Unfair Rates of Pay...

[Pia]

Okay, i'm gonna have a bit of a rant here but i'm soooo annoyed!

Right, i've worked in a hotel since i left school in 2001, (5 years) though i've never moved up the ladder seeing as i got pregnant in 2002 and went back to work part-time in 2003, so i've always been on the minimum wage.

Just recently i found out that 2 lads i work with who are the same age/younger than me are on the upper min wage (£5.05) even though the do the same job as me (I'm on £4.25). .. Apparently it was because they had done a temporary supervisors position and the pay had never been changed.

So as you can imagine i kicked up a bit of a stink about it, though i never actually went to see the manager about it...

Anyway because of this i have been feeling a bit low about work and not working as hard etc... So last week the General Manager got me up to her office and told me she had noticed i'd been slacking at work and could i pull me socks up. I said yeah of course, i realise i've been lazy and she was right to pull me about it.

Then she said she had heard i was annoyed about the 2 lads being on more money than me and that she would put my pay up to £4.85 on the condition i worked as hard as i used to and as long as nobody else found out. (She said i was worth it because i had 5 years service) I accepted it and thanked her since it's better than nothing, though still miffed that she couldn't put me up to £5.05 like the other 2 have got.

Anyway i had an interesting conversation last night with some of the 17-year old 'casual' staff, and it turns out some of them have been on £4.85 since they started!!!
I'm sooo annoyed, because my job can be a lot harder than theirs, it involves a bigger scale of work and more responsibility. Basically all they do is serve in the restaurant or functions within a bigger team of them. I look ater the whole Lounge and Room Service side of it and Bars which is hard work because I do it on my own..
The GM pretty much made it sound like i was going to be on more money than people like that and that it was exclusive to me.
But after finding this out i now know that all this time all those people have been on a higher rate of pay than me and it seriously makes me feel like crying!!

[iain_herts]

hi PIA i know how u feel. if u look at the site below it will tell u what the min wage is and seems they have been takeing the **** with u.

http://www.is4profit.com/busadvice/n...mwage/nmw2.htm

* The main rate for workers aged 22 and over is currently set at £5.05 an hour. On 1 October 2006 this will increase to £5.35

* The development rate for 18-21 year olds is currently set at £4.25 an hour this will increase to £4.45 on 1 October 2006

* The development rate for 16-17 years olds. This rate is £3.00 an hour. This will increase on 1 October 2006 to £3.30 an hour

* On 1 October 2006 the rate of the accommodation offset will increase to £29.05 per week (£4.15 per day). The current rate is £27.30 per week (£3.90 per day)

[Pia]

Thanks iain, they have been taking the mick but they haven't actually gone out of those guidelines so technically haven't done anything wrong, that's what gets me about it

[Stuartbe]

Are you a member of a union ? If not you could joing someone like the TGWU. When I had a dispute with a company I worked for years ago they were fantastic.

Perhaps you should write a letter to the head office personel (if its a chain of hotels) and explain whats been hapening.

You are in a good position becouse after you work for a company for two years or more it is very hard for them to get rid of you. You have certain legal rights !

[Pia]

No i'm not a member of a union, but to be honest even if i was i'd have no chance, our GM is no good at anything practical, or at personnel skills, but when it comes to anything like this she has all areas covered and would never be found doing anything wrong.

I guess this is all just morally wrong rather than policy breaking stuff.

[Florence]

Looks like its tell the GM how you feel or start to look around for another job, then only option left if you dont want to do either of those is to just carry on as normal.

[Pia]

Originally Posted by Florence

Looks like its tell the GM how you feel or start to look around for another job, then only option left if you dont want to do either of those is to just carry on as normal.

I think i will go talk to her next week, i just hate talking to her she's unapproachable when it comes to money, she's an accountant

[Chimaera]

Vote with your feet and look for another job Pia - they are probably assuming that as you have stayed there so long they can do as they like with you. And as you have a little 'un I'm assuming you have stayed because it's convenient - that makes them think they can take the p even more. I know because I've had the same sort of thing happen to me, but only found out about the difference in salary between me and a male colleague too late for the union to take action over it.
Don't put up with it - go elsewhere to a company that will appreciate you!

[Florence]

well her accounting has slipped up a little there is the equal pay and if you are doing same jobs then you have the same pay regardless of sex.

equal pay laws.

also this website is full of information http://www.eoc.org.uk/

this one is worth looking at as this is where she will go for advice http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg...000KW021323429

[greencreeper]

I really don't see why companies cannot have a clear pay scale. My mum works for the CPS - they have grades and a salary for that grade. Everyone knows everyone else's grade and by extension, pay. No arguments. Where I work, it is strictly forbidden to discuss pay, basically because different people, though the same grade, are on different salaries. The explanation is that one person may be better than another. My response is that if one person is better than another, promote that person to a higher grade. Really is crap. Like Chimera says - all about explotation. No loyalty anymore. Dog eat dog. Have to fight to be recognised and given the appropriate pay.

