Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Pay dispute at work

Options
  • 02-02-2019 11:07pm
    #1
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi, Ill try to keep this to the point!

    I have been in receipt of a secondment allowance in work for new responsibilities I took on in November 2017
    Since June 2018 I took on additional new responsibilities and in January my salary was finally changed to reflect this

    I had said to my manager that any increase I was offered, if I accepted it, it would not affect my secondment allowance and I wanted to look to make that allowance permanent since I have been doing those responsibilities ongoing and they are basically part of my job now.

    Also to note, on my payslip I have two income lines; "salary" and "secondment allowance", and I was told before that the secondment allowance does not contribute to my pension contributions, doesnt scale with any pay increases, etc. because it is not part of my salary, it is an allowance.

    The offer I received and accepted in January regards the second batch of new responsibilities I took on in June 2018 stated ".... Youre new salary is X. All other terms and conditions of your employment remain identical". I was happy out. However, I was paid last week and saw that they have cancelled the secondment allowance. I rang my manager and explained the above as I saw it, he seemed to agree with me and said he sent an email to HR on Monday, I followed up Thursday, however I have heard nothing back. My manager did remark on Monday 'as far as HR are concerned your secondment allowance is over', but when I said Id stop doing the work I had been getting it for he said I still had to do that.

    I am becoming frustrated and (being honest) I feel I have been treated unfairly and my employer has acted in bad faith. The gross pay increase I now have when I deduct the secondment allowance is approximately 3.5%... The responsibilities I took on in June 2018 were that a person retired from the business and I took on the role, while continuing my existing duties (the role has incredible synergy with mine, and Ive loved the additional professional experience), so it has resulted in a substantial saving to the business

    My questions are

    -Firstly, do I have a leg to stand on disputing this? They still expect me to carry on all of the duties I have taken on, including the original secondment allowance responsibilities

    -Do I have some sort of protection of said allowance since Ive been in receipt of it for longer than 12 months? I had heard before that after 12 months of receiving an allowance you have a legitimate right to consider it part of your pay, but that could be totally baseless

    -Is there any external arbitrator I can refer to if worst comes to worst? Being honest, while the monetary issue is very frustrating, Im really unhappy at how this was carried out and concerned my employer would act like that with me as I have to this point had an excellent relationship, but I just cannot let this go without doing something to at least try to stand up for myself (Im with my employer just over 5 years and have got excellent reviews, if that makes any difference)

    Thanks for reading, any input greatly appreciated


Advertisement