Boots set their pay scales on what they call “market based pay”. That means they participate in anonymous pay rate surveys along with similar employers and the survey company advise the average pay for the jobs they have compared, without revealing which company pays any particular rate (this approach is fairly common among some larger employers).
Boots then set their pay scales from 80% to 120% of the median average of market rates. So by definition those paid 80% =<100% are being paid below average salaries compared to the market. This isn’t always clear to pharmacists at Boots and so when the company declined the PDA suggestion that they create a tool on their internal systems to make this more transparent to their employees, the PDA have instead created a “Ready Reckoner” tool on the PDA website to assist union members. “Transparency” is a underpinning principle of the PDA’s objectives for any pay system that applies to union members.
https://www.the-pda.org/boots-pay-position-statement/
Some pharmacists with longer service may be particularly interested to learn about where their pay sits compared to the market. The PDA encourage members who, after understanding this position, consider themselves too low in the range, to please contact their local PDAU rep in Boots who will be able to help and advise them how to request an in year pay increase. It is important to note that while the PDA act in the interest of all pharmacists, individual support can only be available to those who are members of the union.
The PDA team are also currently surveying PDA members at Boots to invite them to help shape the 2021 pay negotiations which will be starting soon and PDA members at Boots will have received this by email.
The PDA secured union recognition at Boots in 2019 and has now negotiated several pay reviews, and the union has also recently secured union recognition at Lloyds Pharmacy where collective bargaining begins later this year. Pharmacists working at other pharmacy employers are encouraged to join the PDA, to encourage colleagues to join and contact the PDA service centre if they want to find out more about becoming a PDA Union representative at their employer.