Q & A Table of Contents
Unequal Pay For The Same Job
From: Mike, Scotland
Question: I just found out that a fellow worker aged 30 is being paid 25% more than me for doing the exact same job. I am 10 years younger and have been working with the department for 3 months longer than her, although she has been with company for 9 months longer than me. Most people in the company would say I work harder, how should I approach my boss to be put on the same pay level?
Response: Before you charge into your boss's office demanding a raise, you should try to find out whether there are differences between you and your higher-paid colleague. It would also be a good idea to see what you can learn about your company's policies about pay rates, salary reviews, seniority, and other issues that may have an impact on pay.
You indicate that your colleague is ten years older than you and that she has been with the company nine months longer. How do those differences between the two of you compare to the relative ages and length of service of other company employees? Can you find any patterns in the information you find.
Before talking to your boss you should look outside your company for a sense of your value to other companies. Could you get a better-paying job somewhere else? Would the career ladder at other companies be as good as -- or better than -- your current company? With this information in hand, you have a better understanding of your relative bargaining power, your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). If your BATNA is strong, when you meet your boss you will be more confident. If your BATNA is weak, you need to find ways to make your boss want to find ways to satisfy your interests.
Does the pay differential just revolve around money or is there ego involved? Would you accept less than your colleague's pay but a better overall package (holiday time, flexible work schedule, improved pension rights, etc.?)
At the end of the day you remain troubled by your situation, so clearly it is important for your boss to find out about your feelings -- from you and not from a message-bearer. You should prepare a list of questions to ask your boss about the issues mentioned above as well as other factors that may influence pay decisions. Perhaps your boss can speed up the salary review schedule. There may be company politics involved in the situation. So ask those questions and listen closely to the answers. Your boss's responses will carry the seeds of the arguments you can bring to him/her to improve your situation.
Don't go into your meeting with the boss as a victim; think of yourself as someone who has a great deal to offer the company and give the boss opportunities to confirm how valuable indeed you are.
I'm sure there's more to this than meets the eye. So listen carefully before making any rash statements. Your ears are more likely to be convincing than your mouth.
Good luck,
Steve
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