She's On The Money - Y/N: Can I Ask For A Pay Rise After Mat Leave?

Episode Date: September 17, 2026

Love means adoring someone even if you don’t share the same hobbies (or vaping habits <3). Welcome to another refreshing episode of Friday Drinks. This week, Victoria, Jess and Bec face taboo head-on. Namely, the gang speaks freely about what things they actually believe are overrated. (We’re lookin’ at you, QR codes.) Come for the Broke Tips, stay for the Money Wins, and maybe linger awhile to learn more about risk profiles within the Sharesies platform. Hey, you might just learn something. The crew also answers a dilemma about asking for a pay rise during mat leave. We promise, it’s deeper than that. Tune in if you’ve ever felt some type of way about your replacement earning more than you, even when they’re doing the business a solid.  NEGOTIATING YOUR PAY? Here’s a blog that’s all about how to ask for a pay rise. Search ‘pay rise’ at shesonthemoney.com/blog. LEARN MORE ABOUT SHARESIES: Here’s how to find the right risk profile for you on Sharesies https://sharesies.com.au/learn/what-is-risk-anyway. ATTN, STATS LOVERS: Here’s an interesting read by the ANU’s Global institute for women’s leadership: https://giwl.anu.edu.au/our-research/impact-motherhood-womens-career-progression  New here? Follow us on Instagram (@shesonthemoneyaus) for Q&As, bite-sized advice, daily money inspo... and relatable money memes that just get you.  Acknowledgement of Country By Nartarsha Bamblett (nartarshabamblett.com.au) The advice shared on She's On The Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's On The Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives of Money Sherpa PTY LTD ABN - 321649 27708,  AFSL - 4451289See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My name's Natasha Bamblit. I'm a proud First Nations woman, and I'm here to acknowledge country. T. Glynianganya. Neenakakakya. Neenakana, you've been aikarumja, Duma, Duma'a, Dumaekhawakken, Nitawam and Daman imalan. Mimala. Hello, beautiful friends.

We gather on the lands of the Aboriginal people. We thank, acknowledge, and respect the Aboriginal people's land that we're gathering on today. take pleasure in all the land and respect all that you see. She's On the Money podcast acknowledges culture, country, community and connections, bringing you the tools, knowledge and resources for you to thrive. She's on the money. She's on the money. Hello, my lovely listeners and welcome to She's on the Money, the podcast where we usually discuss all of the issues concerning your wealth goals so that you can feel more in control of your financial future. But this is different. It's Friday drinks time where we clear our

diaries to make room for something a little bit more casual. That is right. If you have been here before, you know that Fridays you can expect entertaining questions from our community, plus a few dilemmas, all lovingly wrapped up in chats between your favourite podcast co-hosts and our very own, Miss Josic Garici, holiday decorator, partnerships wrangler and patter of kittens. Oh, yes. Cute. And as all Always, we are bringing you a weekly dose of money wins and broke tips. And of course, the lovely Beck, Syed. I don't know if this is appropriate, but Vape Queen, Arnets Assorted Cream's Truther and Thrifty Tip Slinger. So sweet.

You in a nutshell. That's so cute. Nutshell. Stop vaping, but also Vape Queen. Okay, mixed messages and I'm going to go with the one that I like the best. I respect the decisions that you make, even though they are not beneficial for your health. Gorgeous. Anyway, as always, we are bringing you a weekly dose of money wins and broke tips from the community,

plus Goss from the depths of our DMs. My friends, welcome to Friday drinks. Now, I don't want to call it spicy because that's apparently the only word that I use to describe it, but I'm sure that there's more to it than money, but I'm informed that today's DM pushes the envelope when it comes to asking for a pay rise. And we talk a little bit about, I don't know, risky business. But we've also got a money dilemma that introduces the idea of investing under two different risk profiles. If that can even exist, should it be done, can it be done and how. But enough with all of the questions after the break, we're going to be sharing some of the answers

from our community and a little five-star review so guys don't go anywhere. Hello there. I am so glad you're here because we are just getting into the thick of it, starting with a review from our community. And this one was shared via the comment section on Spotify. But if you were keen to let your intentions be known, please share a review of the She's on the Money podcast wherever you tune in. We literally read every comment and I don't think that they get old, not even after more than a thousand episodes. This review comes from a friend called Maddie. Maddie says, Guys, I've listened to more than 900 episodes and I honestly can't thank you enough.

