Dear Jeremy – your work issues solved

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/apr/12/dear-jeremy-work-issues-solved

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My employer refuses to raise my salary – what I can do about it?

I joined a national charity as a full-time support worker a couple of years ago. When I was offered the job I was told that "we can only offer you x amount, in the middle of the pay scale, as the person doing the same job in the next region has been with us for 12 years and is paid at the top of the scale".

I was happy to accept this, hoping that over time my wages would rise to the top of the scale. I didn't discover until 18 months into the job that it was against company policy to give incremental pay rises, and that I would be stuck in the middle of the pay scale for good.

I probably would have accepted my situation if the director of finance, with the CEO, hadn't visited our office to tell staff that the company was committed to "pay parity for similar roles". A couple of months after this, the head of HR also came to talk to us and reiterated this, in front of the 40 staff assembled.

Two newly recruited social workers in my team had started on a salary below that of other social workers and put in a claim for pay parity. Within two months they were told they had been successful and their claim was backdated to the time of their request.

I put in a pay review request one month after them and have now heard, seven months later, that I have been unsuccessful. The letter I received said: "The assumption that you made that salaries would be automatically reviewed annually does not justify an adjustment to salary, and our pay and conditions, in place since 1 January 2011, explicitly states there will be no automatic annual pay uplifts."

Had I been informed at the time of recruitment that there would be no automatic pay increases, or been directed to the company's pay and conditions, I may well have tried to renegotiate my starting salary.

I feel hard done by! Do I have a case?

Jeremy says

I can quite understand why you feel hard done by. But I find it rather more difficult to understand your company's pay policies. From what you tell me, they do seem to be pretty inconsistent.

If it does, indeed, believe in "pay parity for similar roles" then it's hard to square that with its claim, when you joined, that it was unable to pay you more because the person doing the same job in the next region had been doing it for 12 years and was therefore paid at a higher rate. Nor does that square with your discovery, after 18 months, that you'd be stuck in the middle of the pay scale for all time. How did the person doing the same job in the next region manage to achieve an increase?

You may have made a mistake in basing your claim on the wrong principle. It clearly thinks you were assuming that, because salaries were reviewed annually, there would therefore be what it called "automatic annual pay uplifts." As its letter says, its terms and conditions make it explicitly clear that this is not the case.

I think you'll be on much firmer ground if you build your case entirely on the "pay parity for similar roles" argument. It may not be in writing, but you and many others have witnessed it being volunteered by both the CEO and the head of HR.

If you can show that others performing a similar role to your own are paid more for performing it, you stand a chance of getting a more satisfactory hearing. (I hope you have it in writing that the person doing the same role in the next region is on a higher pay scale.)

Readers say

• You have been naive. You accepted a role with a defined salary – you had no agreement with your employer as to how your salary would move (up or down). Take the experience you have gained and move jobs. This time ask for information on salary policy, and do try to negotiate your starting salary too. jacob123

• You cannot claim a pay rise based on your own "assumption". Put in a new request and use the exact wording that the two successful social workers used. Aranzazu

• Find another job and tell them to stick theirs. If that doesn't prompt them to offer you more money to stay then they probably wanted you out anyway. TedStewart

• The pay of the person in the next region is irrelevant. You need to demonstrate why you deserve a pay rise. Talk to your boss, put a case together and request a merit review. swedishyorkie

I was interviewed for a coveted internship, but have heard nothing

I was approached by a tech company over Christmas about the possibility of doing an internship there. I had a screening interview in late January, which went well, and the recruiter told me their internship team would get back to me in two to three working days to schedule further technical interviews.

Three months later, I have not heard anything. I have contacted the recruiter since and while he has been prompt and helpful, he has apparently no new news for me.

What should I do? I could continue haranguing my one contact at the company, but this will not speed anything up as he is not responsible for the delay. On the other hand, I do not want to find my application lost in filing limbo, so inaction feels inadequate.

This is a dream opportunity for me, so I will do most anything to secure it – be it with my dignity intact or fragmented across their incredibly stylish office.

Jeremy says

Unfortunately, as you know only too well, such thoughtlessness and discourtesy carry no penalties. You need this unresponsive tech company a great deal more than they need you. I also think that any attempt on your part to bypass your recruiter and appeal over his head would almost certainly be counter-productive.

So I recommend that you continue to make him your sole point of contact but I'm slightly alarmed by your use of the word "haranguing". You're probably only using it for effect, but please do be super careful not to become an irritant or to seem to blame him for the inactivity of others. He won't like being made to feel as powerless as he undoubtedly is, but you do need to keep him firmly on your side.

You could try inviting him to suggest other approaches you might take. But please don't try threats: I'm afraid you've nothing to threaten them with – and they know it.

Readers say

• Your application isn't lost in any sort of limbo. Either they have filled the post with somebody else, or decided it doesn't exist any more. There is nothing for you there. moneyallgone

• At the risk of sounding harsh, I'd cut your losses and move on. Next time, try sending an email after your interview to say thanks and that you're still keen on the job. I'd also check the job description – quite a few companies now put things like: "If you have not heard from us by this date please assume your application has been unsuccessful" at the bottom of the advert. It's still rubbish but at least it lets you know what to expect. tyorkshiretealass

• Internships are just a fancy word meaning working for nothing – who wants to do that when there are bills to be paid. stevenh1964

Do you need advice on a work issue? For Jeremy's and readers' help, send a brief email to dear.jeremy@theguardian.com. Please note that he is unable to answer questions of a legal nature or reply personally.