Free Career and Job Search Advice

Skoy · Newbie Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 4 Career Advice: +0/-0

Allow me to quickly sketch my situation. I've moved to Poland over a year ago, spent a few months looking for work, and finally found a job at a Belgian company here (I'm from Belgium btw) as a programmer. I was 'desperate' to find a job, so I didnt really negotiate my salary, thus I was receiving let's say half (or less) of what the same job earns in Belgium. Anyway, I quickly got into the job, learned many things really quick. I started increasing my tasks, and am now assuming more responsability, showing initiative etc ... However my other colleagues, who have been here a bit longer, don't really to this. They stick to their task, and take no responsability at all, or are not competent enough for it. Might be the Polish attitude ...

SO recently I found out (although I'm not 100% sure), that they earn lets say 60% more than me. I was already not so happy about my salary, regarding how I've increased my tasks/responsability, but this really frustrated me. A few weeks ago I had a conversation with my manager, and stated my situation, saying how I've improved etc .., giving an expectation of a 50% salary increase. This would put me on a reasonable level for what I'm doing. Ofcourse I did not receive such a sum, and last week my manager told me I could get 30% max. I was disappointed ofcourse, but over the weekend I came to realise that I should be happy with that, since the financial market isnt that great these days. So i was making amends with this raise, till today I received an e-mail. My boss stated my contract would be prolonged, BUT a raise isnt possible. I became furious. How could he give me a proposal, only to take it back the next week??

I'm having a meeting with him tomorrow, but I don't know how to react. What can I do? I'm afraid to quit, and not find another job. If possible I wouldn't want to change jobs now, because I like this one, and I can quickly promote here to more interesting functions. But working with a quite shitty salary, while others are raking in cash? Doesn't seem appealing to me. I was hoping on some more salary at least, but now he just took that away aswell, the liar.

Any advice for my situation?

Pauloz · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:00 pm Post subject:

Skoy

Verbal undertaking doesn't mean anything, sorry to say. What you seem to have here is a statement of intent. This employer isn't playing nice, and my instinct tells me you have a potentially ongoing situation here.

Bear in mind expat companies are expat partly for reasons like this, exploiting lower national salary ranges, and exploiting people, when the opportunity arises. If this contract's up for renewal, and there's no indication how long "prolonged" means, this is a piece of string, not an offer, and you're the one being strung along.

Choices:

If you're no longer desperate, tell them you both want and need the increase, see how they react. If the answer is no, you can move on.

If you're still stuck, you can stick around long enough to find another job. This is hardly the sort of employer relationship anybody wants.

You may or may not have rights under Polish law, assuming the contract was entered into under Polish jurisdiction, but I wouldn't bet on it. The disparity of salary, if built into a contract in the form of something like "remuneration to be determined by the employer" is likely to be the sticking point.

If the contract is under EU or Belgian jurisdiction, you might have a talking point or two because of the disparity between salaries for people doing the same jobs. I'm not sure, but I think there is such a thing as a standardized set of labor laws for the EU, and I know Belgian law is a bit more rational, because I've done some work for sites in Belgium. If the company is incorporated in Belgium, you, being a Belgian citizen, might have a few options. This is a "might", because again, contracts entered into between parties create their own situations.

Promotions: These might also be affected by the contract terms. Terms are negotiable, in theory, but not necessarily in practice. Another possible form of stringing along. There's no guarantee that a promotion would necessarily result in much more pay, either, if this behavior is the employer's natural response.

The standard advice for situations like this is to get some pro bono legal advice. I'd suggest talking to labor regulators first, though, see if you can get some pointers.

One consideration: Is this job giving you good material for your CV, skills, etc? Would references from this employer be worth anything to you, or would you be OK without them? I ask because a move, if necessary, will leave you with this job as either an asset or something where you have to explain why you left.

Skoy · Newbie Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 4 Career Advice: +0/-0

I'm aware it's an expat company. However, it's a company that's been taken over, rather than an outpost. I'm working on a project that is part of an international project, but I'm working on the part which is only for Poland. The company came here because there is a lot of opportunity on the local market (i'm working for a bank/insurer btw), not just cause of cheaper staff.

Anyway, my contract ends end of September, and my prolongation has been confirmed as 'indefinite/permanent'. However, as stated, my promised pay rise has been scrapped. I am now trying some other sources, to get the pay rise that was promised. I already found out that getting something done in Poland requires slightly less orthodox methods.

This job is interesting. I started as programmer, but I could quickly become analyst. I'm already half analyst at the moment. So it's surely a good addition to my CV. Plus I've noticed I've greatly improved my communication skills, etc in this job, apart from my increased IT skills.

I will see what comes out of it. Ideally, I would like a decent raise now, to the level of my colleagues, but I guess this is impossible. So I would settle now for the 30% promised, and in a short period ask for another evaluation of my salary / position.

I don't fully understand the legal topic you mentioned in your reply, and what you mean with it however ...

Pauloz · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:42 pm Post subject:

Skoy · Newbie Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 4 Career Advice: +0/-0

I guess they get 60% more because they were all hired together, when this project started up, and they needed them 'badly'. Also it were economically better times, aka they more easily threw with money. Mind you, this was maybe 1.5 year ago, while I joined 6,7 months later. I was however also needed for the project, yet they over me a measly penny.

Some other guy is even getting thrice my pay, only because he's a 'specialist'. However his 'specialist skills' form little or no extra addition to his work. Plus I grew out to be a more efficient and harder working employee than most of them. But I guess I shouldn't use that as an argument ...

Skoy · Newbie Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 4 Career Advice: +0/-0

Basically they're saying now, that their raise 'offer' was just a part of 'negotiations'. That everything had to be confirmed by management. But I really don't understand how they can even suggest a raise, when they don't have any guarantees. It's just pissing of employees ...

Their reason for no raise is ofcourse the not-so-good financial situation, and no1 else is getting a raise, etc etc ... but in the mean time, others are earning a lot more for the same (even less) job!

I guess in that way Poland is a bit less structured than Belgium, where everyone starts out at a decent salary, and such problems do not arise.

Pauloz · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:24 am Post subject:

KA · Expert Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 239 Career Advice: +2/-0

I would start looking without letting this company know, while continuing to discuss the pay rise with this company. If I get a nice offer elsewhere, I'd leave. If I don't, I keep looking & stay with this company while continuing to negotiate with them.

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