You've played such a huge role in improving my financial literacy and you've completely changed the way I think and act in brackets about money. Thank you for creating a community that's so inspiring, empowering and importantly genuine. Thank you, Maddie. Damn, Maddie. With listening stats like that, I do feel like our parasycial friendship verges on legit. Yeah. I think I might know you as well.

And also 900 episodes. Wow. It's a lot of episodes, girl. Of us in your ears unlucky. I'm so sorry. Thank you for being part of our community. And we are so excited to hear how your money journey has transformed. And the fact that we get to be a very little part of that, so special.

So beautiful. Thank you, Madi. Miss Beck-Sayed. Yes. Yes. Are you ready for what could be a potentially transformative question of the week? Oh, my God. I could not be worried.

All right. This one comes from Sleepy 8490. Okay, love that name. So you know it's a Facebook submission, which reads, what is something that you think is totally overrated? Oh, gosh. I've got one and the people are not going to like it. I've got one of the people who are also not going to like it.

Beck, chew on yours. Jess. What is yours? Hot take, it's coffee. I'm going to be in. I fear it doesn't. it doesn't taste good. And I also, I had this conversation with somebody recently when I said, I don't drink coffee.

And they said, so do you just get up in the morning? And I said, yeah. That is crazy. Crazy to me. You know how people, it's the very millennial like, a dirt dog to be delivered my coffee. Oh, sit down. I have bought you so many red bulls for early morning. Yeah, you're right.

I would crack a red bull, especially when we were doing the International Women's Day breakfast. We were getting up at like 4.35 o'clock in the morning. Understandable. But you know, like your everyday wake up, your body clock is attuned. You know, people go, I can't start my day without my coffee. And if it's the ritual of it and it's the you time, I'm not here to judge. But I just think it's crazy that you all are addicted to bean water. And like, you can't do anything without it.

And then people get the shakes. Chocolate is also made of beans, Jessica. This is true. You're trying to throw shade at the thing that gives me life. I'm selected with the beans. Yeah. What form I like to consume them in? I don't know.

I just, I don't get it. I've never got it. I will order a hot chocolate when we go to business meetings so that I feel included. Yeah. I just think it's overrated. I will continue to pay for your hot chocolate even if you throw coffee shade. Thank you. I don't know if I respect that.

I'm actually afraid of what people are going to have to say to me after I send those words out loud, if I'm honest. I've got a few. I'm like stewing. I know. I'm like trying to think you guys are going to throw yourselves in front of the bus as well. We're there with me, please. Okay.

you got one or do you want me to lead or where are we going with this? I think I have one. Who's going to be cancelled first? They're not like that exciting though. I guess like the first thing that came to me, which is really dumb, but like I don't really get dating or like relationships and stuff like that. You know, if it happens organically, sure, but like, you know, the default kind of like searching for, it just feels very confusing to me. Always feel. It's like someone asking me like, do you have a car or are you in the market for one? I'm like, well, who cares? You know, That's kind of the vibe I get when people are like, are you taken or are you looking for a relationship? You know, but that's not my main one.

The main one is travel. What? I don't really get it. You love to travel. You love travel. I actually am. For someone who has spent so much money on travel, you're not allowed that take. I know, but it's only, it's only, it wasn't my decision.

Because I really like hang out of my friends. If my friends are like, we're going to go here. Go like, okay, I'll go. Pressure to the max. I'm like, I'll go wherever they're going because we're going to have fun. Yeah. But I'm like, if they were like, we're going to go to Coles in Mount Waverly.

