secondment and bonus

superconfused

Hi Everyone,

Maybe someone can maybe just give some information regarding the following topic.

I am currently with my employer 8 years. 4 years ago i applied for a role in another department and was given this role on secondment for 6 months to be reviewed there after.

This was never reviewed and just continued on.

My bonus in my previous role was performance based in a sales role and was circa 1k a month.

When i got my new role i was immediately placed on a lower bonus of circa 200 a month as this job was not sales based etc.

This was not discussed in the interview this just happened, i did not rock the boat as i liked then ew job and wanted to see if i would be made permanent.

It has come to my attention that another member of my department who was seconded also but a year after me is getting their previous bonus based on average of 3 months prior to them coming to this department and still to this day gets this as they are seconded also for 3 years now and haven't been made permanent. Also the bonus issue was not discussed in their interview either,their bonus was just reconstructed this way for their new role

Also just to note a year after joining their was an issue with our wages were we were working an extra half an hour a day that was not factored into our wages and this was backdate to us when brought to their attention and the under payment resolved.

My query is regarding secondments, should you receive the average bonus from your previous role over 3 months like my colleague on secondment? do i have a leg to stand on if i bring this to their attention about receiving a reduced bonus on a secondment role, baring in mind when it was brought to their attention we were being under paid they resolved the issue and i think this may have been an error on my supervisors part who has no left.

Thanks

superconfused

has anyone any information regarding this or did i maybe start this in the wrong thread?

ohnonotgmail

superconfused wrote: »

has anyone any information regarding this or did i maybe start this in the wrong thread?

the problem is that this all depends on what is in your contract. unless you have a collective agreement in place the bonus paid to one worker has no bearing on the bonus paid to you.

superconfused

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

the problem is that this all depends on what is in your contract. unless you have a collective agreement in place the bonus paid to one worker has no bearing on the bonus paid to you.

hi,thank you for you reply.

In my contract there is no mention of a bonus, it has always just been something that was available to employees usually based on performance,when i was in my previous department my performance was always enough to receive a high bonus, in my new department it was not mentioned what the situation is regarding a bonus, i just started getting paid this bonus regardless of my performance.

I understand different employees different contracts etc however this other employee came from the same department as me, is on the same contract etc,no mention of the bonus in there interview and they are still currently seconded also. Basically everything the same as me except there bonus was restructured based on a 3 month average of the previous role which is what has me so confused.

ohnonotgmail

superconfused wrote: »

hi,thank you for you reply.

In my contract there is no mention of a bonus, it has always just been something that was available to employees usually based on performance,when i was in my previous department my performance was always enough to receive a high bonus, in my new department it was not mentioned what the situation is regarding a bonus, i just started getting paid this bonus regardless of my performance.

I understand different employees different contracts etc however this other employee came from the same department as me, is on the same contract etc,no mention of the bonus in there interview and they are still currently seconded also. Basically everything the same as me except there bonus was restructured based on a 3 month average of the previous role which is what has me so confused.

so if the bonus is not mentioned in your contract then it is down to individual negotiation. i'm curious as to how you know so many private details of their employment.

superconfused

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

so if the bonus is not mentioned in your contract then it is down to individual negotiation. i'm curious as to how you know so many private details of their employment.

thanks again for your reply.

we would be friends you see and work in the same department and the conversation came up regarding bonus's in general and this is what was discussed.

That seems fair enough regarding individual negotiation, but in your opinion if it was not discussed would it not be fair to treat all seconded employees the same, its only bugging me as i feel iv been let down and under paid as my colleague has been receiving their bonus based on our previous work which i feel i should have been entitled too instead of just being automatically put onto the new department bonus where as my colleague was automatically changed to incorporate there previous bonus.

Its also something i have heard other people say would be standard and that it should have happened to me also but may have been down to my boss's negligence as they handle bonus payments

ohnonotgmail

superconfused wrote: »

thanks again for your reply.

we would be friends you see and work in the same department and the conversation came up regarding bonus's in general and this is what was discussed.

That seems fair enough regarding individual negotiation, but in your opinion if it was not discussed would it not be fair to treat all seconded employees the same, its only bugging me as i feel iv been let down and under paid as my colleague has been receiving their bonus based on our previous work which i feel i should have been entitled too instead of just being automatically put onto the new department bonus where as my colleague was automatically changed to incorporate there previous bonus.

Its also something i have heard other people say would be standard and that it should have happened to me also but may have been down to my boss's negligence as they handle bonus payments

they were seconded a year after you. Perhaps there was a change in the meantime? Do they have the same boss as you? Perhaps their boss looks after their staff better. Either way it is down to you negotiate your own remuneration. If you just accept what is handed to you then you cant complain about what you get.

superconfused

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

they were seconded a year after you. Perhaps there was a change in the meantime? Do they have the same boss as you? Perhaps their boss looks after their staff better. Either way it is down to you negotiate your own remuneration. If you just accept what is handed to you then you cant complain about what you get.

thanks for your reply, they have a different boss in the same department, i think ill have to speak with my boss about this, i was asking here because i was unsure on how i stood regarding this matter and what might be a general rule of thumb in secondment rolls.

again thanks very much for your input

schemingbohemia

There is no hard and fast rule. But "custom and practise" in relation to your colleague should be mentioned. However, you should tell your colleague that you are thinking of mentioning it in advance, could cause issues for them.

superconfused

schemingbohemia wrote: »

There is no hard and fast rule. But "custom and practise" in relation to your colleague should be mentioned. However, you should tell your colleague that you are thinking of mentioning it in advance, could cause issues for them.

hi thanks for your reply, i did and they dont mind, they wont be able to take it back off them but we dont see that they would,their bonus is the same every month and was change to reflect their new role under the terms i said before(an average of 3 months of their previous bonus) so it seems this was done intentionally for them and for me i was placed on the bonus structure as if i was given a permanent role in this job which may put my theory of my boss/payroll department making an error on my bonus.

I want to say it to my boss but im apprehensive as im still seconded so could be sent back but i feel i have been hard done by due to this, having worked out the calculations if my bonus was restructured like my colleague i have been out of pocket nearly 38k over the last 4 years

schemingbohemia

Well if you want that money then you have to say something. Surely if the money is the main thing then you won't mind being "sent back"? As then you'd be getting the money that you should have been getting all along.
Whatever you do, don't go into the discussion with your boss saying you don't want to go back!