Can I pay employees whatever I want? (2023)

How do you answer desired salary question?

When answering desired salary or expected salary questions on an application, the best approach is to write in “negotiable” or keep the field blank. If a numerical response is required, enter “000” and in a notes section, mention that salary is negotiable based on further understanding of the position.

Am I paying my employees enough?

A Comprehensive Guide. A good rule of thumb is to put 40%-80% of your business revenue toward employee salaries. Rieva Lesonsky covers small-business trends, employment and leadership advice.

How do you deal with unfair pay at work?

If your boss isn't budging or providing a clear reason for why you're paid less, you may need to speak directly with your human resources (HR) department. HR staff are often more sensitive to these types of conversations since they have specialized training and access to employee files from all over the company.

Can my boss make me pay for a mistake?

A. No, your employer cannot legally make such a deduction from your wages if, by reason of mistake or accident a cash shortage, breakage, or loss of company property/equipment occurs.

Do I have to answer desired salary?

On a Job Application

Not all applications will ask for your desired salary, so if they don't ask, there's no need to give one. And if they do ask, keep things simple by saying something like “salary is negotiable” or “salary may be discussed during the interview process.”

How do you negotiate salary politely?

Can you tell your boss you are underpaid?

Set up a meeting to discuss your pay.

Remind them of your recent wins, and then say, "I've done some research, and it appears I'm underpaid by x percent." Then stop talking. "We always want to fill the awkward moment, but just wait," she says. This will make it clear that the next step is your boss's to take.

What can I do if my boss isn't paying me enough?

To pursue your own claim for unpaid wages, you should file a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner's Wage Claim Adjudication Unit, in addition to filing a BOFE report. A notice of your wage claim will be sent to your employer. CALIFORNIA LABOR LAWS PROTECT ALL WORKERS REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS.

What to do if you feel you are underpaid?

What are examples of unfair pay?

You have the right to receive equal pay for equal work. For example, paying a woman less than a man – or a gender pay gap – for the same work is against the law. Paying employees less because of their race, age, or religion also violates equal pay laws.

What are examples of pay discrimination?

2-What are some examples of pay discrimination? Pay discrimination occurs when an employee is paid differently from others because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (40 or older), or genetic information.

Can 2 employees doing the same job be paid differently?

The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but they must be substantially equal. Job content (not job titles) determines whether jobs are substantially equal.

What happens if you accidentally pay an employee too much?

If you accidentally overpaid an employee and it's too late to initiate a reversal, you may be able to correct the error by simply reducing (deducting) the employee's gross wages on future payrolls. Check to see if you can still cancel or reverse the payment.

How do I talk to my boss about unfair payment?

Be clear in advance that you want to have a conversation about a promotion, pay raise, or change to your pay rate based on accomplishments or your added value. Even if it's because you suspect or know that people in the same role are making more than you, try to give your manager a heads up so he or she can prepare.

When a company accidentally pays you too much?

Both state and federal labor and employment laws give employers the right to garnish an employee's wages — subtract chunks from a worker's paycheck — in cases of overpayment. The federal law, known as the Fair Labor Standards Act, is notoriously weak on worker protections when it comes to garnishing wages.

Why do employers ask for desired salary?

Why employers ask about your desired salary. Employers ask about your desired salary to learn what kind of salary you're anticipating. If they feel that what you are asking for is too high, they may try to negotiate a lower number. That's why it's important to know what your salary range is.

Can you ask someone their desired salary?

Why You Should Ask Candidates About Their Salary Expectations. You want to give the candidate a chance to provide what their salary expectations are for the job. They are more willing to share what their expectations are if you ask them before you say what the salary expectations for the job are.

What if HR asks for expected salary?

You could choose to skip it altogether, but many job application sites may have this as a required question. Not answering it could prevent your application from being submitted.

What is the #1 rule of salary negotiation?

Rule #1 of salary negotiation is this: Do not disclose your salary history or salary requirements. This can be uncomfortable, but it's your first opportunity to negotiate a much higher salary.

What should you not say when negotiating salary?

What considered underpaid?

If you are being paid less than someone else for the same job in the same industry and location, especially if you have more experience than that person, you're being underpaid.

What to do when you find out a coworker makes more than you?

Is being underpaid a reason to quit?

Majorities of workers who quit a job in 2021 say low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement (63%) and feeling disrespected at work (57%) were reasons why they quit, according to the Feb. 7-13 survey.

How do you say this job doesn't pay enough?

How long does a company have to correct a payroll error?

The new law, which went into effect immediately, gives employers an opportunity to “cure” certain wage statement violations within 33 days after they receive notice of them.

How long should you stay at a job without a raise?

You should work for at least one to two years without a raise. On average, waiting any longer than two years is too long, and working a job for three years without a raise is unacceptable.

How do you know if you are being paid fairly?

Is it better to be underpaid or overpaid?