I'd be like, okay, fuck it. Let's go to Coles in Mount Waverly. So they're like, you know, they just happen to be like going to Japan and Bali. And I was like, wow, I'll go. Do you know it's actually okay to miss out on those experiences and then bond with them when they get back to learn? I could not possibly do that. I could possibly. And so I'm like, ideally will be in a place that's like the same temperature I'm used to,

maybe in my own house, in my own bed. You know, I'd be anywhere with people that I love. with you guys, with anyone, but I just never understood, like, you know, you've waiting in line for so long at the airport and you're like, you go, oh, does everyone have their visa? It's like, you need that. And then you need the other form. We need this other form. It's like, go ahead.

But it's like, that's the logistics of getting it. But like, once you're there, do you like that? As you're there still, I'm like, I wouldn't mind not having so many dirty clothes to like around. Ideally, I'd like to be in other locations. I really appreciate. This is an insane take. Same with like, you know, like dating and stuff. It's like not a desire that I just naturally inherently have.

That's fair. But I like, I enjoy it. I enjoy it when I'm there. But I'm like, it's not a craving. Okay. Sorry. Wow. All right.

Are we going to be three for three? What are you going? I've got three. You've given me time to stew. Okay. All right. I don't know what one goes first. Overrated.

QR codes on menus. No, I love it. I love a QR code. Literally, I don't want to talk to anybody if I don't have to. No. I don't wait either. Yes. Yes.

Why do I have to sign up every single time? Why do I have to like give you my mobile number, wait for a code, wait for that code to come through, then key it in. And then I have to manually put my credit card details in. And then it bullies you into leaving a tip before I've had any service at all. Like, I don't understand and I feel guilty. and why do you need my email for marketing purposes when I just want a margarita? Yeah, that's fair. That's fair.

That is fair. Stop. Like, if you're going to be a QR code, you're meant to make things easy. Yeah. There's so much friction in that journey. People always get so worked up about the tip situation. I'm really worked up. The whole, like, if a tree falls in the woods, blah, blah.

It's like, if we don't see the service, the service exists. It's like someone's bringing you the food. Still, someone's cooking the food. Someone's gotten up early to get to their shift on time. But we're in Australia. Why tip culture? This is the difference. That's true.

Here you tip, I think, for quality of service. Yeah, 100%. Like, as someone who worked in hospital for years, like, it's a nice to have. It's not a required. And I am a tipper for that. Like, for good service, I will always go out of my way to make sure that that person knows. Like, I love that. But why are you shaming me with the QR code instead of pressing like 5, 10, 15?

It goes, no, maybe next time. That's true because it's like, that's not really what I'm saying. I was saying before. off air to our gorgeous producer today. I was like, bring back booing. Boo. Like, if you don't like something, boo. And bring back shame.

Like, I agree. More people need more shame. Shame is good sometimes. Exactly. I agree. Boo to QR codes. Wow. My second.

The last one, I think I'm going to get the most cancelled for, I don't know, matcha, overrated. Okay. I put it in the same category as, yeah. Yeah, okay. No, matcha, cancel that. And gender reveals. Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why are we celebrating gender of our child? I nearly said weddings, and I was like, you're allowed to say weddings. I would have agreed as someone who spent an astronomical amount of money on weddings, overrated, enjoyed it, loved it, would do it again. Happy for people to do what feels good for them. Absolutely.

I just think it's great. Anyway. Yeah, I'm the same. But, yeah, gender reveals need to get in the bin. Also, niche, but gender reveals. videos where the partner is unhappy. Oh, yeah. And then posting it.

Very strange. You had that on your phone and you watched it. And yet you still chose to upload it. And you didn't leave. Every time I see one of those, I think your partner wants the world to know that you're a jerk. Like, that's the only thing I can think of. Yeah. Or it is like the gender stereotypes are so strong and you're so traditional that it's almost like

funny. It's like, oh, you know, he wants a boy. and it's like funny, it's like humorous. It's like, which is so fine. But like diabolical. Absolutely not. For sure. Anyway.

