Old Cars For Sale

Am i earning enough wages for the job i do?

I work full time (half a day as a sales administrator and accounts assistant and the other half as receptionist) in a busy prestige car company showroom. I take home £900 (which equates at £6ph) a month and have recently found out another part time receptionist (who only works am) is on £7ph. Is this fair and what are my rights? I am 24 and have numerous qualifications relating to my job and have 6+ years experience in similar roles. My wages before tax are £6ph and the other person is doing almost the same job as me, only just doing reception work whereas i am doing sales admin, accounts and reception work (plus they do not any related qualifications)

Public Comments

1. Maybe realise that your hourly rate is based on your gross salary,not your net salary as every ones deductions can be different dependant on deductions for tax, N.I., pension etc Take you gross salary, divide it by 52, to get your weekly wage, then divide that by the hours you work in a week and that will give you your current hourly rate Wages in every company vary according to their sales, profits and their costs, so all I can suggest is that you approach your line manager with your concerns and see what they can offer you Are for your rights, that wil be included in your Contract of Employment,and as you say, the other worker is not doing exactly same job as yourself, or is she ?
2. Use your common sense and be aware of the business side - is there enough trade in that car showroom to truly warrant a pay raise at the moment? Try to establish what attributes this person has that apparently makes them worth more to the company. He/she may simply have presented a case telling the company that they are a valuable asset for the company - and asked explicitly for a raise - bingo! They got it! Have you approached your boss and told them what you have told us about your experience and work-related qualifications? As for rights - if you don't ask, you don't get! If the morning receptionist is a man, you may have a case for sexual discrimination in the UK. Mention that only as a last resort. There is to be no disparity between male and female wages in the public sector - and women working for local councils have claimed and won back-pay for the jobs they have been underpaid for. I have made some assumptions above - make an appointment to go to your local Citizens Advice Bureaux. They can provide more information specific to your situation. If that fails - find somewhere that will pay you what you are worth - even in these straightened times a good receptionist is worth their weight in gold.
3. You're being paid above the national minimum wage,which for those aged 22 and over is £5.80 so your employer isn't doing anything wrong with regards to your salary. As for your colleague,have they been there longer? Have they been moved onto reception from another post? They may have a different contract to your own. At your next support & supervision,you could bring it up,but in a roundabout fashion i.e. Ask about the possibility of a salary increase to reflect the many roles you undertake and your qualifications.
4. Only you can decide whether it's fair or not or if you are good enough, experienced enough and have been with them long enough to ask for a raise. If you believe you are, it never hurts to ask, just don't be too upset if it doesn't go your way. Use it as an opportunity to find out what they do expect from you to justify a raise and/or career progression. There could be perfectly valid reasons why the other receptionist is paid more. For example, I get paid on seniority because I've been in my job for 25 years. I work with people doing the same job as me for less money because they've only been there a few years. They will catch me up, given time. For another example, consider the economic climate. When your colleague was recruited it may have been really difficult to recruit staff and so the employer may have been forced to pay a higher rate to recruit and retain staff. Now, with unemployment rising, the employer is likely to have more applicants, better qualified and prepared to work for less money. It's all about supply and demand. Every employer has their own ideas about pay structure and what they negotiate with one member of staff may not be the same as with another. That's up to them. What you're paid is between you and your employer. Employment is a trade. The employer is swapping their money for your time and skills. As the rate of pay is set when you apply for the job, it's up to you to decide whether or not you accept that trade and take the job. If you consider that your job has changed from what you originally agreed to do for the pay that was offered, you may have a case to ask for a raise. However, if you really feel the employer is exploiting you then your only option is to find a job with terms that are acceptable to you.