Is this a valid tactic?

I’ve been labouring away getting all my work competencies sorted, under the tacit understanding that once everything was finalised I would qualify for the same competence-based salary uplift given to every employee before me. As an aside to gaining my competence I’ve been using a working knowledge of various software tools such as Visual Basic, various Microsoft Office plugins, a better understanding of chemistry and maths than seemingly all of my peers, to automate and streamline the majority of our computer-based tasks as well as optimising the actual physical process we’re involved in, to the point where I prevented a loss of revenue somewhere in the region of £400,000-£2 million/day (I am led to believe) depending on how you break down the figures.

I’ve just been told I’m not getting said uplift, there’s a new competence framework being designed (in-house so non-accredited), which I won’t be able to partake because I’m competent under the previous framework (accredited nationally recognised) and so won’t qualify for any competence uplifts under the new scheme either. As such, I am to remain on the salary paid to unqualified, inexperienced new starts. There are now folk in my department with less experience and fewer relevant qualifications, and who are demonstrably (and documented) less able than me to carry out the task as per our job description – never mind the extra stuff I do – who are earning a significant amount more than me.

I reckon I know the most likely answer – suck it up or look for new employment – but what grounds do I have for ceasing to make available my “extra” skills given the snub I’ve received re: competence based salary.

I haven’t exactly had a vast working life.. But before I left work to become self employed, I had a similar situation..

I withheld multiple skills, which I was using everyday prior to being snubbed for an obvious promotion.
This got noticed, as it drastically impacted the company, which then lead to me going through various warnings, and disciplinary proceedings for ‘Not doing my job’.
Obviously within all meetings, when asked why I wasn’t completing certain tasks, my reply was simple.. “Does it say this in my contract?” or “Have I ever agreed to do this in writing?”.
From advise from multiple sources, I had every right to do this, and was well within my grounds. After the disciplinary got dropped, I left within about a week.

So in my opinion, if you have no paperwork to say you are required to do these extra tasks, then its completely your choice to do them or not.

J

Edit – As I think I might have come across as a bit of a d**k!
I had been messed around massively over the course of 2/3 months prior to this, and kept with the company due to the promise of promotion + multiple extras.. So I was a tad spiteful after being completely looked over.

TFO: Public or private sector?

Private sector

Sounds like you’ve been screwed over.

Presumably you’ve expressed your frustration at this situation to your management and drawn a blank ?

I’d start looking for a new job if they can’t do anything to resolve things. I wouldn’t start playing games, just look to move on and don’t burn any bridges.

Then that’s a frank conversation backed by your line manager, with hr to avoid the goodwill and handyman / work to spec, as above which doesn’t end well

I’ve expressed my disappointment, yes. Already have the feelers out for other jobs, more so I can go back to them and say “Company X are willing to pay me £y so why won’t you?” to maybe change their mind. I like where I work, I just don’t like doing more than others for less pay.

I know if I stop doing what I do the potential for losing that £400k+/day becomes a very real threat once again, so I don’t understand their position. For the sake of a single-digit% pay rise.

I think if you start this, you’ll never get the pay rise. You’ll come across as what handyman153 says in his edit. Use your new skills, get the experience. Either you’ll get the pay rise or not, If not, you’ve got something to add to your CV.

querry this with management if you get no joy work to rule as you look for another job

Perhaps you get ill more often in the near future as you have been unlucky with your health as they have been unfair with their promises

TBH any organisation that does this is nuts- pay more to less qualified employees as it just makes the best sulk and leave

We once had new starters get 3 k mrore and then they asked us to train them
We all said we could not rain our superiors we would simply ask them all the questions

Given the complete cessation of work it was resolved fairly quickly

Not a union member are you?

If not I’d consider seeking advice from an employment law expert, as it sounds like a very specific situation.

I should have added to the end of mine..

If you do that method, its not going to end particularly well. And i would guess you will end up looking for a new role anyway.

I was in a situation where I was willing to completely change my attitude to work, and the company another ‘chance’. But in the end, it made my decision to leave and start up on my own incredibly easy.. And I haven’t looked back!

