Furious about colleague's salary

[fightfirewithfiree]

I am this person's line manager and I just found out she earns more than me.

She does not have any special/ technical skills that I don't - her job role is what I used to do for 4 years before being promoted to management - and she's not even that good at it if I'm honest.

She has been in the organisation a year less than me.

I have been her manager for a year now. My boss is very hush-hush about salaries but I found out inadvertently her salary is £1000 per year more than mine (an administrator/ finance person showed me something she didn't realise I wasn't supposed to see).

I actually think it's ridiculous anyway that I'm her line manager and am not supposed to know her salary. Feel like leaving the organisation, feeling very devalued.

It's a really unpleasant thing to have to raise with my manager, I hate talking about money but if I'm managing someone surely I should earn more than them, I have far more resposibility for all kinds of things.

WWYD?

You might want to reconsider that sacking policy if you’re in the U.K. that’s an easy tribunal win for someone.

One of my staff members earns more that her senior, for valid reasons.

She asked, she is more profitable for the business and she has generated some really good relationships with customers that are valuable.

Well, that is just absolutely ridiculous.

This, this, this. I've long believed that in the vast majority of cases the only ones to benefit from a policy of keeping salaries confidential is the company. How does it benefit an individual not to know what anyone else in the company earns? I've always been quite happy for fellow members of staff to know a ballpark figure of what I earn and if they think they are out of line with that, they can then take it up with management.
You must work with some lovely people so. Over the years I’ve worked with people who were argumentative and pushy, and had salaries been common knowledge, I’ve no doubt they’d have shouted the house down and possibly made quieter employees on larger wages feel bad about themselves too!

Aren’t you interested why your report chose to “leap frog” you and go above you in order to negotiate a pay rise? Is this is not the company process - then I would be asking….. why? Did she not think you’d be open to the discussion and / or effective in progressing?

Raise it immediately. You don’t have to tell them how you found out. I’m freelance and end up renegotiating my salary on every job. I always push for more than they offer and it’s surprising how often you get it.

One good thing about working in the NHS, we all know what each other gets paid (not enough of course). There are still gripes about people having responsibility and duties above their pay grade, but this situation should not occur. Definitely go to your manager and ask for a rise in line with inflation, at least.

A decent company should pay a set wage for a job. It should be transparent.

I hate all this 'negotiation ' nonsense, it just leads to a unhappy and resentful workplace.

I'm glad I work for an organisation with set grades for clearly defined roles.

Hi, yes, this happened at my old job. An increase in market rates meant that the manager was earning circa £50k, experienced staff on £30-£40k, and new staff coming on at £65k.

I left because of it. Offered a new role at another company. They offered to match the salary, but too little, too late

I'm sorry but you sound very spiteful. It's clearly nor your job to determine what this person deserves to be paid and you've admitted that on more than one occasion you've been shown information about your staff you have no right to see. You should be directing your attention towards negotiating your own value and making sure your employer is aware how undervalued you feel. You certainly should not be making anyone aware that you've seen how much others are being paid! It sounds as if you were happy with your salary until you found out someone of a lower grade is paid more. If you are not unionised with collective bargaining this is how it works I'm afraid and it's down to you and you alone to negotiate your own value. I work in the public sector so totally appreciate feeling underpaid and undervalued for what you do but your automatic reaction that someone else should get les to improve your own morale is a really bad quality, especially in someone responsible for other people.

A “set wage” stifles initiative and exceeding expectations and going above and beyond. Just do precisely what is in job spec and nothing more because no point - won’t be rewarded for it.

Well suited to a communist economy though

Why didn’t you try to negotiate before job hunting? Clearly it was something they were very open to

And this is why I'm glad to work in local government. Salaries on a public pay scale, everyone knows what they're getting and everyone else as well. Your employers are shitty, tbh I'd be looking at another job. They've knowingly undervalued/underpaid you for your role.

They're getting paid 83 quid a month before tax more than you.. not exactly a massive difference. I'm sure you could negotiate a better package for yourself.

How do you know? Could be a very low income industry

Raise it with your manager but look elsewhere anyway. I spent way too long being loyal to firms only to find that we’re all expendable. They clearly don’t value you enough, so find somewhere that does.

You could try reading better. The OP clearly says she negotiated hard for her current pay. It's unlikely the subordinate just negotiated better. Far more likely their relationship with the big boss is relevant.

Yawn

hi, I did indeed, but didn’t get anywhere... “the company as a whole are currently looking at benchmarking”... but then it suddenly appeared that they could increase my salary when I was offered a new job.

ive tried to negotiate higher salaries in the past, some managers were great. Others acted very offended as though I had personally offended them

Read most of the thread. This kind of situation boils my p#@s. It is exactly why we still have a gender pay gap, and I disagree with everyone saying her salary should be private. Maybe if we were all a bit more open about salaries then bosses couldn’t pull this nonsense.

First off, most salary bands will have points where an,ore junior person could earn more than a more senior person, but that is normally in complex organisations that needs highly skilled roles e.g. engineers, IT in the same bracket as less skilled roles.

You have to put your foot down, say you know her salary and want a rise that reflects your experience and responsibility. If they say no then ask them to justify their reasoning as to why this person should earn more. I’ll tell you now it won’t get to that stage and they will fold quickly. If they don’t then start looking elsewhere.

Only you can fight your own corner and they will always go for the lowest amount they can get away with.

This kind of situation boils my p#@s. It is exactly why we still have a gender pay gap,

aren’t both in this scenario of the same gender? 😐

You’re putting a lot of faith in the op. On what grounds? Her response to finding tbis out was “fury” and to start a mumsnet thread. Not exactly… an arch professional

@Caplin

You have to put your foot down, say you know her salary and want a rise that reflects your experience and responsibility. If they say no then ask them to justify their reasoning as to why this person should earn more. I’ll tell you now it won’t get to that stage and they will fold quickly. If they don’t then start looking elsewhere.

are you in management?

this is… interesting advice (“put your foot down” 😂 )