Read your contract
Checking your employment contract might be useful if you believe you’re being paid less than what was initial agreed. An employer may have agreed to give you a specific salary in writing – if they have broken their word, you can argue your case and use the contract as proof. It doesn’t matter if your employer spoke to you about offering a different salary – whatever is in writing is official. Also check if employment rights are mentioned if you feel you’re not being given these such as paid overtime, a pension or various monetary incentives.
Know your rights
Every employee has certain legal rights that must be abided by. You must be given a minimum amount of holiday pay, sickness pay and maternity pay by law. You should also check that you’re being paid more than the minimum wage. Check these to ensure you’re not being underpaid in these areas – your employer could be committing a criminal offence by not abiding by these rules.
What next?
If you discover you are being underpaid, there are lots of avenues you can explore. If an employer has broken a contract or isn’t respecting your legal right, you may benefit from hiring a solicitor and taking your employer to court. A legal claim might be able to compensate you with all the money you are owed.
If it’s a case of being underpaid compared to others in your role, it could be worth talking to your boss and possibly ask for a pay raise. Try to do this delicately and use proof of the tasks you’ve been taking on to show that you’ve been hardworking. Some employers may want to time to think about it – they may want to monitor you for a week and then decide after that whether you’re eligible for a pay rise.
Alternatively, if you think your boss isn’t going to alter your salary and you’re not passionate about the job, it could be worth leaving to find a new job that’s better paid and more up your street. Make sure that you’re aware of the salary you’re about to be paid before signing up to a job – ask for it to be put in writing if you want to have proof for future reference.
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