Knowledge is power, and few firms practise “open book management”, allowing everybody's levels of pay to be known. Where an employer recognises a union for collective bargaining purposes there should be a much better flow of information about pay. And in the public and not-for-profit sectors, fairness concerning pay bands and job evaluation is usually enforced with some care. But if you remain in the dark about your own pay relative to that of other colleagues, why not consult our online salary checker? This will give you a much better idea of what someone doing a similar job to you is getting.
The culture of different employers may vary: some may beat prevailing market rates because the working conditions are tough and the pressure high, as in the City of London for example. This is where pay truly does become “compensation” for a stressful job. On the other hand, other, pleasanter places to work may pay a bit less, for the opposite reason. The key thing is to line up your evidence, and find good examples of similar jobs both inside and outside the firm. Try and find out what they are getting, and compare it with your own pay-cheque. If you work for a major company, have a look at our your company tool to check their finances and overall wage bill.
Of course, another reason some may be underpaid is wage inequality. The days of women being paid less than men should be well behind us, but many women still find they're losing out - for 2004 the gender pay gap was estimated at 18.4%. For more on your equal pay rights, see our equal pay section.
