Pay rises or the lack of...

[sportie]

For the second year running I have been missed out in the pay rises!!! The boss raises everyone else to keep in with the minimum wage but now I am level with it and am SUPPOSED to be the duty manager and in charge of all the staff who are now on the same wage as me!!!

I usually end up doing my job and the manager's as he rarely puts in an appearance, a fact known and ignored by the powers that be as he is a bloke and so therefore managerial material!!! I am better qualified, worked here longer but because I am a single parent they felt he would be better for the job as he didn't have dependants!!!

I know I should tell them to stuff it but the hours fit in with my DDs and it is close by and convienient. Is there anyway I can get them to be more fair without having to find a new job?

[mistyamica]

You are clearly being treated unfairly and because you continue to do the work without question, your boss is simply walking all over you!

My friend is in a similar position. She has been with her company for 8 years and she has moved from various positions. She has studies at university to better herself and become qualified at her job. Her boss has done the same thing, she keeps getting overlooked and treated unfairly but she sticks at her job because it is local to her daughter's school and to where she lives.

I bet you are really good at your job and can do it with your eyes closed. How long have you been doing your job?

You can use your experience to produce a new CV . There are many companies out there who will employ single working parents and you will find it easier, as you are a duty manager!! The one thing companies value is experience!!!

Depending on what your profession is, there are many job search agencies that will find you a job where there are promotion opps and higher pay!

I guarantee the there is a job out there waiting for you with higher pay. If you let me know what you do for a living and how long you have been doing it for I may be able to point you in the right direction.

My mate is now registered with and employment agency and has been offered a salary almost double to what she is getting now!!

The key is to choose the right agency. Not these crummy ones you see on the highstreet!

Hope this helps!

[sportie]

Have worked here for 8 years and have updated my qualifications while working. Yes I could probably do the job with my eyes closed and have been head hunted on more than 1 occasion but the jobs have always involved anti-social hours which interfers with my DDs. tbh have spent the day writing a cv!! But not sure where to go with it!

[flowerybeanbag]

Sportie do you mean that you and the rest of the staff you are in charge of are all on the minimum wage?

Have you been given any explanation as to why everyone else has had a pay rise and you haven't?

Do you have appraisals or performance reviews of any kind and have your recent ones been positive?

If you really want to stay there, you need to ask for a meeting with your boss, go armed with all the responsibilities you have over and above the other staff, examples of how valuable you are and how much you bring to the job, also how you have updated your qualifications since joining (if they are relevant), and ask for a salary increase to reflect those things.

It sounds like a horrendous place to work though. Do you know for a fact that you didn't get promotion because you are a single mother, because that is sex discrimination.

If you do want to ask for a rise, I would think about the possibility of leaving as well, you may need to say that you will have no alternative but to seek alternative employment if they cannot fairly reward your responsibilities and efforts. You must be prepared to carry that through though!

[sportie]

Yes with the recent increase in minimum wage I find I am on the minimum along with the rest of the staff!!! Their wages have been raised with each increase but mine have not increased at all!

When I was told that the gentleman in question was being promoted into the job which I was actually doing unofficially I was told...He was a young single man without dependants so he would be able to drop everything and come in if need be.....He of course never did!But it would be my word against theirs that I was told this, so how can you do anything about it?

[sportie]

Have not had any recent appraisals, with the last manager my appraisals were always excellent with increases in responsibilities and any ideas I had taken seriously and credited to me. With the new manager there have been no appraisals and any ideas I have he signs his own name to, along with all reports, articles etc.

Unfortunately I work in the leisure industry and most jobs tend to be shifts covering weekends and evenings whereas I work mainly week days where I am, which is a real bonus.I have tried to approach the salary issue before but he sulks if he feels you are questioning him! I realise he is probably threatened by me but it is making things unbearable. If I could afford to I'd just say stuff it!

I used to really enjoy my job and got so much satisfaction from it but with the change of managerial staff and owners life has become unpleasant. I don't trust them not to mess up my chances of another job by refusing me a reference. If I leave they would have problems as I am responsible for 75% of revenue and have fairly specialised qualifications. But I'm not sure they wouldn't just sack me if I threatened to leave as they have a history of pettiness. They have several law suits pending for unfair dismissal already but can afford to drag these things out, I couldn't!

[flowerybeanbag]

Sportie we could talk about sex discrimination, depending on when the promotion incident was, we could talk about constructive dismissal based on your lack of pay rise and you being expected to take on supervisory and other responsibilities while on the same wage as others, and if you complain and they sack you we could talk about unfair dismissal.

So you have a lot on them. However, if you can't afford to leave/bring any kind of case against them, what you are entitled to becomes less important and what is realistic and achieveable is more important.
It sounds as though they do really need you, so you could risk it and go to them, request an increase in line with your responsibility levels and threaten to leave if you don't get it. They might call your bluff though, so you need to be prepared for that.

You could refuse to carry on working under those conditions, register your reluctance and threaten to bring a constructive dismissal case. But they may not care, they may take the chance that you won't pursue it to the end as it is costly financially and emotionally, and they may string it out.
Or they may sack you for complaining and again take the chance that you won't go through with a claim.

I think you need to have a think about whether might be prepared/able to bring any kind of claim/how effective you think a legally worded letter would be, and also whether you can risk being out of a job.

It sounds as though they do need you so the idea of losing you might be worse for them, at least in the immediate future, than a claim being brought, so threatening to leave/not to perform any duties over and above others on the same wage might work.

It's risky though, so difficult to advise if you really think your employer is not remotely bothered by the prospect of legal action and you are not in a position to bring any anyway.

I am aware that's probably not the definitive 'do this' advice you are after.

Have a think about the things I have mentioned as possible options, what do you reckon about the success rate of any of them?

[mistyamica]

You say you work in the leisure industry and that you have specialised qualifications? Have you thought of working for yourself? It deoends what part of the leisure industry you work in an exactly what you do, but i'm sure that you would feel better doing all this hard work and keeping the rewards for yourself?

You don't necessarily need lots of capital to start up either! You have a lot of experience, therefore you must know the job inside and out, so why not do it for yourself and work from home?

It sounds awful where you work...I just want to come and rescue you!! lol!