You’ve been offered the job you were interviewed for last week. Sure, you’re excited to have beaten the competition and been selected. But before you sign on the dotted line, take some time to think about the position and the contract, and be sure that it’s the right “new” job for you.
There are two areas for consideration. Do the contract and job offer include all of your legal rights? And is the salary and benefits package what you expected?
Make sure you know your rights with regards to working hours, annual holiday leave, maternity or paternity leave, redundancy, and any extra benefits the company provides – for example, pensions and health insurance. Ask to see the employee handbook that details all of this, prior to signing the contract.
For information and details on your working rights, check out the following websites:
• The Department of Trade and Industry’s guide to individual employment rights: http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/individual/rights-pl716.htm
• The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development: http://www.cipd.co.uk
• Industrial Relations Services: http://www.irseclipse.co.uk
CatererSearch has articles on the following that you should read:
• Pregnancy, maternity and adoption – what employers are legally required to offer in terms of financial support and time off
• Regulation regarding dismissals – you might not think you’ll end up at an industrial tribunal, but knowing what the law says could help
• National Minimum Wage – know the minimum you should be earning. Workers over 22 should earn £4.85 per hour, workers aged 18-21 £4.10 an hour, and youth workers under 18 who are not of compulsory school age £3.00 an hour. See: http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/nmw/workers_short_guide_oct_2004.pdf. The national minimum wage rate will rise in October 2005 to £5.05 for those over 21, and to £4.25 for workers 18-21. Further rate rises of 6% are due in October 2006.
• Training – there are legal obligations for an employer to offer food hygiene training if you don’t already have it.
• Part-time workers – if the job you’re taking is part-time, you still have rights that an employer must recognise.
• Promoting work life balance.
Salary levels
There isn’t always a huge amount of negotiation on salary but there are a few things you should consider:
• Reflect on whether the job is really what you want, and not just one you’re keen on because it gets you out of your current position.
• Calculate your salary needs – how much do you have to spend each month? Don’t forget to add the cost of commuting to work and anything you might lose because you change jobs, such as pension benefits or child care.
• If the new employer is raising or matching your current earnings, include all your benefits, not forgetting any bonuses or pay rises you’d be due if you stayed in your present position.
• There may be some areas you can negotiate on – for example, you don’t want the company car but the extra cash equivalent would be handy.
• Is relocation an issue? Is the company willing to put any money towards it?
• If you’ve already booked holiday time, ask your new employer to honour it.
• Keep salary expectations realistic – don’t appear greedy or out of touch.
While you are negotiating, there are a few things you should not do, such as:
• Resign, until you have an offer you can accept in writing
• Forget that it will still be dependent on good references - usually from your current boss
• Lie about your current salary – your P45 will give you away to your new employer.