Work Appraisal

Suspended
Joined
23 Dec 2011
Posts
33,209
Location
Northern England
Right folks, I need some advice on how to go about something properly.

I'm an engineer working for an oil and gas company. My role has a lot of responsibility (I'm directly responsible for projects worth between £30M £100M), it has the appropriate stress levels to go with that. I'm also required to travel to some pretty nasty places on very short notice.

I'm paid an ok salary, but precisely that, a salary. No paid overtime for me!

A major part of our company is manufacturing, here again when my project is in the factory I am directly responsible - the technicians, their supervisors and the engineers in the plant come to me for answers and authorisation. The final signatures rest on me and my boss for handover.

One of the problems is some of those technicians who have nowhere near the qualifications I do, nowhere near the experience I do are getting paid substantially more than I am. We're talking well in to 6 figures. So much so that we have people classed as 'semi skilled labour' driving around in brand new Bentleys.
Now some of this is from the abundance of overtime (double or triple, never single) they have access to, something that in my eyes is the result of very poor management - but that's another story, and the rest is due to their hourly base rates being way above what anyone else in a similar job would be on.
They also get great perks such as inclement weather pay (£20.00 per day it rains, snows or has temps below 5 or above 25 degrees, or where wind is above 25mph.). Travel pay (each day away from home is a min £100 extra, I get nowt as it's apparently classed as part of the job) and offshore rates (they get 3x the amount I do!).

Now this is basically causing a massive amount of resentment between not just me but a lot of the other engineers and managers within the company. Obviously we're not meant to know peoples salaries etc etc..blah blah but the fact is we do.

It's coming up to my appraisal. How do I raise the fact that although for my job i'm not badly paid, when comparing my skills, qualifications and responsibilities against others within the company I'm getting utterly robbed?

Or...do I go become a massively over-qualified factory worker? :p
 
I'd just tell them straight. No point fannying about. They'll respect you more for it and might have heard something already in regards to the resentment and what not.

If they say they can't do anything about it, look elsewhere where they will pay more and have your current company compete with them. It sounds like they need you.
 
Just say what you just said? Don't think you'd be out of line at all by the sounds of it! The resentment is something they'd want to know about especially.
 
Just politely but firmly state the above and explain how it is affecting morale. It isnt uncommon though and quite kften such jobs can get paid more than management due to overtime etc.

Ultimately if you aren't happy with it then move to that role.
 
As others have said I'd bring it up, but of course be civil about it.

Say you feel your renumeration doesn't seem to reflect the time, effort and responsibility you current role requires, especially when compared with technicians who get all sorts of overtime, travel pay, better offshore rates etc. I'd say that whilst you don't expect to get exactly what the technicians get, the balance of renumeration doesn't seem fair ATM. It may also be worth mentioning that this is something other colleagues feel unhappy about too, so they can't just turn around and say you're moaning.

Out of interest are these technicians staff or contractors?
 
Let me guess - is there high Union membership among the guys that do the overtime?
 
Could you do their job tomorrow if one of them called in sick?

Good question. I have managed people earning a lot more than me for this very reason. And good luck to them. Higher grade doesn't necessarily mean you earn more than the people working for you.
 
Your appraisal is about you and your performance and may not be the best time to bring this up. If it is indeed something that a few of you feel strongly about then maybe approach this together in another meeting. I've never heard of a "they get paid more than me" on an individual basis going well.
 
Have you looked at the market to see what the average rate is for similar jobs to you? Might be a better way of positioning yourself.

Try oilandgasjobsearch, oil careers and rigzone - they were the best job boards if I can remember correctly.

If you want to chat to a recruitment consultant let me know.

BB x
 
Let me guess - is there high Union membership among the guys that do the overtime?

Funnily enough yes, yes there is!

It's not just the overtime, their base pay is very high for their level of qualification/education.

Yes I could just step up and do their jobs, minus the likes of driving the forklifts and certain technical tasks which they've received internal training for. Not all of them have a license or the same level of internal qualification.
 
Last edited:
Have you looked at the market to see what the average rate is for similar jobs to you? Might be a better way of positioning yourself.

Try oilandgasjobsearch, oil careers and rigzone - they were the best job boards if I can remember correctly.

If you want to chat to a recruitment consultant let me know.

BB x

Yeah I've hunted. If I head up to Aberdeen I can double what I get overnight however where I am I'm about five to ten grand over average for my position.
The trouble is the office I'm based at is about a ten minute drive from my house, far too convenient!
 
Yeah I've hunted. If I head up to Aberdeen I can double what I get overnight however where I am I'm about five to ten grand over average for my position.
The trouble is the office I'm based at is about a ten minute drive from my house, far too convenient!

Well how settled are you in your current location. Do you have wife/kids etc? What is stopping you moving up to Aberdeen exactly?
 
Back
Top Bottom