Halifax boosts IT pay to fend off staff 'poachers'

IT staff singled-out for 30 per cent rise.

Halifax Building Society has given its IT staff significant pay rises to stop them being headhunted by other companies.

An internal memo distributed by the Independent Union of Halifax Staff (IUHS), and leaked to Network News, states that staff at the Halifax Information Systems (IS) division will receive a 30 per cent pay rise over three years starting this month.

Ged Nichols, general manager at IUHS, said: "Most of the IS division is being poached by other organisations, Halifax cannot afford to lose any IT staff at this time, and is making sure they stay."

According to Nichols, the pay rises are to retain staff during the 5 year rollout of a #300m technology programme to integrate Halifax building societies with its estate agency business.

He added that staff earning between #13,000 and #33,000 are being targeted the most and will therefore receive the pay rise from the company.

According to the memo, this would mean a possible maximum increase of #7,000, based on competence and experience.

Halifax has 760 IT staff - mostly based in West Yorkshire - and it is estimated that more than half will receive a pay rise.

The internal agreement follows last week's announcement that 35,000 Halifax employees have been guaranteed job security, and the pay rises are in addition to this.

In August 1995, Halifax merged with Leeds Building Society - when 900 Halifax IT staff joined 300 Leeds IT staff. Staffing has since been reduced from 1,200 to 760 members.

Nichols did not comment on whether previous Leeds employees were part of the new agreements.