OK Pia, you have really two options, but if you combine it right you have three.

Option 1.
Ask to speak to your GM for anformal chat about pay.
Ask her if you are being penalised because you work part time or are a single mother or because you are female. State you are unhappy about the state of things, explain you have looked into the minimum wage guiodelines and you can quote the rates of pay for given age groups. Whilst you acknowledge there is no wrong doping on your pay scale ask about why some staff get more and why you have recently been given a pay rise to put you in line with poeple who have recently started. Mention discrimination as much as you can and say you are prepared to work to 100% of your ability, but expect things to change or you will seek further legal advice.

Option 2
Get a new job


Option 3

Kick up such a fuss like in option 1, go looking for other jobs like in option 2, persue a claim for constructive dismissal against the hotel and goi to the national press, drag the hotels name through the gutter and sit back laughing your ass off.


I have recently been involved in a massive dispute at work over contracts. I have spent the last 2.5 years working as a contractor, I got my paper work through after 12 months for a full time contract and respective pay rise, unfortunately the same day I received a first and final written warning in a formal disciplinary hearing. My contract was torn up.
Since the new year, ther is now a £1300 a year pay gap between contractors and full time staff, full time sdtaff getting more money and more benefits than the contractors for doing the same job. I've threatened legal action claiming discrimination (all contracts handed out over the last year have gone to women) People who I have trained have been given contracts, so I told them you have seven days to give me a ful explanation in writing or I am off, in your time, to see a solicitor. Guess what I got?


A contract.


So it does pay to complain, but you have to have proof and enough circumstancial evidence to make them worry, when they are on the back foot you will get what you want.

Advise the GM if she cannot settle this then you are prepared to take it higher.

---------- Post added at 12:27 ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 ----------

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I really don't see why companies cannot have a clear pay scale. My mum works for the CPS - they have grades and a salary for that grade. Everyone knows everyone else's grade and by extension, pay. No arguments. Where I work, it is strictly forbidden to discuss pay, basically because different people, though the same grade, are on different salaries. The explanation is that one person may be better than another. My response is that if one person is better than another, promote that person to a higher grade. Really is crap. Like Chimera says - all about explotation. No loyalty anymore. Dog eat dog. Have to fight to be recognised and given the appropriate pay.

Theyu tried to make it gross misconduct to discuss pay where I work, but they were taken to court and it illegal. So I'd flaunt it if I were you.
You can discuss your pay to someone else and they can discuss their pay with you, but you cannot discuss someone elses pay who isnt present.

[Anonymouse]

Originally Posted by timewarrior2001

They tried to make it gross misconduct to discuss pay where I work, but they were taken to court and it illegal. So I'd flaunt it if I were you.
You can discuss your pay to someone else and they can discuss their pay with you, but you cannot discuss someone elses pay who isnt present.

That reminds me of something I read in Darrell Huff's delightful little book "How To Lie With Statistics". A manager told an employee his salary details were strictly confidential, and he told the manager, "Don't worry - I'm as ashamed of it as you are."

Seriously, though, it sounds like discrimination, Pia. I'm sure something could be done.

[Pia]

Originally Posted by timewarrior2001

OK Pia, you have really two options, but if you combine it right you have three.

Option 1.
Ask to speak to your GM for anformal chat about pay.
Ask her if you are being penalised because you work part time or are a single mother or because you are female. State you are unhappy about the state of things, explain you have looked into the minimum wage guiodelines and you can quote the rates of pay for given age groups. Whilst you acknowledge there is no wrong doping on your pay scale ask about why some staff get more and why you have recently been given a pay rise to put you in line with poeple who have recently started. Mention discrimination as much as you can and say you are prepared to work to 100% of your ability, but expect things to change or you will seek further legal advice.

This is a very good option... In fact this is the one i will do.

BUT, do i really have grounds for complaint or am i just being nit-picky?
I need to know that i have a good complaint before i speak to her otherwise i'm likely to back down when she starts waffling on crap...

I'm not ready to leave my job yet, i enjoy it, this is the only bugbear i have at the moment.

[handyman]

Pia you should aim a bit higher I think the useless guy on the lowest wage at our place is on £8.12 per hour when you add in the monthly bonus £6.66 without.
There a sales place over here that do a £15,000 basic and commision on top. I'm sure you would be able to get something like that. What about working for Orange?

[Pia]

Originally Posted by handyman

Pia you should aim a bit higher I think the useless guy on the lowest wage at our place is on £8.12 per hour when you add in the monthly bonus £6.66 without.
There a sales place over here that do a £15,000 basic and commision on top. I'm sure you would be able to get something like that. What about working for Orange?

I know i'm in a crappy job, but to be honest my options are limited at the moment because i don't think i'd get another job and be able to dictate when i work, i.e have set weekdays, part time..etc.

It suits me where i am, because i work my set days, and i work overtime when i want to. Plus i wouldn't want to sit on my backside all day answering a phone.