Feeling disgusted by friend’s DD’s salary

[DisgustedParent]

Best friend’s DD is the same age as mine (26) and we’ve known each other since both DD’s were born. My DD went off to uni but struggled to find a job after her degree and has ended up working in a call centre (financial services) where she is paid very poorly, has to work unsociable hours and is not treated well by management at all. It’s awful to watch her struggling to get by after rent and bills, knowing that despite working long hours, she may never own a property of her own or be able to afford to do all of the things she wants to do in life. My friend knows all about DD’s struggles and my worries for her as we are very close.

Her DD went straight in to an apprenticeship after school at 16 and landed herself in a role in Data Protection. Over the years she’s completed all sorts of professional certifications in the field and worked her way up, but never did a degree. I hear today from my friend that she has just accepted a senior management data protection role at the same large financial firm where my DD works. Friend has gleefully told me that her DD will be earning an eye watering £70,000 per year along with all sorts of benefits such as home working, health insurance, allocated parking... all of which of course aren’t available to my DD despite working for the same employer.

AIBU in feeling absolutely furious about this on DD’s behalf and thinking that there is something so very wrong about a company which pays its front line workers the absolute minimum, with no benefits whatsoever, whereas those with more ‘fancy’ job roles who probably don’t do an awful lot at all (and friend’s DD at 26 is still barely old enough to be out of school!) get to swan in to the company earning an astronomical amount, with lots of benefits on top too. Friend’s DD has already bought a house, has a brand new car, is always on holiday and draped in designer clothes. Meanwhile my DD and the rest of her call centre colleagues are threatened with redundancy regularly and are frequently told that salaries will not be increased as cuts have to be made.....How can this be justified?!

But OP, think about it. Businesses need to do what they can to attract skilled workers. Your DDs work is not skilled where as her friends is. Her friend has trained, received qualifications, has experience in her field. She is a desirable candidate who they need and who they benefits from all the knowledge and experience she brings. They want to retain her therefore they've made provisions for her to work from home etc. Your DD, as horrible as this is, is replaceable at work in her unskilled role. We all are to some extent, just some are more so than others. Sorry but this is how the world works.

Have you never worked before?

If your DDs friend has been working since she was 16 then she's got a decade of working under her belt. She's clearly competent, hence actively seeking extra training, which has led to career progression, and very good pay.
I'm 26, and have lots of friends working at badly paid jobs they are massively over qualified for that have nothing to do with their degree subjects.
They may as well have not gone to uni for all the use they are putting their degrees to.
They are all middle class, and went to university because they were expected to. Not because of any particular passion for their degree subjects, although they all did well in them. Firsts and 2.1s.
They didn't apply for graduate schemes, or further training in their fields. They work in call centres, and supermarkets.
A degree is only an advantage if you use it appropriately, and make the most of it. Otherwise you'd do better to leave school at 16, get an apprenticeship, and work your way up.
Your daughter should look for a job in her degree field, take further training in that field, and apply for a graduate scheme. McDonalds offer special management programmes just for people with degrees. The army let people with degrees join as officers. If she's got a maths or science subject she's get a huge bursary to train as a secondary teacher. Just examples.

@YouTheCat friend’s DD has not been working for the company for 10 years. She has just accepted a job there. She does have around 10 years experience in the field but started at very low level.

I’m 26, my sister who didn’t go to uni and is 20 is doing much better than me, and earning double my 20k salary.
Not sure what the issue is. You’re bonkers.

It is understandable that your friend's daughter would be paid more as she has been with the company longer and has a lot more experience than your daughter. Experience really is key.

You also can't assume your friend's daughter doesn't work hard or that she has not earned her promotion.

What I do agree is disgusting, is that the lower tier staff are treated like shit, are under paid and are constantly threatened with lay-offs just so they can pay much higher wages to management staff. That part is absolutely disgusting. I also think your friend is a bit insensitive, gloating about her daughter when she knows how your is struggling.

Is this a wind up 😂😂

@DisgustedParent if your dd went to uni, unless she went mega early, she can only have 5 years experience tops. If friends DD has double that, why on earth would your dd be paid more?

@DisgustedParent
Furthermore working and developing and getting to the top in 10y isn’t unheard of at all

I earn About half of my chief executives salary. It’s so unfair. Why can’t my organisation reward me for being a good person?

you should just stop being jelious in my opinion

ilovepixie that's not true. 70% graduate jobs don't ask for a specific degree subject but they really value graduates in what you call 'random' subjects. History graduates are particularly sought after.

@CaptSkippy she hasn’t been with the company longer. She will be brand new to the company.

Which is exactly how people climb ladders. Each change usually comes with a salary increase in financial services.

Do you live in a cave?

I think my post has been totally misunderstood. DD’s friend has not worked in the company before, this is a new position which she has just accepted in the same firm where my DD has already been working.

Yeah, I saw that after I posted. But your friend's daughter still has a lot more experience than your daughter and that matters.

Why don’t we pay nurses as much as doctors?

Why aren’t dental assistants paid the same as dentists?

Secretaries as much as CEOs?

I have a degree, my much higher paid boss doesn't. Do I begrudge her it, no I bloody don't. She's fabulous at her job and works damned hard, much harder than I do. You sound really bitter and totally lack knowledge in how the job market works.

You get paid what someone else feels is your worth. Suck it up buttercup

friend’s DD at 26 is still barely old enough to be out of school!

So is my 10 year old relative barely out of nappies then?

—this is a wind-up falalalalalala—

You sound very naive, about the world of work, OP. What do you do?

@DisgustedParent "friend’s DD has not been working for the company for 10 years. She has just accepted a job there. She does have around 10 years experience in the field but started at very low level."

Where I'm from that's something to be celebrated. There is no official data protection profession or qualification, as it stands you become an expert as per the legislation suggests with experience which it sounds like she has developed. There is potential to earn a fair bit in data protection and other areas of compliance due to the liability (even if not personally taken as a DPO), heard of the GDPR and the multi million pound fines I assume? It will be your daughter's friend who is advising the company on what risks to take and avoid, while your daughter answers a phone making much smaller impact decisions, of course one earns more than the other, that's not disgusting it's common sense.

DD’s friend has not worked in the company before, this is a new position which she has just accepted in the same firm where my DD has already been working

With more experience and therefore at a higher level. Do you think when people change company for roles within their area of expertise they don’t move horizontally or upward and have to start again at the bottom?

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis totally agree with you.

Wow. Your attitude stinks. Why not be glad for your DD's friend? She's clearly worked hard for the last 10 years.

Don't compare your DD.

The world is full of injustice. Is is right that a banker earns a million times more than a nurse? I expect not but who am I to judge.

Do you not think this young women has worked hard for what she has achieved?