Confused about salary scale on grade promotion

[Salvadore]

I can easily see why some people don't bother trying for promotions as they increase in pay is not significant enough to warrant the extra responsibilities.

Not straightaway perhaps but surely the new scale increases to a much greater amount than the one before promotion?

 

[Blackrock1]

The issue is, I requested the promotion on the basis of an immediate and noteworthy wage gain due to some of the work I had begun doing (which was way above my pay-scale, something I would have been paid much higher to do in the private sector for example). I'm proud of this work and happy with how it benefited my employer. This is why it was a bit deflating to see the immediate gain only go up by roughly 3k.

Why don't you look at moving into the private sector?

 

[PoundMan]

Not straightaway perhaps but surely the new scale increases to a much greater amount than the one before promotion?

That's true but the increases are not significantly enough in my opinion. But perhaps that's just in local authorities as opposed to other public sector employers which may have wider margins between scales. The difference at the top of both scales is only around €6-7k before tax, which I wouldn't really consider significant enough in relation to the extra demands and responsibilities expected at a higher grade.

 

[faketales]

That's true but the increases are not significantly enough in my opinion.

That does sound like a relatively small gap. In my area of work the gaps are much wider which brigs its own challenges.

Regrades would be rare, the scope of work done at a grade is broad. There is still potential for overlap between grades and I think you get a guaranteed 5k increase but depending on the roles you go between that may not seem a lot for taking on the management of a team for example.

 

[Salvadore]

That's true but the increases are not significantly enough in my opinion

The other issue to consider is that the new grade, even though it may not pay much more, provides an opportunity for experience that would help you to get further promotions.

It used to be the case that you had to spend a number of years in grades before you could apply for promotion to the next but that’s no longer the case. I’ve seen people skip quite quickly from clerical positions to senior management. If someone puts in the work and is ambitious and driven, they keep their eye on the bigger long-term picture. It depends what people want for themselves. Everyone’s different.