Whether you're a recruiter, hiring manager, or candidate, take heed: It's always better to be underpaid. Here's why, and how I advise candidates to think about compensation when they're negotiating an offer: If you're overpaid, everyone will expect more of you.

How do you prove unequal pay?

What is considered unfair in the workplace?

Here are just a few examples of unfair treatment at work:

Creating offensive comments, emails or social media posts about an employee. Demoting, transferring, or dismissing an employee without a fair, disciplinary process. Paying women lower wages for doing the same job, because of their sex.

What are the 5 unfair labor practices of employers?

What are the 7 grounds of discrimination?

These include mainly the grounds of colour, ethnic origin, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship and creed (religion). Depending on the circumstances, discrimination based on race may cite race alone or may include one or more related grounds. Each of these grounds is also discussed separately below.

What are three 3 examples of discrimination?

What are 5 grounds of discrimination?

3 (1) For all purposes of this Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability and conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been ...

Can I be paid less than someone doing the same job?

It is legal for a company to pay different wages for the same or similar job, but only if there are non-discriminatory material factors which explain the reason for the difference.

Can I sue my employer for paying me less than my coworkers?

It is unacceptable when an employer does not pay their worker. It is illegal for an employer to withhold their workers' income. It is wage theft under both federal and state laws of employment. YES, you can sue a company for not paying you.

Why do new hires get paid more?

What's going on? Labor economists call it “salary compression,” which is what happens when companies keep a tight rein on raising employees' salaries but, at the same time, are forced to pay higher wages to attract new talent.

Can employees be made to pay for mistakes?

Generally, unless you have a contractual right to make the deduction for the mistake, or the employee agrees in writing before making the deduction, the deduction will be unlawful.

Can boss forget to pay you?

In California, you have legal recourse if your employer fails to pay your regular wages in a timely manner. According to a California employment lawyer, all employers in the state have a legal obligation to pay their employees their full wages on time.

What is pay discrimination?

What is pay discrimination? Pay or compensation discrimination happens when employees with substantially equal or similar work are paid disproportionately because of their age, race, color, sex/gender, disability, religion, and national origin.

How do you prove your boss is wrong?

Are employees financially liable for mistakes?

Generally, You Hold Responsibility

When the employee makes a mistake, then, the employer could be to blame. When someone suffers a loss because of the employee's actions or inaction, the employer often holds responsibility.

Should you tell your employer if they overpay you?

That said, over time, even small overpayments can amount to a sizeable sum that must be repaid. As such, it is important for employees to immediately notify their employer or payroll as soon as they identify any overpayment of wages, even a relatively small one, to avoid the accumulation of a much larger debt.

What percentage should you pay employees?

Consider Your Budget

However, to hire the best and the most qualified talent, it's normal for businesses to spend between 40 to 80 percent of their gross revenue on employee compensation, which includes both salary and benefits.

What percentage of money should go to employees?

The rule of thumb is that between 15% to 30% of your gross sales should go to payroll. However, this can vary by industry.

How do you know if you are getting underpaid?

What happens if you pay your employees too much?

Too Much Pay Stifles Employee Development

Some overpaid employees will become complacent as a result. They won't seek alternative opportunities for advancement within your company, and they won't pursue more challenging work that would stretch and improve their skills. Simply put, they don't have to.

How do you determine what to pay an employee?

How do employers decide how much to pay employees?

Demographic and market factors: Salaries are impacted by market and demographic factors like the availability of jobs, the number of available candidates for a particular job or the number of employees looking for the same education and skills.

What percentage is payroll burden?

Direct payment cost is your employee's gross wage. For example, say you pay an employee $60,000 per year. You also pay an additional $8,000 when you factor in taxes, insurance, and benefits. That means you'd divide $60,000 by $8,000 and multiply by 100 to get your payroll burden percentage, which would be 13%.

What is the 80/20 rule for employees?

The Pareto Principle states that 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. It's also commonly referred to the 80/20 rule and is commonly applied to productivity in terms of prioritizing the tasks that will have the biggest impact. Applying the Pareto Principle to your work can help you work more efficiently.

What is a fair CEO to employee pay ratio?

Publicly traded companies are required to disclose the pay ratio between their chief executive and median employees. The average S&P 500 company's CEO-to-worker pay ratio was 324-to-1 in 2021. Company pay ratio data is important.

What is a good profit per employee?

A good Revenue per Employee benchmark ranges between $43,000 of revenue per employee for companies making less than $1 million total revenue, to $230,000 per employee for companies earning $50 million or more of total revenue.

What is considered underpaid?

You are underpaid if you could easily replace your job with a better-paying one. You are not underpaid if there are other people in your area who do the same work you do for more money but their employers haven't had a new job opening in years.

Should I tell my boss if I got paid too much?

“Your employer is legally entitled to claw that money back.” Green says that if you do notice that you've been overpaid, you should speak up right away — it's your responsibility to alert your employer and work with them to fix the problem.