Pay rise?

pb21

Yesterday I saw some timesheet details for a project the company I work for is involved with. For the same amount of hours worked a colleagues charge was 40% more than mine. Say for ten hours worked my charge was 10 units and hers was 14 units. I am pretty sure this equates to the hourly rate we base our fees on and charge clients with.

Thing is I do essentially exactly the same as she does, if not more.

Now I basically earn the minimum I could do because I basically started at the bottom and this seemed reasonable to me at the time. This was three years ago though and in that time I haven’t had a pay rise, officially no-one has due to the current economic situation.

I NEED a pay rise and think I deserve one too, even before I found this out. Should I go to the bosses and ask for one, not something i would find easy?

rick_chasey

Don't ask for one.


Suggest why you should have one.

But yes, you're entitled to have the discussion given the situation.

discurio

good luck to you mate. ive recently had the annual "we cant afford it" speech.

Wooliferkins

+1with Rick. Muster your arguments as to why you are worth more than your current rate of pay. Present them persuasively and calmly without direct comment on the x gets more than me point.

pb21

As chance would have it I have a ‘one on one’ meeting with my immediate boss on Monday, he isn’t someone who would decide in matters such as pay rises etc, but I suppose I will have to broach the subject with him and test the waters!

I will have a think about what to say over the weekend.

Pross

Assuming you are in private sector then a lot of companies pay what they think a person is worth or what they have agreed at interview so it doesn't necessarily follow that you should get paid the same because you are doing the same job. You are obviously entitled to ask for more but given the current climate I wouldn't hold out much hope for a positive answer. Also, I would have thought charge out rates to your clients would be based on the grade of the person doing the work rather than their salary so are you sure your colleague isn't on a higher grade than you? Unfortunately it is never as simple as doing more or a better job, if only it were

daviesee

Alternatively, look on the bright side.

Should there be any cut backs due to financial constraints, you are safer.

A polite discussion wouldn't hurt though but demands can go wrong.

pb21

daviesee wrote:

Alternatively, look on the bright side.

Should there be any cut backs due to financial constraints, you are safer.

A polite discussion wouldn't hurt though but demands can go wrong.

That thought had crossed my mind, I am better value than others so less likely to get the chop...

However right now I feel as though I am being taken advantage of/shafted.

rick_chasey

It's the standard persuasive/discussion tactics really.

Fistly, before you go in; objectively, from your boss' PoV: Is the other person genuinely worth more than you to the company? And be honest.

Is there a good reason why she bills more?

If you are going to discuss it, you obviously need to make the business case - financially. "I genuinely think I can bill more, here's why blah blah" with the inference that if you can bill more, they can in turn pay you more.

Make it clear you understand that it's not the easiest time for such discussions, given the market situation blah blah and it's ultimately a business decision, rather than a personal one, but nevertheless, you recon you can add more value, and, implicitly, can get paid more.

If you do mention your collegue, make sure it's in the right way. You don't want to knock her, you just want to make yourself look better...

And NEVER mention that you need the cash...

pb21

Thanks for the advice guys, I appreciate it!

DCowling

it could be the other way round and your colleague is having to do 40% more works to achieve the same pay

DCowling

it could be the other way round and your colleague is having to do 40% more works to achieve the same pay

cee

i would say that what your company charges its clients for a particular resource, often has very little bearing on the salary of that individual.

I can be billed out at a number of different rates, some better than others, depending on the function, and how the client assesses the value of that function.

There are some cases, where we charge a higher rate, for what we consider to be easier/less work/lower skilled work. It just happens that the client needs that resource more or assesses its value differenlty to us.

It doesn't affect my salary.

Also, we have some folks, who do exactly the same role, bill out at the same amount, are even working alongside each other in the same project, at the same level, but do not have the same salary.

I have always said that what any person negotiates as their salary package, has little to do with what any other person in the same company can negotiate for theirs.

Mixing up what a billing rate is and what one actually earns is a road down which madness lies.

rick_chasey

cee wrote:

i would say that what your company charges its clients for a particular resource, often has very little bearing on the salary of that individual.

I can be billed out at a number of different rates, some better than others, depending on the function, and how the client assesses the value of that function.

There are some cases, where we charge a higher rate, for what we consider to be easier/less work/lower skilled work. It just happens that the client needs that resource more or assesses its value differenlty to us.

It doesn't affect my salary.

Also, we have some folks, who do exactly the same role, bill out at the same amount, are even working alongside each other in the same project, at the same level, but do not have the same salary.

I have always said that what any person negotiates as their salary package, has little to do with what any other person in the same company can negotiate for theirs.

Mixing up what a billing rate is and what one actually earns is a road down which madness lies.

That depends on your firm surely? I've worked at a firm where they based your salary on how much cash you generated with billable work.

Mr_Cellophane

I worked for a construction firm where it is normal to pay someone a high rate to get them and then only give poor rises. It was fairly usual for people to leave and then come back a few months later doing the same job, but on a much higher rate.
In another job I saw the client's bill and although I was on the lowest basic pay, I was the only one who could claim overtime so my total cost was the highest.

cee

Rick Chasey wrote:

That depends on your firm surely? I've worked at a firm where they based your salary on how much cash you generated with billable work.

Oh absolutely.

I can only speak from my experience.

But, I have never worked for a firm where the billable rate had anything to do with my salary.

You say you have worked at a firm that did....how many others that didn't though?

rick_chasey

cee wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

That depends on your firm surely? I've worked at a firm where they based your salary on how much cash you generated with billable work.

Oh absolutely.

I can only speak from my experience.

But, I have never worked for a firm where the billable rate had anything to do with my salary.

You say you have worked at a firm that did....how many others that didn't though?

True true - my work now isnt billable. I just get a share of profits. The work I did then was a paid internship.

ChrisSA

Pross wrote:

You are obviously entitled to ask for more but given the current climate I wouldn't hold out much hope for a positive answer.

Although we've never had it so good!

giantorangedale

Has she got nice tits.

jpenno

giantorangedale wrote:

Has she got nice tits.

If she hasnt she can use the extra 40% to get some