Unite the union, the largest trade union in the UK and Ireland
with over 1.5 million members, is campaigning in the IT Services
sector for fair and transparent pay and benefit systems. We want to
end discrimination and deliver fairness at work for all
employees.
The campaign follows a meeting of Unite representatives from
leading companies (CSC, Fujitsu,
HP,
IBM and
Steria) who discussed the key issues facing employees in our
sector.
Though the details vary between and within companies, your Unite
representatives recognised a widespread view that pay and benefit
systems in the sector are secretive, unfair and may be
discriminatory.
Do you recognise:
- People doing similar jobs getting very different pay &
benefits without any clear justification?
- Inconsistency or unfairness in objectives and appraisals?
- Secrecy about how pay and benefits are allocated?
- Management “discretion” instead of clear targets and
rewards?
- Lack of evidence that discrimination on factors such as gender
or age has been successfully prevented?
Change is required to deliver fair and transparent pay and benefits
for all of us. With your help we firmly believe this is
achievable. Together we can use legal means (Equality Act 2010) and
our collective strength to win improvements.
Problems with Performance Related Pay
(PRP)
A lot of research on Performance Related Pay has shown it can be
counterproductive. It can deliver inaccurate assessments of
employees’ capabilities, undermine teamwork and co-operation, and
can directly lead to the creation of an often hostile work
environment.
You need to be sure that your company’s pay system is fair and
transparent, with your pay properly reflecting your
contribution.
unITe to Prevent Discrimination
Companies should be monitoring and analysing various aspects of
their pay systems in terms of diversity criteria, including:
- Objective setting
- Assessments and appraisals
- Scales, guidelines, benchmarks and ceilings used for
determining pay and benefits
- Pay increases
If your company does monitor, staff should be able to look at the
data to check for fairness. If no monitoring takes place, there is
likely to be some form of discrimination going undetected.
unITe to Prevent Division
How can it be fair that, in a company environment where
employees are expected to work together as a team towards common
goals, there is no transparency on pay and divisive competition
between individuals is encouraged?
unITe to Prevent Hypocrisy
How can it be fair that Directors of companies, who pocket hefty
salaries and indefensible and secretive bonuses - often regardless
of performance - fail to deliver a fair and transparent pay system
for all employees?
unITe Fair Pay Charter
To ensure a consistent approach to pay and benefits which is
fair, transparent and not discriminatory, Unite is asking companies
in the IT Services Sector to sign up to our Fair Pay Charter and
incorporate the following principles into their pay systems.
- A single, transparent pay and benefit structure
throughout each company:
Detailing the pay and benefits structure
from top to bottom.
Outcomes after each pay review are visible
to employees.
Pay and benefits determined on an objective
basis as opposed to management discretion.
Staff are fairly allocated to
grades/roles/job families.
Employees can expect to receive similar pay
and benefits to those doing similar jobs or jobs of equal
value.
A cost of living element for all in every
pay review.
Ensuring that there is no discrimination
against employees due to gender, age, disability, race, religion,
sexuality, or part-time status, as per the Equality Act 2010.
- Agreed and realistic performance targets:
Pay and benefits based upon targets which
can realistically be achieved or exceeded, agreed with employees
and their representatives.
Achievement does not rely on working more
than your contracted hours.
Appraisal and assessment scores are based on
your achievement, not distorted by fixed percentages or quotas.
How can I support the unITe Fair Pay
Charter?
If you would like to see your employer implement the Unite Fair
Pay Charter, please:
- Complete the online survey to support our Charter for
fair and transparent pay and benefits (see below)
- Speak to your Unite representative, who can provide more
details
As part of our campaign for fair and transparent pay in the IT
Services industry, Unite is gathering information and evidence
using a survey of staff. You can help the campaign by completing
the survey on your company webpage or via these
links CSC,
Ericsson,
Fujitsu,
HP and
Steria.
Join Unite's campaign now
Unite for Fair Pay
