Job Evaluation

What is a Job Evaluation Scheme?

If you have been told that your employer is carrying out a Job Evaluation Scheme this does not mean that your performance in your job is going to be evaluated. Instead, an evaluation looks at each job role, compares them and decides which roles need more skill than others. If different jobs are found to require the same level of skill, then those employees should all be receiving the same salary.

Equal pay for jobs of equal value

It is simple to evaluate job roles in the same sector. Anyone can see that a Head Cook is more skilled and has more responsibility than an Assistant Cook. But it is much harder across job types. Who should be ranked higher? A cook or a road sweeper? Or should they be the same? This is where job evaluation is particularly useful.

The grade for your job might have been decided upon many years ago, and since then, there may have been substantial changes, either in the machines used or the duties performed. Job evaluation looks at this type of change as well, to see whether your grade should be reviewed.

How are jobs evaluated?

A good job evaluation scheme should be systematic, consistent and analytical. Computer programs are often used to ensure that there is consistency regardless of the job or who is conducting the evaluation. Job Evaluators should also be trained to be aware of bias and be sure to assess the role and not the person. To make sure that everything is taken into account, every person is measured by the same list of factors. For example, these might include:

• knowledge and skills
• contacts and communications
• problem solving
• decision making
• autonomy
• management of resources
• impact

The Job Evaluation Process

There are two possible ways of measuring these factors:

• an interview of one employee from each job;
• a job description, either completed or agreed by an employee.

During the evaluation a score is given for each of the factors listed above within each role.

The scores are then added up to produce a final score for each job role.

If two job roles are found to have the same score then this means that they should be paid the same. If you have not been paid the same then you may have an equal pay claim. The job evaluation has given you a colleague to compare yourself with when making this claim.

Remember: the person you are comparing yourself with must be a member of the opposite sex in order for you to make a claim

After Job Evaluation

You will be notified by your employer of the score or grade that your job role has been given.

I’ve been offered a pay rise as a result of Job Evaluation. What does this mean?

This means that your job has been rated at the same level as a job that has been paying more in the past. Your employer is aware that you have been underpaid and is trying to correct it.

However, according to equal pay law, you are also entitled to up to six years of back pay.
You should seek independent legal advice.

My employer has offered me a lump sum as compensation after a Job Evaluation. Should I accept?

This means that your employer would like to compensate you for being underpaid in the past.

But you need to be aware that your employer may not be offering you the full amount that you are entitled to. Under the Equal Pay Act, you may be entitled to claim six years of back pay.

Therefore it’s important to seek independent advice to find out how much you are owed in order to consider whether your employer is offering you a reasonable amount.

I think my job evaluation score is too low. What should I do?

This might happen, for example, because you are given a lower grade than you were on before, or you may feel that your grade does not differentiate enough from those just below you in the pay scale.

You should contact your employer if you to wish to appeal against the score that you have been given.