Hey all!

I just need some advice on what I should do at work. I work as an Estate Agent (aka. a real estate broker), and when I took my job in October 2020 I was so desperately unhappy in my previous employment that I didn't take the time to negotiate anything in my employment contract. The bone of contention here is working on a Saturday - I am contracted to work 40 hrs per week plus Saturdays on a 1 in 2, or 1 in 3 basis. Since a colleague of mine was dismissed at the beginning of January, my colleague and I are now working every other weekend which not only adds to my fuel costs in travelling back and forth from the office 6 days per week, but I am not compensated for weekend hours. The reason I am bringing this up, and indeed asking for some advice, is that I've spoken with two of my other colleagues (both also sales negotiators) and they are financially compensated for each Saturday they work.

My question is, what is the best way for me to raise this, now that I know? As I really do not want to throw either Susan or Toby under the bus... but equally, in a cost of living crisis, I give my all to this job, and this company, and feel it is unfair for me to be the only employee in our area to not receive any form of additional benefit for this.

SOS!

I would have an open and honest conversation and present it to your manager as a "I've grown this much, taken on this much more responsibility and as such would like to be discuss compensation for that" type of thing. Express your desire to stay with this company while explaining your reasons that this is not sustainable for you. Ask for the specifics that you want as well, don't leave them left guessing what it is that you're looking for. To me it's always been more of how well you can present your argument about your value and not just because someone else gets it. Leave the other people out of it because this is about you and your value to this company.

If they totally blow you off then I'd start looking for other employment opportunities that will offer a competitive compensation package. You could even lightly tread this topic when discussing your compensation, you just don't want to start out with "I'm going to walk if I don't get what I want" unless you're prepared to do so and aren't worried about future employers catching wind of that.

I second trig's advice.