I work at a non-profit based in Quebec. I really like the place. I started as a clerk back in 2016, and it was a minimum-wage, hourly position. Minimum wage pre-pandemic was around $12.50 or so. It's currently $14.25.
All of the clerks were laid off back in March 2020. I went back to school. I did odd jobs for them a few times. I was brought on again for $14.00/hr in the summer of 2021. A month later, they offered me an assistant manager position. It's a salaried position, with benefits, but they broke it down for me in hourly terms. They initially offered $15. I tried negotiating higher, but the best they could do is $15.50 ($31,200).
They hired clerks a month later, and I supervise them. One of my other tasks was supposed to be payroll, but my supervisor decided to take that on for this year.
Apparently they hired the clerks for $16.00 and didn't tell me. I suppose they don't have to, but it surprised me.
I spoke with a colleague about this, and he said that my benefits probably cost the company a lot, so I technically make significantly more since I'm salaried. Fair enough. It's not as if I'm not grateful for that. What's more, I have been safer from layoffs than the clerks.
However, they also offered an additional assistant manager position to one of the new clerks, who had only been there for two months. He would've been a great fit, but there's no way they would've asked him to accept my salary, or even the same hourly rate for more responsibility. This really bothered me considering I tried negotiating for higher and they couldn't even get me to $16, and I would like to think the knowledge I have of the place counts for something.
Basically, is it fair for me to compare the salaries of the people I supervise if they are hourly and I'm not? And does that change if they are promoted?
And in terms of asking for a raise, I asked for a raise based on additional work I took on from another department, but it was denied since it 'fits into my contracted hours'. Since then, I've taken on even more work.
I really want to bring all I've learned about the pay situation up, because this has really bothered me for a while. I think the advice is usually to never compare salaries when asking for a raise, but… would it be justified in this situation?