… to be a bit miffed to find out new coworker is earning more?

[Randomname85]

I’ve been the sole EA at a company for a few years - we’ve hired a new EA, I’ve been heavily involved in the hiring process. She will be supporting less senior people (I am not hierarchical at all but just for info), but I’ve just noticed her starting salary is £12k more than me - I can’t help feel a little undervalued by this especially considering I got my annual feedback at the end of last year and it was glowing.

AIBU?

Motivation for asking for a raise
(read this out loud until you believe it)

I am a good employee
I do my job well
My company has indicated that an equivalent job is work £12K more than I am getting
Therefore my job is worth at least £12K more
Therefore am going to ask for at least £12K more

I work in the City and trust me people would have been knocking on the Manager's door within minutes. If you don't tell them then they will assume you are happy with the inequality. They won't be surprised you ask.

worth not work

I’m higher paid than my colleague. Technically I have more experience and more skills, but I also came from a higher paying job than she did and negotiated a higher wage in the interview. Conversely, she came from a lower paying job and was happy with the lower salary the offered her. Not sure how she feels now that she knows we’re paid differently but my advice is always go ask for more 🤷‍♀️

Can't you just raise it as a grievance? I found out my (male ) colleague, who has been in the job two years less than me, was earning more than me for doing the same job and kicked off ! I'm still waiting for the result of the 'investigation' as they are trying very hard to prove he does different tings (he doesn't) but if I don't get a raise and back pay, I am going straight to my union. There are laws about this!

This happened to me about 20 years ago when I was involved in the interview process of a male who would be doing the same role as me, salary came up in the discussion and it turned out he was being offered £10k more than me. I still kick myself for having said nothing, even if they hadn't offered me any more it's hugely crass to involve someone in the recruitment process if they're getting paid less in the same role as the new hire.
You have to speak to your boss. Ask them about the salary discrepancy, particularly as the new hire isn't taking on the senior managers and you are.
Be very dispassionate about it , ask open questions " I happened to see that salary is £13k more than mine, but I'll be responsible for the more senior executives, so that doesn't seem right. Why is the salary so much higher? " and be prepared for awkward silences which you must not fill up. Let them squirm and feel it - you definitely deserve more if this is the market cost for a new hire.

Yanbu to be miffed, but now, please take PPs advice and do something about it.

Sadly often the best way to get a pay rise is to go elsewhere. If you like working there, give them the chance to put it right, but be ready to look elsewhere too.

@AryaStarkWolf my boss luckily is very used to my "er excuse me, this isn't fair, sort it?"
I don't earn a lot at all though! But we are all paid the same except for commission so it's very transparent

I worked somewhere for 8 years where the men doing the same job as me earned more. 3 times I tried to raise it with my boss and he fobbed me off every time. So I quit.

When was your last raise?

She might be supporting less senior people but will she picking up work that you don't or that you don't have the skill set so effectively its not the same job?

This is what happens where I work so hardly anyone can do the "why is she paid more than me" thing.