I've got to know everybody else's. What is your overrated thing? Because I feel like we've all really put ourselves on the line. We need that as a whole thread. Comment on Spotify, please. Or maybe pop it in Facebook as well. We will not cancel you. And do you know what you guys have the privilege of now is if we put this either on Spotify,

yeah, put it in our comments. But if this was in Facebook, like on a thread, you have the benefit of being able to be anonymous. so they can be even more unhinged. I hate it too, but in this situation, like, sorry. Yeah, matcha tastes like grass. I don't get it. I don't get it.

And don't you dare slide into my DMs and be like, eh, you just haven't had a good matcher. No, they all taste like grass. I don't know if I'll have a podcast come back to next week after we've dropped all of those. So we'll see. You're going to cancel my entire career. But that is okay because I feel like that question of what is like

something you think is overrated would be, an impeccable icebreaker. Yes. True. I like that question. Next time you have a corporate get together. They're like, we're going to do a little icebreaker challenge. Suggest that.

See how it goes. You just know some old man's going to make a really funny joke and be like, women's rights. Oh, yeah. Thanks, Ted. Shut up. Go back to the finance department. All right, guys, please send your best questions of the week for a chance to be featured on the show. It doesn't need to be money related.

In fact, it's actually more likely to be chosen if it's not money related. The more unhinged, arguably, the better. All right. You know what isn't overrated? Celebrating all of the stuff that goes on in our community, whether you've negotiated a bill down from an existing supplier or you've found $10 in your centre console. My friends, a win is a win.

And Miss Jessica Ricci is going to tell us about what the community's been up to this week. Well, Caitlin has managed to save herself $4,000 on her house renovations. $4,000. And just by shopping things secondhand. Icon. People have things left over from their renaos or giving stuff away. She's managed to save herself a very tidy sum. Libby says she paid her after payoff, deleted the app and also put $1,000 into her emergency savings.

Amazing. Which we love to see it. Then I've got Sheena who said, I'm an RACQ member. So I buy Woolie's gift cards at a 4% discount. Okay, Icon. It gets better. She's also paid for the annual Woolworth's membership, which gives her 10% off. once per month. And on top of that, she signed up to their mobile plan. So she had another 10%

discount as well. She stacks it all together so she can save at least 14% off of her shop each time. 14%. There you go. You're a genius, Sheena. I know. Sheena's got it figured out. I wonder if you can stack off. I'm sure she probably would have because that's 24% altogether. I'm going to start looking at that. And also, if you're really strategic about that, you'd obviously use your 10% for your biggest shop of the month. Yeah. All of your like, or non-perishables and stables.

Yeah. You can just pop them in one shop. Genius. Really clever. Good one from Sheena. Next, I've got one from Jess, excellent name who says,

I'm not sure if it counts, and I would like to say it definitely does. She just started a full-time Monday to Friday job after being casual for over a year. Congratulations, Jess. Congratulations. And I love that Carolyn then jumped on the thread and said, of course it counts.

When you have your first stick day, you don't have to worry about money. That's where the wins are. Stabilities and money win. Good job. And I just love to see you guys hyping each other. Yeah, hell yeah. So wholesome.

Next, I've got one from Lisa who said I was successful in landing a new role at work, two grades above my current one. She's now earning over six figures, which is really exciting, still with super on top, flexible working agreements. She has a great manager, a new team. And she just said she's feeling really proud and grateful. Which I want to celebrate. Well done, Lisa.

Amazing. And then lastly this week, I've got a money win from Maddie, who said, out 100 bucks from shop back in the last fortnight. It's been accumulating over the last two months, but it felt like a huge win. I've lodged my tax return and I'm getting a fair bit back. So double win for me. I adore all of those. Gorgeous. Good little roundup, Jess. Miss Beck, Syed, broke tips. What are you bringing to the table? Okay, so this first one comes from Remy, who says, rotating subscriptions, I use one different subscription per month. If there's something on

binge I want to watch, it'll still be there next month. So I'll cancel my current subscription. and do that one next, for example. So I think it's a great idea. We're only watching one show at a time. Yeah, that's so true. And then it kind of like makes you feel a little bit more excited about it. It's more of a, you know, when you like go and rent a movie, it's different to like just scrolling on Netflix and like finding something.

