Advice please

[Gouldy]

Has anyone ever asked their employer for a rise?

I'm not sure how I would go about doing it tbh, it's never been an issue until now.

Long story short my appraisal / redundancy meeting has been cancelled due to bad weather and has now been re arranged for the 8th of this month.

It's a strange scenario and long long story short j am going to get made redundant or I am going to get kept on and put through my gas safe (new corgi register scheme)

I have finally got my CSCS skill care back that states my grade on site. (there was a little but of confusion about this) and now the card has come back the grade matches a certain rate of pay.

Now Im 99% certain I'm getting kept on ( been told by my contracts manager and operations manager they both want to keep me ) but I'm not getting paid as much as what my grade in the HVCA and the union states I should be on.

So o know this is a diffcult matter to approach but how would you go about asking your boss for a raise?

Any advice is welcome

Thanks peeps

 

[mitch]

You need to know market rates for someone of your experience

 

[Gouldy]

What's a Market rate?

 

[Maz]

Are we talking big money in the difference you are getting and should be getting?

I would be very careful as you know the industry is having a hard time and the answer that you get back could be that your lucky to have a job as many companies are going under or laying staff off.

 

[RalphyBMW]

You need to get through your appraisal before you do anything else. Piss people off before the appraisal, and you will be gone. Afterwards it will be more difficult for them.

When you get to that stage, I would be suggesting an informal chat with your line manager, point out the injustice and get them to fight the battle on your behalf.

 

[Gouldy]

£8000 PA maz difference.

I see your point. I would rather have a job that paid less than no job

 

[mitch]

As in the current industry rate for a job like yours for someone with your level of experience. I.e what would another company pay you to bring you into their employment . Will give you a good idea what you are actually worth

 

[Maz]

£8k a year is £8k a year though.. When you say you got your CSCS card back with your grade.. what colour card is it?

 

[Gouldy]

You need to get through your appraisal before you do anything else. Piss people off before the appraisal, and you will be gone. Afterwards it will be more difficult for them.

When you get to that stage, I would be suggesting an informal chat with your line manager, point out the injustice and get them to fight the battle on your behalf.

Sorry, I don't think I have explained it very well.

The meeting is on the 8th, it's a joint appraisal and possible redundancy / permanent contract offering all in one go.

I'm in sure how to approach the matter or bring it into discussion without sounding like an arse.

 

[Gouldy]

£8k a year is £8k a year though.. When you say you got your CSCS card back with your grade.. what colour card is it?

Supervisory gold card.

Soon to be platinum as of September next year

 

[Maz]

I think I would be waiting until you know if you are being made redundant or being kept on and then go from there, do you have a HR department?

 

[Gouldy]

I think I would be waiting until you know if you are being made redundant or being kept on and then go from there, do you have a HR department?

It's all in the same meeting you see so I'll either be walking out jobless or with a permanent contract. I would like to make sure the permanent contract is paying the union rates tbh.

No we don't have a HR department, it's a small firm of about 40 people

 

[Arran]

TBH with you mate, I get paid less than half of the guys that do the same job as me. I am telling the honest truth. I was kept on back in January rather than being made redundant. I've done my Commercial and have got my CSCS since then too. I have got more qualifications than most of the people at work, even the supervisors and managers. But I haven't got much experience. In this game, the qualifications are not the end of the story.

I am going to push for another pay rise soon, it's just waiting for the right time. I have been qualified for over a year and have gained quite a lot of experience over the past 8 months. But it is getting to a stage now where I am getting fed up of being paid a poor wage. Just want to save up and buy a house, but enjoy life in the same way as I do now.

I suggest you speak about it at the meeting and try to get something in writing for the future. You need to focus on the long run a bit more I personally think at the moment. You might find it difficult to find a job elsewhere and be stuck at the company you are at now for a while. That's how I look at it too. Plus being paid less does have it's perks, like telling them to swivel when they ask you to do something risky or out of the ordinary. I'm not paid enough to do that! Lol!

 

[R32pete]

I understand your position Gouldy. what you need to decide is whether you can get another job on the wage you want elsewhere. There are unemployed site managers (good ones) i know its not what you specifically do but there are currently more gas engineers looking for work than you can imagine due to redundancy and the not so switched on self employed finding themselves without work. The trades are really hit and miss at the moment.

Also i would not be so quick to assume that if you are to be kept on that your new contract will not involve a pay increase unless you have been told for certain otherwise. Especially when unions are involved as we all know what unions like to do when pay isn't good enough.

If you are unsure i would simply ask "will my pay will be altered to meet the responsibilities of my new position?"

Arran is right though you have to look long term and if there's nothing else out there for you then like it is for many others its a case of suck it up for another year and be grateful you have the job you do.


Pete

 

[BenW]

I think you need to decide if your priority is trying your best to keep your job, or risk losing your job for the chance of having a higher salary.

I know that's pretty obvious, but only you can make that decision. Remember that if you can keep hold of your job on your current salary then you can still look around for alternative, higher paid jobs at the same time. If you lose your job because you're asking too much of them then you can only look for alternative jobs.

I would rather have the best of both worlds, an income and the opportunity for higher paid jobs.

 

[Gouldy]

Good mornning.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I have red alot of good points in those posts. I have been thinking about this alot tbh, I'm still not 100% on what to say but I reckon my plan of attack in the meeting will be to wait and see what they offer me like someone mentioned.

I might not even have to ask for a rise which is a win, however if I do have to ask I might say;

"the union rates went up in October, do they apply to me ?"

To which they can only respond yes or no. If they say yes then it's a win if they no it's gets forgotten about.

The lad who I work with who has the same role as me within the company has had to slow down and knock his overtime back because he has already hit the super tax bracket, which I am no where near tbh.

Now this has annoyed me tbh, him and the other lad who works with us who is just out of his time are both on more money than me but I'm running my jobs and having to break off to fix their mistakes and stuff.

This is what is annoying me, after 6 months of getting paid peanuts for fixing other peoples mistakes I have nearly walked out on several occasions so in the same respect it's not the end of the world if I don't get kept on either.

What do you guys think?

 

[Gouldy]

Arran;

What trade is it that your qualified as mate?

How long was your apprenticeship?

Did you say you had your gas safe?

Did you complete the ACS gas course that was out before The gas safe came about?

If you don't mind me asking, what sort of money are you actually on?
(I know that one is a little personal so I understand if you don't answer that one)

 

[Maz]

People at work doing the same job as me probably get paid more than me but it doesnt annoy me, its one of them things and I dont lose any sleep over it.

If its annoys you that much you should leave as it will always eat away at you. One things for sure I wouldnt be mentioning the union after I have just been offered a job, just my opinion of course.

 

[Gouldy]

Thanks for your input Marie, what do you mean about not mentioning the union?

 

[R32pete]

what do you do gouldy?

Im a plumber i have my lvl 2&3 c&g, unvented etc but am doing my acs with british gas as well as training to be a spark. I have a basic salary of 18k the i can earn performance related commission etc ontop. I used to work with a very quick and efficient gas engineer on a site he basically was responsible for all the plumbing and gas and he was on about 30k but has 8 years gas experience.