In thinking my manager is hugely insensitive for wearing these things into work?

[Mandarinthyme]

Our department head is very young and glamorous and is fairly new to the company. We know her salary range as it was stated alongside the job advert (a six figure salary whilst the rest of the team are lucky to earn a quarter of that). Every day she swans in to the office like she’s dressed for the catwalk, different designer handbags (the very obvious types - think Gucci, LV etc), Rolex watch, Cartier bracelets, designer belts and shoes. Not to mention the perfect nails, hair and everything else that we just cannot afford these days.

Meanwhile our large team is underpaid and overworked. The recent financial climate means many of us are struggling to heat our homes, worrying about mortgage/rental price hikes and generally having to really cut back. We are all office based and this is something we talk about frequently in conversation, so she’s completely aware of this. She’s previously had the cheek to say that we are all feeling the pinch given the financial situation, which is an absolute insult when she rubs her wealth in our faces 5 days a week.

AIBU in feeling completely incensed by this and wondering how on earth she can think it’s appropriate?! The whole team are upset with this and considering raising it with HR.

Why did you google the cost of her belts?

It sounds like you all need to get on with your jobs.

OP, I think you need help. Go outside, touch some grass.

Sounds like they are grazing on it.

He had five new sports cars per week?

But yes, do some research as to what payscales in similar industries are. Get in touch with your union and discuss what collective action you can take to address this low pay and massive discrepancy across the workforce.

Jealousy isn’t always a bad thing.it can point us towards somewhere we feel lacking.and this is clearly what this is.but is this her fault.what if this is the only thing that brings her joy in the current world.I don’t think her salary is her fault.and yes it could be considered insensitive and I’d like to think if rethink my outfit if I was her.
but I wouldn’t be wanting to spend that wealth on clothes.I would love a nice house and car though.so how would you feel if you realised where I lived with that money?
I no it’s hard right now op.maybe just work together to support one another through this time.
is she otherwise a good/nice person btw.

A coworker. He was angry at me because I was asking to pick up his shift because I needed a few extra hours because I was struggling to pay the electric bill. I was young and naive at the time and shared a bit too much about myself.

Because you keep emphasising how poor you were. It doesn't matter if you were in fact wealthy. You can be wealthy and wear what you want and be good at your job. Your co-worker is just a co-worker and it doesn't matter what he thinks - he doesn't get to dictate what you wear whatever your circumstances.

I get how you feel - my boss is much, much wealthier than me and wears less flashy but very expensive things - but then I wouldn't want their job and stress, so...

@saraclara I agree. They will make twits of themselves if they go to HR. However the young boss will need to learn to read the room.

Sounds like you just don’t like her tbh

So what? You are being totally unreasonable, as are the rest of your team. You might not like her flaunting, but she is completely free to do so. HR will do nothing.

You definitely sound jealous and I bet you and the rest of the team are all chatting about the manager and getting yourselves in a frenzy. Maybe she could go to HR about the bullying.

You’re very very BU and unreasonable. It’s not other peoples job to make you feel good about yourself. So you’re saying it doesn’t matter if that’s how she has always dressed or how she makes herself feel positive, she should change because you don’t like it. Nonsense.

I might possibly notice if someone was dressed very glamourously and think they were over-dressed for work. Definitely wouldn't automatically notice or care about the designer brands, though. I find it interesting that so many of you instantly recognised the expensive brands and felt immediate self-righteous indignation over it.

If this is her only flaw, you need to get over it. Stop paying attention to how she dresses. Who cares what she wears, if she's not talking about it, asking people to guess how much things cost her, etc. She must do her job well enough aside from this egregious error, because then you'd not need to nit-pick about her clothes.

Yes this. That's the real problem, not the clothes.

This!!!!
I run a department and I enjoy spending my money on things to make me look nice. I can't believe people think like this!

You do realise HR are part of management?

eerr yes you all can be jealous

Maybe you could be earning six figures OP if you put as much effort in to your job/career as you have this ridiculous witch hunt.

It's an HR issue for sure - a similar thing happened to one of my former clients (not her, but her business). It was a smallish business, but there were "factory workers" on minimum wage and then the management and "higher ups" who earned significantly more. She found out that one of her "higher ups" had been chatting in the canteen to one of the guys in the factory complaining about how long her Range Rover had been in the workshop, and how she was buying a new house in a very posh area etc etc. My client's view (which I agree with) is that it's bad for morale in a business basically. There should be more discretion when some earn more than others and it shouldn't be rubbed in their staff's faces

I’d be telling you to complain about it. Will give her a good laugh about how jealous her ‘minions ‘are of her and her mega wages!. Get a better paid job and go and buy yourself some nice things.

ridiculous complaint!

OP why do you think it’s fair fit your boss to fork out on another wardrobe of clothes that suits your and your colleagues tastes? How do you know these clothes, handbags and jewellery were bought by your boss or if she did buy them, that she didn’t get them fit about 20% of what you think she paid.

At least you’re having a good team bonding session.

Telling younger staff to read the room is just more 'get down little woman' talk.
Reading the room is for workload, feelings, emergencies etc. Not clothes.

Eh???

But OP's boss is not chatting about stuff. She is just wearing it.

I sort of get you op, although I can't imagine an industry where most staff are paid 20k-ish and the head of dept is on 100k-plus. Is there nobody in between?
Yes it absolutely makes no sense.
I've worked in a few shit jobs since the DC were born for and no management was earning 6 figures excluding the owners.