So it's like if you have in your mind that you're going to go to binge next month and watch this specific thing, it feels more exciting, feels more special. So I think it's like kind of like a double whammy. It's saving you money and also it kind of makes it exciting. I love it. I love it. This next one comes from Lynn who says, cheap air fresheners putting water down hand soap on a pad and sticking it in your car or the lid of the bin or those sticky circle pads you might find like at the bottom of table or chair legs.

Same kind of thing. So pad as in period. Oh, I thought it meant cotton pad. There's both one. It's like, you know, those little ones you put at the bottom of the, you know, you chairs and tables. Like a cotton round or something. A cotton round. A period pad, I'm imagining.

And then the period pad is the other one. You just peel it off. It's already sticky on the bottom. Yes. But I would have thought that they were designed to kind of... Well, they absorb, don't they? Yeah, but trap? Like, smell.

Some of them are meant to trap odour or like... Maybe get the real cheap ones. Get the really cheap ones. Yeah, yeah. Get the ones with wings. Well, I do that for my kids nappy bins niche, but I get the cotton rounds and essential oils and I just pop a whole heap of essential oils on the cotton round and drop it at the bottom of the nappy bin and then put the bag over the top because a nappy bin it sucks.

Dryersheets is what we put in our bin. Oh, you're really smart. I've heard people say, yeah. Learn that on the internet somewhere. What is a dryer sheet? I think it's just meant to scent your clothes and dry. I actually have never used a dryer sheet in the dryer. But it's like so cheap.

It's like five bucks for a pack of, I don't even know. We've never finished the pack that we've got. And so we just chuck one in the bottom of the bin. And then when we switch it every week, we switch the thing. Okay. What else you got? My one is very nappy related. What?

She knows your audience. So, and obviously, like, talk to a dermatologist, whatever, whatever. Apparently, napierash cream is a budget-friendly face cream. But obviously, check the ingredients first and make sure you're... Stop, because that's so funny. I am still going through the biggest flare-up of peri-oral dermatitis I've had in my entire life. and my legitimate dermatologist suggested that I go to bed with pseudocram on my face. There you go.

Because it helps calm it. It's full of zinc oxide and it's obviously safe for babies, safe for your face. Yes. I don't know, Tilly from Tilly and Mali, I think maybe what they're called. She has been putting that for cream. I have been doing it most nights. It's very attractive. I'll send you a picture.

Please go. Also, did you know that it's pseudo-crem, not pseudo-cream? No. Suducrem. Yeah, it's C-R-E-M. Like, that's how it's spelled. There's no E-A-M, but we all call it pseudocrime. And I got corrected the other day, so I stand corrected.

I fear I'll continue to call it pseudocream. Yeah, me too. Me too. All right. Well, that's genius. I love it. Thank you. If you haven't already joined the She's on the Money Facebook group,

please do so immediately. Not only is the community super helpful and supportive, they will bring you some of the best savings hacks and budget tips going around. We're going to take a really quick break, but when we get back, it is time for a risky money dilemma. Welcome back, everybody. Let's take a listen to this week's Money Dilemma. Hi there. Have you got a money dilemma you just can't solve? The She's on the Money team is here to help. Every week, we tackle your dilemmas, both big and small, to answer your most burning money, career and life questions. To get involved, simply head to our website and leave us a short voice recording

and you might just find yourself on the show. Now let's take a listen to this week's Money Dilemma. Hi, she's on the money. I have a question regarding investing. Currently, I've been investing for a goal of retirement, but I've recently thought maybe in so 10 years or so looking at purchasing a house. So obviously I have that short-term goal as well.

