Coworker using access to salary data for negotiations
A colleague with access to sensitive compensation data is using it to argue for a higher salary with the CEO, creating questions around privacy and fairness. This blurs the line between legitimate pay transparency and an abuse of internal privileges.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1let the CEO handle it
- 2write them up
- 3fire them
- 4Keeping salary details vague
- 5Stating that pay is within a normal range without revealing specific numbers
- 6Limiting pay discussions only to trusted coworkers in private locations
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The receptionist asked me if I thought I got paid fairly. I didn't want to tell her how much, but I said that I got paid within the normal range for a staff accountant.”source ↗
“Don't you think you deserve more than normal for what you do and how long you have been here?”source ↗
“A new senior colleague has joined the company, not HR but works v closely with the HR team and has access to comp and Ben data. They've told the CEO that their salary is too low compared to peers at the same level in other departments.”source ↗
“Feels like an abuse of privilege but in an era of pay transparency is it fair game?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Coworker taking credit for my work
- 2How to negotiate a salary for the first time
- 3Why do CRM apps share my customer data with other companies?
- 2Accidentally sent confidential internal email to the wrong person
- 28How to handle a toxic school principal who abuses power
- 3Why can't accountants open Apple Numbers files?