# Discovered colleague is paid more than me



## Determined (31 Aug 2011)

Four years with the same company and I've never received a pay rise. Each year I was told no despite an incremental rise being in my contract.
A year and a half ago, a new person was taken on in my dept. I trained her in and we now work the same hours, same job, equally capable etc etc
I knew she was trying to negotiate a permanent contract and had heard she'd finally gotten it.
It was left casually lying around and I saw it.
Turns out she is on a considerably higher rate of pay than myself and has a Christmas bonus written into her contract which I don't. I believe she has had the same rate of pay all along which means when I was training her in she was being paid more than me.

I am FUMING and on way to call meeting with HR.

Am I being unreasonable in expecting:
My rate of pay to be matched to hers
Minimum 6 months back pay
Christmas bonus added to my contract also

I'm not a union member, but if I thought it would help my case I'd join pronto.

I am so mad. I have bent over backwards for this company over the last four years to find they've been treating me like a donkey.

Any advice appreciated.


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## Ann1 (31 Aug 2011)

I can imagine how upsetting it must be to discover someone you trained is being paid a higher salary than you.....but you need to take a deep breath and regain your composure. We all think better when we are calm. I would wait at least 7 days before doing anything. This will give you time to digest the information you now have and contemplate whether there are maybe reasons why your colleague is on a higher salary. I would not advise speaking to anyone in your workplace about what you have seen in your colleague's contract.....it could be interpreted as a breach of trust....and could backfire badly on you.  If you are going to see HR regarding an increase in salary and a bonus I would do so on your own merit and not because you are now aware someone else is earning more than you. If it was me I would not mention to HR that you have seen the contract.


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## nai (1 Sep 2011)

you're being unreasonable - you could ask now for a pay rise but the company is under no obligation to give it to you. There are a number of reasons why your colleague may be on a different scale than you - market conditions when she was hired, she's a very good negotiator, company trading conditions had changed, person she replaced was on a higher salary so the company had more budget available .....

I was in your colleagues same position a few years back - myself and another were both taken on as contractors for a couple of years on a daily rate. both interviewed same day, started same day, doing identical work with same levels of experience .... my rate was 20% higher than his - we found out after about 1 year - reason the difference was so large was because my agency were better at negotiating. 

as Ann1 said - try convince them of the merits of getting a payrise based on your circumstances.


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## Determined (1 Sep 2011)

I have waited a week and intend to wait a few more days also. 
There is no reason though other than her original negotiating why she would be on a higher wage. 
There are no pay increases being given to anyone at the moment.
Everyone though within the company has a yearly review and contracts reviewed also. I have never had this and been fobbed off every year with a 'it's not a good time'.
I couldn't let this pass now. I have calmed down but hadn't thought myself unreasonable in expecting our wage to be matched at least.
Is it really just to expect me to sit and take this.....it feels so unfair


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## Leper (1 Sep 2011)

The story of the Labourers in the Vineyard comes to mind.  If I were in the same position, I would be negotiating and asking questions.


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## Don_08 (1 Sep 2011)

Same thing happened to me when I was a year out of college, found out a newbie was getting paid more. Well I marched into my bosses office and asked why, he blistered a bit about how salaries shouldn't be discussed. But I got my payrise to above my colleague.


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## JoeB (1 Sep 2011)

I wonder if Leper is talking about the story in the bible, wehere the workers starting at 9am agree to work till sundown for a silver dollar.. at lunch time it becomes apparent, the job wil not be completed, so new labourers are taken on, at 12am, again for a silver dollar till sundown. At 3pm more workers are taken on, for a silver dollar until sundown.

Is this unfair?

So this was always a problem, even thousands of years ago. I think it is unfair personally, but it's a very tricky situation... and each of the individuals did agree to work for the particular rate.


I can see how it would be potentially humiliating for you, .. but I have no solution to offer. The world is just unfair. You can try to negotiate a better payment, but you may not get one.


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## flattea2 (1 Sep 2011)

I was actually in this position very recently. The person I trained in a few years ago came to be on more money than me. 

I like you was fuming but at the end of the day the best thing you can do is to negotiate on your ability and market conditions.

After a bit of digging I found out why and basically it was because they were a better negotiator and just a bit more cunning in general. While I had casually enough taken the line ‘there’s no money to for pay rises this year’ , they had not accepted that and insisted again and again on getting more. The kind of person who stayed every day till ‘5 past the boss’ then scarpered home. Kind of built themselves up as indispensable even though the job was could be done comfortably by any suitably qualified person. Well, fair play, it worked for them. 