As I was looking to invest for retirement, I classified myself as a high-growth risk profile because it's so far away. And now with the shorter goal, I have done other questionnaires and things, and they say you're either conservative growth or high growth. And so I'm a little confused on that sense. Obviously, I have my super and that's going to be purely for retirement. But my question is, is there a way to have two risk profiles in one micro-investing count on sharesies. I'm just a little unsure of what profile I would be. So I'd like to have the

option of having both. And then once one goal is done, then moving on to another one. But is that a feasible thing to do? Is that something that's normal? I'd love your help with this. Thank you so much. What are your thoughts? I feel like there's a couple of things to pull apart. So the first thing is that you're asking about risk profiles within sharesies specifically. Sharesi's is a brokerage platform so you don't get classified, so to speak, into a specific profile or category in the way that you would in a razor space ship where there's a couple of set portfolios tailored to separate risk profiles on a normal brokerage or an open brokerage platform like a shares is. So when you're selecting your own shares, the responsibility is on you to select things

that feel in line with your risk profile. Risk profile, I guess, I don't want to use the word ambiguous, But it's almost like if you think about it, you do a personality test, right? Like we'll actually talk about the Myers-Briggs and, you know, I'm in NFJ or whatever it is that I am. It's, I believe, and I'm sure Victoria will be able to tell me if I'm wrong, it's hard to exist within two different profiles. Yeah, you just don't. Like, you're a this or you're a that. Yeah. And so it sounds like for a listener, your goal has changed and therefore your risk profile has changed in line with your goal.

Yes. You actually can't have two different risk profiles. you can have different goals that require different timeframes, which would then require you to take on less risk because they're short term versus long term, but you actually can't be somebody else. For example, let's use me, I'm a high growth investor, but I'm also an educated investor. So I know if I've got a holiday coming up next year that I need to fund, that money is not going to go into my investment portfolio and being exposed to the share market because that doesn't make sense. So I have lots of different goals that have lots of different plans for how they make money,

but my long-term investment goal is to invest aggressively. So like anything that is long-term is very exposed to the market and not a lot of it sits in cash, whereas short-term goals, they do sit in cash. So I think it's really important to actually not look at your risk profile, go do a risk profile assessment and see what that comes out as, but assess each goal and their time frame and then what investments could then fit that time frame. Because if it's short term, well, you're obviously not going to expose it to the share market. Maybe a high interest savings account works better for that specific goal.

And I have a high interest savings account. That doesn't mean I'm not a high risk investor. It just means that that money shouldn't be exposed to the market on a short period of time. Does that make sense? Yes, that's a much better explain version of what I was trying to say. Thank you. Just say, ditto. Yeah, agreed.

I concur. The other thing I was going to say is that within your portfolio, You can also hold, and most portfolios do, like if you're well diversified, different types of investments. So, you know, we talk about, you say you have a few shares that are take a punch shares, that you would be considered high risk. But then you also hold blue chip stocks, which are much lower risk. So just because you fit within a certain risk profile does mean that you can't build out a well-rounded and balanced portfolio. But, yeah, you kind of, from my understanding, you fit into one spot and then exactly as you said, you adjust your strategy based on your goal

and your risk profile kind of overlays all of those things. Is that fair? Yeah, because you'd have some high risk investments for long term growth, but then you'd have lower risk options for stability. And that doesn't mean that you're not a high growth investor. It just means that you've been strategic about how things work. And that way your overall portfolio reflects like a blend that suits your different goals or comfort levels that you can adjust any time as your risk appetite changes. Yeah. I really was lost and I came back and then I was lost again, but I really trust wholeheartedly

what you guys are saying. So that's all for me. Well, in that case, would you like to hear the DM of the week? Yes, please. Well, one community member wrote in and she said, Hi, ladies, I'm starting maternity leave in a few weeks. And while going through the interview process for my replacement, I was a bit shocked to hear my boss offer my exact salary to one of the candidates. For context, I work in a very niche industry

and have been at the company for eight years. I'm a senior leader within the business and I do a lot more than what my job description entails. The person they offered my salary to for the 12-month mat leave cover has only been doing the job for three years at a different slower-paced company. Should I be offended that they don't seem to value my worth? Is it acceptable to ask for a pay rise when I return from maternity leave. I do apologize. I'm ignorant. I guess it feels fair because, Victoria, you taught me this.

