Pay differences between graduates

Newty

Hi all,

So I signed a contract in December for a graduate position at an Irish company, the contract said my salary would be 30,000 per year.

However, since the minimum wage went up in the new year, my friends have been promised 31,000 per year for the same position at the same company.

Will I still be getting paid less than them? Is there anything I should do?

Thanks!

livedadream

Ask HR, tell them you understand Graduate pay have been updated following the increase in the minimum wage but that you have not received a revised contract or Memo stating it.

sos88

I wouldn't rock the boat, get your foot in the door first, make a good impression and than ask about it.

livedadream

Newty wrote: »

Would that be rude do you think? I don't start until next month and don't want to get off to a bad start!

have the other graduates started already?

you say your friends are doing the same role in the same company but have been told they will be getting the increase.

if so, have they started already is there any difference between you and them?

If there is leave it, if not just ask HR, its up to you, a dumb priest never got a parish and all that,

however its 1 grand, do you care that much.

witchgirl26

If your friends have exactly the same qualification, I'd drop a line to HR about it & put it that you've heard that others are getting €1k more annually. However I know there were differences in pay grades of graduates for the company I went into based on whether people had a masters, had a more relevant degree to the graduate program etc. So make sure that you are all starting on that same footing before saying anything.

And also I'd double check that your friends aren't just telling you that they are on a higher wage. It does happen.

jive

Don't bring it up. For the sake of €1k before tax it is not worth it at all. There is no requirement for the company to pay you the same as they pay others in the same role. You agreed €30k and we're probably happy with that until Johnny next door got told he was getting €31k. In your first proper job you don't want to walk in being known as the one who found out what someone else was on and asked to be matched before even starting.

To put it in perspective, it'll work at around €13 a week if they don't pay you the amount they've promised others. If it's the same role and you all have the same qualifications (assuming you're joining a big4 grad programme or similar) then payroll probably just apply a blanket wage across the group anyway so you will get the same.

Heart Break Kid

What do you care about more, the job or the 1k extra a year

OttoPilot

I would ask them to confirm that it is still 30k given minimum wage has risen. If they say no it's 31, happy days. If they say yes it's still 30, you have to decide if you want to play hardball and go for the extra 1k or leave it. It will come down to whether they want you or you want their job more. Given that they're already offering 31k to new hires, they won't be making a saving by not offering you the extra money and it's more hassle for them

davo10

Firstly, unless you are employed by a company/public body with a standardised pay scale, what someone else is being paid has no real baring on your wage. There is no onus on the employer to pay all graduates taking up new jobs the same rate, your friend just negotiated a better deal than you did.

Secondly, minimum rate of pay is just that, the minimum an employer can pay an employee. If your rate of pay was minimum rate per hour then the increase would mean that your pay went up, but if you were in a rate above minimum pay per hour, the increase will have no baring on your wage. All employee wages do not go up just because there is an increase in the minimum rate of pay, only those actually on minimum wage are entitled to the increase.

ROH2015

Try a trainee accountant role

2 + years exp with an hons degree on 23k

Id be happy with 30k!