Very recently they resigned after asking for another payrise (had another job offer) which was eventually referred to the MD who called a stop to it. Said no, this is way above market rate. So they had to fall on their own sword and leave. Well I hear now they are not happy in their new job. The persons responsibilties here are being shared around the team, and guess what… well mgmt have finally cottoned on that they weren’t that indispensable (nobody is anyway IMO) and I don’t think they would be that welcome back now if they wanted to. I know you are in a different situation in that the person in your job is new, but thought it might be useful to share my story.

However I digress a little….point being really that I felt I couldn’t use the information I gleaned about their salary because I should not have been privy to it (found out from another colleague). You need to be very careful if you are going to mention that you saw the contract. Try speaking to them in terms of your own performance and the market rate, at least initially anyway. Then if you want to go for broke and mention the contract then think through all the possible outcomes of doing this. I am using the fact I have taken on some of their responsibilities as my bargaining tool at the next pay review and keeping quiet about what I know.


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## Determined (1 Sep 2011)

I requested a meeting with HR today. It's being set for next week. I'm unsure what to say but am intent on starting with the express intention of clearly stating why I deserve my contract re-negotiated depending on the reaction I may go on to refer to the said contract. My direct manager already knows I saw the contract as she caught me on the same day in a fowler and I spurted it out to her. 
At the time she said she would speak to HR, so I don't know if she has. Therefore they may already be aware of my grievance.
It's going to be a hard one to call how it goes.


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## onq (2 Sep 2011)

Determined said:


> Four years with the same company and I've never received a pay rise. Each year I was told no despite an incremental rise being in my contract.
> A year and a half ago, a new person was taken on in my dept. I trained her in and we now work the same hours, same job, equally capable etc etc
> I knew she was trying to negotiate a permanent contract and had heard she'd finally gotten it.
> It was left casually lying around and I saw it.
> ...




Find another job at better pay and resign.

A company that treats you like a donkey doesn't deserve you.

But don't let them know you intend to resign until you have landed the other job.


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## Determined (2 Sep 2011)

CV's have gone out as of last week. Thing is I'm in the process of  changing direction. I also start my MA at the end of this, month part  time. Hence I really need the security of a wage coming in. 
Changing job would entail moving to a different post with possibly no summer pay etc.
CV's all gone though, so we're letting fate take it's course.


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## onq (2 Sep 2011)

That's a different kettle of fish.

From a quick read of Springboard recently, some courses seem to need practical elements based on employment these days - I don't know if that applies to yours.

Whether you stay or go, you might be wise do so _after_ completing your MA - you will be able to seek higher money where you are or seek a better rate of pay from your prospective employer.


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## T McGibney (2 Sep 2011)

onq said:


> Find another job at better pay and resign.
> 
> A company that treats you like a donkey doesn't deserve you.
> 
> But don't let them know you intend to resign until you have landed the other job.



That's hardy advice to be giving out in the present climate, with many recent recruits finding themselves being laid off on the basis of last-in-first-out redundancy procedures.


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## QED (2 Sep 2011)

Determined said:


> I requested a meeting with HR today. It's being set for next week. I'm unsure what to say but am intent on starting with the express intention of clearly stating why I deserve my contract re-negotiated depending on the reaction I may go on to refer to the said contract.


 
As you probably know, you should have some concrete examples of your achievements and savings / sales etc as appropriate to highlight your value to the company. 

I would focus on being positive about yourself rather than being negative about the situation (at the first meeting at least).


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## UFC (4 Sep 2011)

It is absolutely normal for people to be paid different wages when working in the same department doing the same job. I know this because I have been a manager in a number of different companies.


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## One (6 Sep 2011)

UFC said:


> It is absolutely normal for people to be paid different wages when working in the same department doing the same job. I know this because I have been a manager in a number of different companies.


 
I have also seen this time and time again.


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## Determined (7 Sep 2011)

So I've joined the union. Spoke to the union rep yesterday and he tells  me this is widespread within the company. I am still waiting for HR to  come back to me re a meeting. I'd like to think their delay is due to  the fact that they know they have to offer me something and are deciding  what.
I feel much better prepared and calmer about this meeting now. I simply  have to tell them how great I am, how I deserve more, question why I  haven't got it before now etc.
I have some good levers and have no intention of mentioning my  colleagues contract. Whatever they offer me, union has advised me to  agree to nothing. Request that they put it all in writing for me to look  over and think about, at which point I'll get back to them after  discussion with union.
This is a wealthy company, with a sizable payroll and I am not letting  them away with this. I do not hold with the idea that I should be happy  to have a job.


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