Would You Pay All Your Staff The Same Wage?
What Is Equal Pay?
Everyone who works has the right to equal pay. If you do the same job or work of equal value, then you should get the same or equal pay as your colleagues. However, this isn’t always the case. It’s common knowledge that there are still some disparities, despite the law saying otherwise. We’ve touched upon this before, when we looked at gender roles in the workplace. Women are still marginalised and don’t receive the same wage as their male counterparts.
Am I Being Paid Fairly?
We all know that money can cause many arguments, amongst family, friends and even in the workplace. But there are many things you can do to make sure you’re getting paid fairly before taking it to your employer.
- ask your colleagues
- conduct an equal pay questionnaire
- check job ads
- research job evaluation studies
How Can I Make A Claim?
If you discover you’re not being paid equally, then your employer might be breaking the law. If you think you aren’t being treated fairly then you can speak to your employer or Human Resources department. Should the conversation be unsuccessful, then it might be worth considering making a claim for lost earnings. An employment tribunal will establish if there are sufficient grounds for compensation to be paid.
That being said, it is common for workers to do the same basic jobs but receive a different wage. Confusing right. The difference in pay might be based on each individual’s level of experience.
What Happens When You Pay Everyone The Same Wage?
So to stop all of this dispute and unpleasantness, wouldn’t it be easier if everyone got the same wage? Well, Calvin Benton, director of psychotherapy company Spill, tried and tested the method. Initially set up to create harmony and inclusion, he wanted all employees to feel valued and on the same level.
Us humans have a tendency to reinvent the wheel when it comes to standard procedure but in cases like this, somethings are better left untouched.
Calvin decided that because all of his staff were contributing the same amount, then they should all get paid an equal amount of money. Excluding skills and experience. The wage was calculated based on the industry and area they worked and lived.
In what started out like a good idea, the cracks soon began to show and employees were left angry and disappointed. The more staff they took on, the less hours some people did. When the company advertised for a £36,000-a-year clerical job, they were inundated with applications because of the out of the norm high salary. However when it came to hiring for a software developer, on the same wage, the applications were nowhere to be seen.
After giving the system a good try, he listened to his employees and stopped the scheme. His staff are now paid using a traditional structure of pay grades based on seniority in the company and technical expertise.
How Ampios Can Help
So we ask you this, would you ever consider paying all your staff the same wage? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment down below and get the conversation started!
If you’re struggling with establishing salaries for your workforce we can help. Here at Ampios, we have a team of dedicated specialists that can help point you in the right direction. We can work with your people and can help align the overall vision and strategy of your company. If you need to get in touch, we’d love to have a chat. Give us a call on T: +44 (0)333 987 4672 or send us a message via our contact form.