I'm like, same salary. It shouldn't be based on experience. And then you taught me like this, you know, some people, like Jess, for example, if there was now another role exactly the same as Jess's, they wouldn't be immediately on Jess's salary. Because you, like, worked away up. Sorry, I can't afford it, actually. You know? And so I'm like, and then it really did make me think about things differently.

And I was like, okay, I can see that. But I think for this kind of thing, it's in my mind, it's like like like for like, I guess. And it's like someone's taking over your role. It seems like they do have experience. It really isn't just like someone off the street or whatever. Like that's never done this before. And they're like, we really need someone to do this. But even then it's like their budget is still the same.

I would be annoyed if someone went on Mat leave and I was like, okay, well, I'll step into that for a little while. And they're like, okay, well, you don't usually do this role. so we're going to pay you way less or even a little bit less. I'd be like, what the hell? No, I don't want to do it then, you know? So I can see on both ends, you'd be like, oh, don't you value me more than this other person? It's rough, isn't it? I could be missing something.

But I'm like, it feels fair to me. It depends on the personal relationship you have with your workplace, right? So like, let's say, and I'm just guessing here, let's say you go work at a university where all of the incomes are banded and, like, are set. So you can only earn that amount for a level seven. or whatever. And, you know, your role is worth $70,000. And therefore, when we're hiring a maternity leave replacement, it's like they're replacing your job. And so therefore, the budget for that replacement is $70,000 like for like. You could feel that you do a lot more than your

job and you could feel all of that and that your value to more. But the business might come back and be like, but babe, that's just what the role is worth. And if you left the business, that's how much would pay for someone new to come in. And yes, you do have a lot of experience. And stuff, but the role is just worth $70,000. And that would be entirely plausible. But on the flip side, let's say Jess, because you brought Jess's salary into conversation, and I do apologize, Jess. I won't disclose the figure here, don't you worry.

But let's say this happens to Jess. And Jess goes on maternity leave and she saw that I was going to pay her replacement what I paid Jess. She would be rightly offended. I see. Because Jess does a really good job, gets paid more than what, like, an average. average partnerships manager gets paid, but because she goes above and beyond, because she has all of the experience and, like, I have articulated that quite clearly and she knows why and when

and all of that, like, I think she'd be a bit like, no one can replace me and do what I do because they can't. And she wouldn't be wrong. So I can see why two people might have two different views on this and both of them are correct. Yeah. If that makes sense. That does make sense. I don't think I personally would be offended if I went a matter of leave. Thank you. You got paid the same as it. I think the other thing you have to factor in is typically short-term contract roles are paid at a higher rate because there's a lack of stability.

So if someone's coming in for a maternity leave cover, they know that they're only coming in for a 12-month, you know, often less, period. And therefore, those rates often are a little bit higher to compensate for the fact that it's, well, it's a short-term gig, right? And so there's a lack of stability or, you know, long-term outlook there. So that's also something worth considering when you're feeling the way that you're feeling. Totally valid. I think the bigger question is, do you feel like you're being paid enough?

Because this person being paid the same as you, to me, is kind of irrelevant. Like, I understand exactly, you know, as you were saying, you have long-term knowledge of the business, you're taking on additional work. Do you feel like that is being fairly compensated? Because if the answer to that is no, then yeah, yeah, go ask for a pay rights. Like, I think that that's very fair. And we always say you should be asking for an annual payer. I should be doing all of these things.

