30% pay cut before maternity. Am I disadvantaged as replacement kept on with +20%?

P

poly

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Sorry if i have not put a correct title on here.. I have a quick query which I’d like advice/opinion on.

I went on maternity leave from my employer over a year ago and took 8 months leave. There was no maternity pay.

I took a 30% pay cut before I went on leave. While I was gone my employer hired a replacement. The replacement was kept on when I returned. The replacement started on the same pay and conditions as I had. I subsequently found out that this replacement received a 20% pay rise. We do the same job, same hours, same position and are on the same level. I saw this on the citizens info website: Your employment conditions cannot be worsened by the fact that you have taken maternity leave, and if pay or other conditions have improved while you have been on maternity leave then you are entitled to these benefits when you return to work.

So is the employer entitled to give the person such a large payrise while I don’t get anything even though we do the same job? I realise I was on maternity leave but just wondering as its eating away at me a bit as i was there for nearly 10 years.

Just not sure if i have any entitlment to bring this up as an issue (on a moral gound not legal) or are the employers totally right here?
 
Why did you take a 30% pay cut? And have you asked for the 20% payrise yourself?
 
Of course you can bring up the issue, the other person probably got a pay rise because they brought up the issue of pay. It is a case of you justifying why you deserve to be paid more such as increased productivity or the dip in business that triggered the pay cuts has been reversed. There is always the possibility that management have assessed that the other person 'deserves' to be paid at least 20% more based on skills, efficiency, flexibility, sales etc.

Are there defined pay scales in your role? What was the basis for the 30% pay cut and was there an agreement on what would have to happen for it to be reinstated?
 
You went on maternity leave and returned on the same conditions on which you left. This is what is required. Employer has done no wrong.
You now have a situation where an employee who you consider to be doing the same job is earning more than you. That is an issue separate from maternity.
In the absence of an agreed company pay structure, nothing prevents an employer paying one person more than another. However, it would be quite reasonable to approach your employer and ask why the other person is being paid more.
 
Whichever way we look at this Poly got a kick in the head. But, we dont know the full facts e.g. 20% and 30% of what amount? We dont know Poly's performance against that of her replacement. Even the type of employment here is relevant also.

When more info is to hand further advice can be offered. By the way forget about moral and legal principles on the issue as it appears the employer is driving on anyway. On a glance, I think this is an issue you may not win.
 
poly said:
I subsequently found out that this replacement received a 20% pay rise.
Click to expand...
This is the problem.. One should not be able to find out how much another person earns as it creates issues that may be non issues for reasons posted above.
 
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