am I being shafted?
am I being shafted?
(OP)
this is probably not a new complaint but I have become aware of some information. My experience is approx 9 years after graduation. I am a chartered engineer (UK) which I got middle of last year. Some of that time, approx 2 and a half years was spent on site. The rest is in a design office. I currently work in design (civil/structural consultancy).
The info I have come across shows me I am paid £1500 more than the fresh wave of graduates coming into the company. I believe on a exchange rate of 1.6 at mo thats $2400 US dollars. Opinions? At the moment I'm thinking what am I doing here.
The info I have come across shows me I am paid £1500 more than the fresh wave of graduates coming into the company. I believe on a exchange rate of 1.6 at mo thats $2400 US dollars. Opinions? At the moment I'm thinking what am I doing here.





RE: am I being shafted?
- Steve
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: am I being shafted?
The ICE publishes salary review papers. I know because I saw one reciently on line at the NCEplus magazine website. I would suggest you get hold of it and compare your salary with the levels shown on the paper.
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
You could try speaking with your line manager directly and making your case. I have done that in the past and it has worked. Do you know how your renumeration stacks up against similarly qualified colleagues?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
I raised my salary concerns with my line manager at my annual performance review. I told him I felt my pay was less than my colleagues and asked him to investigate on my behalf. He did, and returned telling me their was an anomaly, which they fixed by increasing my pay accordingly.
RE: am I being shafted?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
drawn to design, designed to draw
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
Apart from the pay you like working there.
So, you're better off concentrating on your reward rather than on punishing the company.
I was told that there would be no rises this year, but here I am with 20% more.
I found that there were jobs available out there and told my employer I was leaving, that's when they started getting serious about my work condtions.
If you don't tell your employer that you are unhappy they will assume that you're satisfied with your conditions.
It's not unusual for employers to pay as liitle as they think they can get away with, it doesn't mean that they're total b-st-rds.
RE: am I being shafted?
As I said it would be a shame to leave as I love the work place here but I'm not happy being taken advantage of.
RE: am I being shafted?
- Steve
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
People loving or hating the jobs, has also a lot to do with their abilities to perform them. You love your job means you are good at what you do, so do not hesitate to make a move.
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
1) Look around and apply. If I get a job offer then leave. Should the company counter offer then I would probably at that stage still leave not to leave any bad feeling with the new prospective employer. So once I start applying I'm effectively gone sooner or later.
2) Speak to my boss, outline why I believe I am worth more than a starting graduate (laughable I know). Not sure whether I should bring up the starters salary as I got the info by 'covert' means. This may anger them. The main downside of this is that they may decide to say thats the way it is and decide that to let me go sometime soon as they expect me not to stay around. Especially if we are not flat out busy. As I have a family with another child on the way this is a risk for me.
Any advice?
RE: am I being shafted?
The fact you ARE Chartered and your company apparently values you so little is alarming. The only downside to leaving your job right now, as you will know, is the current state of the industry and evidently low morale.
RE: am I being shafted?
I too have read the articles and comments (nce.co.uk), also the frankly patronising aricle by antony oliver. If it wasn't for yhe family I think I'd be retraining already.
RE: am I being shafted?
If it is a place you really want to stay at, then talk to the boss, otherwise start looking.
RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
Most of us will at some time have stayed in a job where we were being under-rewarded compared to our peers just because we enjoyed the job. It's nothing to be ashamed of - think how many people have to do a job they hate, and then be grateful for doing something you love - but it is something you need to be aware of, especially once you have been in a place for a little while. It's easy to get complacent.
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: am I being shafted?
If I were you, I will only consider 1). I would not consider accepting counter offer.. that would only be a proof that they have taken advantage of you so far and no guarantee they would not do again.
But you know your situation and relationships the best, so its your decision in the end. I would say discuss this with your family member.
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: am I being shafted?
Regards
Pat
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RE: am I being shafted?
I agree don't take the counter offer because the factors that made you quit will return in a few months.
RE: am I being shafted?
You have to remember you are working for a company. It is the job of the managers to make as much money for the stock holders. This loosely translates into screwing you out of as much money as they can.
However, as the employee, it is your job to try and get as much money out of the company as possible. Look around, some people are better at this than others.
Personally, I would never take a counter offer from my existing company. As Bridgebuster states, in a few months, the factors that made you look for a new position will return.
RE: am I being shafted?
However, I believe the OPs boss does not subscribe to that point, or else he thinks the OP does not qualify as highly productive.
He probably does subscribe to that point of viwe when negotiating his own salary.
Regards
Pat
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RE: am I being shafted?
RE: am I being shafted?
Best regards
Simon NX4.0.4.2 MP10 - TCEng 9.1.3.6.c - (NX6.0.3.6 MP2 native)
www.jcb.com
Life shouldn't be measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of times when it's taken away...
RE: am I being shafted?
I think one of the possibilites is that some companies will give a small consistent raise every year, but other companies will give no raises unless they are requested. The idea is that if the employee doesn't ask for a pay raise then we are paying him enough. I don't think it's an effective policy, but that is the philosophy in some companies. It may be prudent to not push the topic when buisness is down, but otherwise I would never be afraid to bring up the topic of raises. If a company says that the review period is not the time to bring up raises, ask them when is the appropriate time? I would suggest that a couple of weeks before the review would be a good time in that instance. I am used to raises being dependent on and given at the same time as (or shortly after) an annual review, so that is the right time to bring up raises.
Just my two cents,
-Kirby
Kirby Wilkerson
Remember, first define the problem, then solve it.
RE: am I being shafted?
New member here.
Definitely sounds like you are being shafted, dude. There shouldn't be this little of a gap b/n your salary and that of a grad, especially considering your CEng.
One thing I would like to add which I think no one is mentioning, is - at least to my mind - that the way it works from the business perspective in that companies tend to (or at least should) reward those individuals who have more responsibility. I therefore think that you should use this fact to your advantage when talking to your employer negotiating a pay increase.
All the best and please let us know how you fair out.
Greeting for the New Year to everyone!
RE: am I being shafted?
You are definitely getting the shaft axially and torsionally loaded. I am afraid the clock has struck 12 on this issue. Do you expect them to hand out raises during review time? Maybe you can ask for more perks.
Make sure you have that back-up plan (Job offer somewhere else) first before talking to someone.
RE: am I being shafted?
i hate engineers sometimes, lol.
RE: am I being shafted?