Manager making comments on my salary

[helenvellyn]

Straight off the bat I'll say that my manager and I don't always see eye to eye.

He is not a lot older than me and is openly dismissive of women he perceives as a threat to him. Although he is my line manager, he doesn't do my day job and so has little involvement in my actual work. I effectively manage myself.

He has before made little digs about my salary, saying that I get paid too much and that he doesn't see how I can have no money (when joining office collective groaning about January payday) when 'he knows how much I earn'.

Today I said I was talking to a colleague about how I saved £40 buying some boots in a sale. He butted in and said 'I know how much you earn and you don't need to be buying boots in the sale'. This was in earshot of other colleagues.

AIBU to think this is very inappropriate? I am well paid for my role but I negotiated this and the company were obviously willing to pay it.

I don't think it's appropriate for a manager to remind me that he knows my salary as it was negotiated with HR and not him. He seems unhealthily preoccupied with it and I feel uncomfortable with the comments in front of colleagues.

AIBU?

It will only be just only a year but I was approached about the new role so they presumably don't care about this.

If it's just about a year, it'll probably be another week or so in recruitment and then you maybe have a 4 week notice period? So that's 13 months and you can always stretch it a bit in future- like if you started this job last March you can turn it into February etc.

Honestly I think the old 2 year thing has gone now, in this climate. I don't think 1 year in a job looks bad. And if it's for an obvious promotion, there's your reason.

You're a woman in a tech industry and a male superior who sounds like he might be older? And he has openly admitted that no matter how well you do, he will not out your forward for a bonus... would he do that if you were a man? I hate to use the female card, but in the case it might be best to get away from him so great news on the interview coming up. Good luck!

Screenshot the requests for info then email the answer back to him.

He sounds like a dick. I would just get away from him personally. Have had my own problems recently and that's the direction I'm heading.

Tell him it's none of his business and he needs to stop as it's so unprofessional and not his place to comment.

Screen shots of the messages is a good idea if you can't save them but hopefully it won't matter because you'll get the other job.
Good luck

Ian the new role within the same company? Will they approach your line manager for feedback if it’s in the same company?

As you said, get tangible evidence of his behaviour, even if that means asking for email chains and being smart when he asks you for info. Get it all in writing, because you may need this for hr or the new manager if he tries to scupper an internal move

I have nothing to add to the excellent advice given, but I'll be rooting for you on Thursday- please do come back and update us!

New job isn't the same company but it is in the same industry.

I hate to play the sexist card. But I was at an event with my manager and my ex line manager was a speaker there. He was absolutely vile to her and about her afterwards, despite having worked together for three years. He is often the same with female account managers from various agencies we deal with. I thought it was unprofessional at the time.

So he needs you to give him info so he doesn't look like he doesn't know his job to senior managers, but at the same time he's badmouthing you up the line. He's disclosed info about your salary to colleagues (not the amount but that you don't need to save money) and he's got an unhealthy obsession with your salary. I know you don't trust HR but the comment that he won't recommend you for a pay rise no matter what you do, how you perform is a string basis for a complaint but put it together with everything else, and you have everything from bullying to discrimination to plain old incompetence in management. He's in so much trouble he's panicking like mad. I wish you luck for Thursday, but if it doesn't work out I think you are in a much stronger position than you realise. Don't give him the information he needs so easily. Why prop him up when he treats you like this? He's not shorter than you by any chance, is he?