a pay scale for each grade, there was absolutely no option to negotiate your salary. None. You can go to the mid point of a scale but never could you actually get to the higher end. There was the option to transfer to other departments if a role came up and you were successful but the pay scales were all the same across the company. I enjoy my department and the people so I've never looked elsewhere.
A rough breakdown of grade pay scales is:
Grade 1 £16000 - £24000
Grade 2 £18000 - £25000
Grade 3 £20000 - £26500
Grade 4 £21000 - £28000
Grade 5 £23000 - £33000
The grading scale goes right up to grade 12 (big bucks). Doesn't interest me.
There are 12 teams of varying sizes. I manage a team of 20. The issue is that it has been discovered that new employees that have started within the past year have been able to negotiate a starting salary of up to approx £23k in some cases. The new employees have told existing employees and have shown them their contracts and payslips as proof (not maliciously might I add). I've seen these myself and it's a disgrace.
I know my work inside and out and I interviewed a few of these people and some of them barely passed the interview. Some are 19 or 20 years old and this is their first ever job so have nothing to warrant this kind of salary over myself or other long term colleagues. The issue appears to arise after the interview stage when HR agree negotiable contracts with the interviewees. This means that a grade 1 starting at £23000 is earning approx £1000 less than me yearly and I am grade 5.
This has been highlighted to my managers and their managers who have repeatedly denied any such knowledge of it (even though we know for a fact this is not the case). When HR were contacted we've been told where to go, when the Union has been contacted they've given us advice but stated our hands are tied as we are tied to our current contracts which I understand.
We have been told under no circumstances are existing staff able to negotiate their salary. As a point, a colleague handed in their notice, reapplied and was successful and was able to negotiate their salary and earn an additional £6000 on their old salary. It's farcical and made a complete laughing stock of the whole situation. The colleague that reapplied has been made to sign a non-disclosure form so they cannot advise of their new wage which has only been introduced the past month apparently so they are definitely trying to cover this up.
Really at my wit's end here and the thing is I actually love my job, I think all staff should be treated equal but it's certainly not happening here. I really can't be arsed with the hassle of all this leaving and reapplying. Is it something that needs to be taken to a higher level? E.g Equality Commission.
I appreciate I am being very vague in my job but I can't give to much away I hope you'll understand. Has anyone any guidance or advice for us in this situation? PM any info to me also.