But you should also be coming with receipts. Yeah. And yeah, saying, hey, like I do, you've just paid this person, this amount to do this job. Well, I do all of those tasks. Plus these additional tasks, can we talk about being compensated for that? But I think that the maternity leave cover is not as relevant to the situation. It's about what you're doing, your job description, your salary specifically, and how you feel about all of that as a whole.

this person coming in has maybe made you reflect on that, but they shouldn't be, I guess, necessarily the reasoning that you put forward, I would say. Yes, good court. Yeah, it does. What did everybody else think? Okay, so the first question I asked was, should the replacement salary influence how you feel about your own pay? 54% of you said, yep, I'd be questioning it too.

25% said, no, they are separate situations. And 21% said, I am undecided. Pretty fair split. The next question we asked was, what would you do in this situation? 60% of you said, ask for a pay review when I return. 35% said, discuss my responsibilities with my boss. And 5% said, I'd be looking elsewhere. Interesting.

The next question we asked was, do you think loyalty to one employer should be rewarded financially? 67% said yes. 25% said it depends on the industry. And 8% said no. We then obviously said, what is your two cents? And my lord, did you deletate? So very similar to what we were saying. First person said contract similar to casual rate, not permanent, higher pay to entice a right candidate who would take a short term contract.

Another person said loyalty tax is real. Someone else said there should be additional remuneration for short term contracts that you're not considering. Someone else said equal pay for equal work. She needs to look at the market rate and justify extra money based on her experience and performance. Another person said, if you're not embarrassed about how much money you're asking for, you're not asking for enough. I usually love that quote. Wow. I always think that's so funny because I definitely think that that's true. Another person said, replacement is doing the exact same job. I don't see a problem with them being paid the same. Next person said, ask for the pay review. Before Matt leave ends, you don't need to wait. That's great advice. Another person said, if I was taking that role,

I would expect premium pay because it's a short term contract. which would be totally fair. How do we feel about those responses, guys? I think, yeah, they're pretty on par. The only other thing I would say is, and this is a much bigger conversation that we don't have time for today. But keep in mind, if you come back from maternity leave

and immediately ask for a pay rise, there is the potential for pushback based on the fact that you are not up to date. You've taken 12 months away from the company. I don't know what you do for work, but you might be behind on training or you might be behind your different things. So if it is something you're thinking about,

I would maybe encourage you to either start that conversation now or start doing those things because I don't know that it's right or wrong, but I do know that if you were to return from maternity leave and immediately ask for a pay rise, I just feel that there might be pushback. And that's one of the unfortunate burdens. Like, you know, it's disproportionate in the way that it impacts women more often than not and that sucks.

But it's just something I want you to think about because, again, I don't want you to be on the back foot. And also to be a negative Nancy here and to back exactly what you're saying, according to a 2024 paper published by ANU on the impact of motherhood on women's career progression. We know that when mothers enter the workforce, they experience lower wages, higher turnover rates, more frequent employment transitions and more hiring discrimination than men who become parents. And while things like increases to parental leave, child care subsidies and legislation around work from home and stuff like that needs to be. addressed, none of it's going to change overnight. And I agree with asking for a pay rise, but I would be trying to negotiate some of those flexible things because when you return from Matt leave, they might actually be way more valuable to you than a few more dollars in the bank

and don't get me wrong, money is great. But flexibility once you become a parent is greater sometimes. Yeah. Lots to think about. Exactly. I mean, this community, sticking around, hanging out, listening to this podcast obviously has the power to change their own financial futures and why not completely revolutionised, you know, the workplace and the way that we do it. But my friends, thank you for joining us. Thank you for listening to another edition of Friday drinks. We hope that this episode has encouraged you to maybe book in your next pay rise chat. Because maybe you were thinking, like, I'm not back from Matleaf, but like, damn, I do deserve it.

Oh yeah. Or maybe support one if you're higher up. Make sure that you are subscribed so that you never miss. episode and we'll be back next week with a brand new money, Dari, for you to sink your ears into, if that's a thing. Anyway, have a great weekend. Be good to each other and to yourselves. Bye guys.

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