They employ you, they dont want to pay more, complain to much and theyll find someone else to fill your role/job, thats the way most large companies work nowadays.

Private sector

tbh I’m surprised as I gave up halfway through reading your post as it sounded like the usual public sector bollox, did it use to be public sector?

I remember a colleague telling me about how her husband had to be in work on a certain day because that was the only day of the year that you could apply for promotion (or more correctly the day it was decided who ‘may’ be eligible for promotion over the next year).

No matter what occurred, if it wasn’t decided you were promotion material there was no possibility of promotion for another year…

And in the OP’s case, life’s too short – look elsewhere.

You’re not forced to work anywhere. If you’re not happy, find another job.

No one has to pay you anything, other than minimum wage.

If your employer is not providing you the respect and trust, you believe you deserve, then you’ll never be happy working for them, even if you get a pay rise. Is the reason you go to work for the money? Or is it to do something you’re passionate about?

Your destiny is in your own hands, no one elses. Go find a job you love, and work for an employer that shares your cultural beliefs.

Fire up the job sites at lunch time.

Yeah, I get that I’m technically owed nothing more than my base salary. I’m just a bit peeved.

Interestingly, earlier today I opened up access to the revenue-protecting bit of work I developed, on the pretence of me not having time to amend a bit of the front-end, and it’s already broken.

Drop a log in there, monitor it and when it breaks even more say “sorry apparently I’m not competent to correct. However….”
Log files will have who/how cocked it up and let them go sow the drain.

“Company X are willing to pay me £y so why won’t you?”

“We don’t think you’re worth it. Bye.”

Careful when painting yourself into a corner. They may call your bluff.

If you are worth it, move. That’s how to get a pay increase. But it’s a risk.

What’s important to you?

Financial recompense aside. Are you gaining any experience that’s worth hanging around for? Very possibly worth more than a pay rise. Remember, you’re looking after number one but the extra skills that you so generously provided are trumped by a number of other factors.

Be honest with yourself. If you’re genuinely worth more it’s time to up-sticks and leave.

Never had an office job, but it sounds like they are taking the mick. As others have said, it’s probably not going to end well either way. Get looking for a new job, I reckon.

I did once say ‘You remember I volunteered myself into this role. Well I just volunteered out.’ But that was to the exact right person and had the intended result. Trust has gone, time to move on.

“Company X are willing to pay me £y so why won’t you?”

don’t do that. it might work short term, but managers don’t tend to like being held to ransom, and it’ll bite in the end.
be up front about it with your line manager, ask to talk over how the new system works, and how you can get ahead within the new framework. do your best to be constructive.
if you hit a brick wall, then explain to him/her you want the situation escalating above your line manager, not because you’re trying to make waves, but because you think you’ve already demonstrated your ability to add value and save the organisation money.
while you’re willing to accept that the grading system has changed in the
short term and you’ve just been unlucky, you need to see a clear path of progression to give yourself something to work towards.
don’t present it as a problem, present them an opportunity to allow you to develop as an employee.

if you’re worth they’ll pay it. if they won’t then someone else will. good luck with it.

Just use the skills they’re paying you for. And tell them so.

I, and most trades, charge different rates for different work. A hairdresser will charge less for a basic cut than for a re-style even though it takes the same time. I charge less for putting up a basic wardrobe than for fitting fancy “Tip-on” touch-to-open drawers.

I think you’ve made a huge mistake here

You appear to think that you would be ‘withholding’ skills, however you said it yourself, according to company rules you’re not competent to perform those tasks.

Just think what would happen if you performed them and made a mistake?

“Sorry, can’t do that… if you want me to do it then I’ll need signing off as competent”

What he said ^

Is there a project quality plan or such like with a list of roles and responsibilities, authority levels etc? Have a look through and see where you stand.

according to company rules you’re not competent to perform those tasks.

well you can’t do said tasks can you. seems pretty simple to me.

In my experience it’s Time to move on..