Underpaid?

FirePoi

Okay, I don't think I'm getting paid enough in my job. I approached the owner about this and he didn't take to it too kindly. He told me the payroll system will flash whenever I'm entitled to a raise and if I'm not happy working for what I'm earning "There are plenty of people out there who would happily work for that amount if you're not going to".

Here's some details:

October 2010
I started at the age of 17 only earning €6.56 per hour and was told it will go up when I reach 18.

I was told this was because I was under the age of 18 and I'm inexperienced. The manager (not the owner) told me that once I have a years experience that will go up to €8.65 and after two years it will go up again and I will be earning the same rate of pay as everyone else (€9.36).

May 2011
I turned 18 and I asked them about the pay rise. I was told the next day that I've gone up to €7.49 which was fine, no problems there.

October 2011
So the shop has been open a year thus I've been working there a year. I approached the manager reminding her of what she said when I started so she asked the owner about it but he said I wasn't due one. She then said that I have to have a year experience as an adult before a further rise which I agreed to reluctantly.

May 2012
I've just turned 19 and again reminded her about what she said on the previous occasion but as the owner was down she sent it me to talk to him about it as it is him that pays me, not her. Which is when he said what I mentioned in the opening paragraph.

Since he was quite ignorant about it when I asked him I didn't approach either of them again but I waited for my next pay slip to find that I'm still only being paid €7.49 when I believe I'm entitled to €8.65.

Does anyone know anything about this sort of stuff or have any advice for me?

Many thanks

guinnessdrinker

You should call into your local citizens information centre to get some advice on this. As far as I know you should be getting paid €8.65 an hour and you probably should be entitled to back pay as well. Get all your dates sorted, bring them to the advice centre and get a clear idea of what you should be paid and if you are owed anything.

FirePoi

Okay I'll be sure to do that, I've meant to give them a ring but as well as working there at weekends I've been doing 8 hours work somewhere else too so I haven't gotten the chance!

Thanks for the advice, I'll hopefully get down during the week, if I'm due any back pay that'd be so fantastic, it'd sicken them so much! xD I'll post here once I've been down and hopefully gotten it sorted!

Thanks great, many thanks for your helpful reply

Kavrocks

I do not know the rates of pay before 1st July 2011 so I will be referring to those figures which can be found in Detailed Guide to the National Minimum Wage Page 4.

You have not been underpaid up to your 19th birthday. If after your 19th birthday your pay is lower than €7.79 than you have been underpaid. So my advice is to check your wage slip for the first period after your 19th birthday not including it and if it is lower than €7.79 then talk to your employer.
From his responses which you have quoted it seems like he knows what he is doing and his software is keeping on track of your employment as it should.

You are not entitled to €8.65 until you have 2 years of experience after your 18th birthday. Any employment before your 18th birthday does not count.

Example 5 Page 6/7
A person starts work aged 17 years and six months and continues in
employment at age 18. Employer must pay employee at least:

• €6.06 per working hour until employee reaches age 18.
• €6.92 per working hour in the first year after the date the employee is
• aged 18 i.e. until age 19;
• €7.79 per working hour in the second year i.e. until age 20.

FirePoi

So what you're saying here is I'm only entitled to €7.79? Well I'm only getting €7.49 so I don't see a whole lot of point in approaching him over 30c

Thanks for the response

EDIT:

So would I be right in saying that I won't be entitled to €8.65 until my next birthday?

Kavrocks

FirePoi wrote: »

So what you're saying here is I'm only entitled to €7.79? Well I'm only getting €7.49 so I don't see a whole lot of point in approaching him over 30c

Yes. Apart from the fact that that could amount to over €500 a year its against the law and with your previous attitude over being underpaid I'm quite surprised at your attitude now.

It does seem like you have annoyed your employer and I'm not surprised I would be annoyed if I was him too so tread carefully. There are thousands of people out there who would love to have your job. Everybody is replaceable including you.

FirePoi wrote: »

So would I be right in saying that I won't be entitled to €8.65 until my next birthday?

Yes.

FirePoi

Kavrocks wrote: »

Yes. Apart from the fact that that could amount to over €500 a year its against the law and with your previous attitude over being underpaid I'm quite surprised at your attitude now.

It does seem like you have annoyed your employer and I'm not surprised I would be annoyed if I was him too so tread carefully. There are thousands of people out there who would love to have your job. Everybody is replaceable including you.


Yes.

It's not like I'm at him every week for a rise, only when I believe entitled to such. I'm a student solely paying my way through college while paying for car related costs too so and if I were to be entitled to €8.65 it could help a lot as you could imagine but after my last chat with him it just doesn't seem worth another reaction like that for 30c

Kavrocks

I'm a student too, struggled just to get a job for the summer and most of my classmates have nothing. Out of all the companies (mainly to individuals and not generic emails) I sent CV's to I only got 1 response. I know exactly how much that €1 extra could help it could pay most of your registration fee.

Not sure if its viable for you but maybe you could consider using a bike to get to college instead of the car? Its a one off cost and within a year can have cost just as much as other travel costs to get to college. I swear by my bike.

FirePoi

Kavrocks wrote: »

I'm a student too, struggled just to get a job for the summer and most of my classmates have nothing. Out of all the companies (mainly to individuals and not generic emails) I sent CV's to I only got 1 response. I know exactly how much that €1 extra could help it could pay most of your registration fee.

Not sure if its viable for you but maybe you could consider using a bike to get to college instead of the car? Its a one off cost and within a year can have cost just as much as other travel costs to get to college. I swear by my bike.

I don't even use my car for college, it's far too expensive and I wish it was within cycling range! Cheapest option for me is the bus!

Well thanks for al your help, tomorrow I'll try work out how much I'm losing per year if I continue to work at this rate and if it's a good amount I'll do something about it. My boss is a hard man to approach, he doesn't talk to us unless we approach him like such. If we say hello, he walks by and even if he wants us to do something he'll ask a manager to ask us instead of doing it himself, not a nice man!

Well done on finding a job! I know how tough they are to find these days!