Sorry…

Bill is employed to do a job at £8/hour. 2 years later and Ben is appointed to do exactly the same job as Bill but at £9/hour (the wage has been increased to attract new applicants as recruitment is proving difficult…). Bill continues to be employed at £8/hour.

Is this fair?
Is it legally ok or is some employment law being breached?

Thanks (and sorry again)!

Bill should leave for a better paid job.

It’s not fair, but life’s not fair.

Bill is what we all call a mug, he needs to wise up and kick some ass.

It is normal. Bill has to get off his arse and get a better paid job else where accepting the risk or stay where he is at the lower salary.

Bill needs to go on a work to rule!

It’s pretty normal, but it’s not fair or even good business.

Bill needs to go to his boss and explain that the financially prudent thing to do would be to increase his salary to £9 per hour. Failure to do that will result in Bill finding himself a new job which pays a satisfactory wage and the original company having to go through the time consuming and costly exercise of hiring and training somebody new whom they will have to pay £9/per hour anyway as that is now the going rate.

Bill needs to go on a work to rule!

🙂

I think Bill kind of has, which is a complicating factor!

Is the job being a flower pot man?

Bill should consider going on the game

Bill should have applied for the £9 an hour job.

It happens all the time, and is obvious bullshit, but for whatever reason we accept it.

Does the job entail much sitting around holding a fishing rod or maybe prolonged periods of standing around with a Wheel barrow?

Is the job being a flower pot man?

🙂

Names changed to protect the innocent.

I’m surprised it has been accepted; I’m inclined to think Bill probably hasn’t twigged.

I’ve just taken up a partnership at this company and am hoping to put this right (spotted whilst investigating another staff pay discrepancy I was asked to look at) whilst I’m still seen as new/naive but suspect I’ll encounter a little resistance.

Is Bill a woman?

Is Bill a woman?

Bill and Ben both have a feminine side.

this is only helped by the culture of being secretive about how much you’re paid – fostered by our employers. it would end up being be a lot fairer and more equal if people told each other how much they earned.

Tell the boss OP you want equal pay or your leaving.
Are you really valued that much? If so then you’ll get more money, if not your work colleague will get somebody new to talk to.

Tell the boss OP you want equal pay or your leaving.
Are you really valued that much? If so then you’ll get more money, if not your work colleague will get somebody new to talk to.

That’s what I’d do if I was Bill. As it is, I’m a new partner in this business (i.e. Bill’s employer) and I don’t know if Bill knows about the disparity. Hoping to put it right but I know I’m going to encounter significant resistance since Bill and one of the other partners don’t get on. I may have to make an ultimatum of my own to get things changed but I’d prefer not to if I can avoid it.

If you’re in charge of sorting it out then there should be no need for an ultimatum, you should be able to make a case for the increase in Bills salary based on the retention of staff Vs the cost of recruitment and training. If Bill is halfway reliable then this should be even easier as any future replacement Bill is an unknown quantity.

It’s not quite that straightforward unfortunately muppetWrangler- I’m new, on a mutual assessment period but in a strong negotiating position. Including me, there are 5 partners in the business and one of them really doesn’t like this member of staff so would gladly see her (oops!) go. The points you make in your first reply are points I was planning to make, was just wondering if there might be something in law I could persuade the other partners we needed to mitigate against too. It seems there’s not. Thanks.

P.s. Nobody has asked me to look into this- I spotted it whilst looking into another pay discrepancy that I had been asked to look into. As an aside, the fact that staff are asking the new boy is somewhat worrying!

So leave it as it is.
In many contracts of employment salary discussion is a disciplinary issue.

Oh dear, if Ben is male there’s a whole shitstorm coming your way!

So leave it as it is

Why? (I’m interested, not arguing.)

Oh dear, if Ben is male there’s a whole shitstorm coming your way!

Thankfully, Ben is also a girl. 🙂

Perfectly acceptable to pay different rates to staff doing the same job, the company can even have a non disclosure of wages in their contracts, only time it becomes illegal is if it is being sexist, ie employing a man and a woman and paying one of them less because of their sex.

Our company have taken on new guys who are on 2/3rds of what the original staff are on, they keep complaining about it, but they accepted the job at that wage, if they don’t like it they need to either try and change it or find another job.

Perfectly acceptable to pay different rates to staff doing the same job, the company can even have a non disclosure of wages in their contracts, only time it becomes illegal is if it is being sexist, ie employing a man and a woman and paying one of them less because of their set.

Interesting how this works and how complicated and costly for all it must make sex discrimination claims.

Can’t you just buy a robot that’ll do both their jobs 24hrs for the price of the ‘lecky?

In my experience (of corporates) the only time they will consider conceding to Bills demands is if he has a job offer in hand, is a key employee and handing his notice in. Otherwise Bill can go whistle.

In my experience (of corporates) the only time they will consider conceding to Bills demands is if he has a job offer in hand, is a key employee and handing his notice in. Otherwise Bill can go whistle.

Which is why I was at a job interview today even though I’m the star performer in the team. I’ll be damned if I’ll let corporate bullshit determine my pay.

And if I was offered this job? I’d probably take it….

Was it not said on a previous thread a couple of weeks ago that an employer cannot stop employees talking about salaries?

so
1 you’ve become a partner in the business
2 you’re trying to increase one staff members salary
3 a staff member who is apparently not the most enthusiastic performer

Bill needs to go on a work to rule!…I think Bill kind of has

4 the net outcome of this will be (a) more staffing cost and (b) no different amount of staff output

is there something you’re not disclosing here?

is there something you’re not disclosing here?

Does the O.P & Bill snuggle at lunch time? 😀 😉

If the job is now worth £9 an hour for a new starter Bill should be asking for more than that to reflect a sustained period of continuous performance.

Take a look at what’s happened to Birmingham City Council. Claims going back for years. Very serious.

And … Weeeeeeeeeeeed!

2 years and no pay review? don’t people have 6 month / yearly appraisals?

Names changed to protect the innocent.

*discounts Terracotta Army pay scales theory*

Who’s better, contributes more, adds more value, is more efficient?

“is there something you’re not disclosing here?”

The staff member in question and one of the other partners don’t get on and there have been accusations of bullying. She’s one of 8 or 9 staff members who do the same job- her pay is lowest of the lot, the rest being paid almost the same as each other but with slightly more for those who’ve been there longest, apart from her. Hence it seemed unfair to me. I’ve no personal interest I promise :).

She’s a better member of staff than the newish recruit who is on more and is responsible for helping train her higher paid replacement.

Anyway, conclusion reached was that she should have her pay increased to match but that this would be difficult to do currently as she’d be alerted to discrepancy / wonder why her pay and nobody else’s was being increased.