Employee Finds Out Co-Worker Hired As Her 'Equal' In Their Department Is Earning $25,000 More In Salary
They both have the same role and responsibilities, yet they're being paid significantly different amounts.
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock A woman revealed her shock after discovering her co-worker, who has the same duties and role as her, was being paid an exorbitant amount compared to her own salary.
In a TikTok video, a content creator named Yaya questioned how she should address why her co-worker is being paid a significantly higher amount than she is, despite the two of them working at the same level, and admitted that it's definitely a form of "discrimination."
An employee was dumbfounded after learning her co-worker, hired as her 'equal,' is earning $25,000 more in salary.
"I just found out that the person that was hired as my equal in my department is getting paid $25,000 more than me," Yaya revealed in her TikTok video. She shared that she and her co-worker are supposed to co-lead the department at their job, and yet the new hire is making much more than she is.
Yaya explained that they're both directors who lead two different branches of their company's department, but they have the same level of experience along with the same role and expectations from their higher-ups. They have one person they report to, and both Yaya and her co-worker are considered "equals" in terms of status at the company.
Despite how similar their roles are and the fact that it should equate to the two of them getting paid the same, Yaya learned that her co-worker was making $25,000 more before her predecessor had left a couple of months ago. Yaya recalled that the person in the role before had been earning the same amount that she had, so when they rehired for that position, they increased the salary to be more competitive because they wanted to fill the role quicker.
However, Yaya said that they had done that without talking about renegotiating the salary with her. "So now we're both doing equal amounts of work, but she's getting paid $25,000 more than me," she said. "Obviously, when I found this out, I went to our direct supervisor."
After talking to her supervisor about the difference in pay, she was told that her salary would not be increased.
When Yaya approached her supervisor, who the company had recently hired, she pointed out that there was a serious inequity happening and that it needed to be fixed.
It's not as if her co-worker was earning $2, $3, or even $100 more, but a whopping $25,000, which honestly feels like a bit of a slap in the face for someone who has been dedicated and doing all of their tasks, thinking they were considered "equal" with their co-worker when that wasn't the case.
Instead of Yaya's supervisor taking her concerns seriously, she was told that she is seen as equal to her co-worker, and while they have the same role and responsibility when it comes to leading the branches in the department, they're not sure if they can get Yaya to the salary that she wants.
Her supervisor explained that $25,000 was a "significant increase" that they just couldn't afford to do.
"I don't even know how to process that," Yaya admitted. "You're telling me you want us to work at the same level, produce the same level of financial results, and I'm getting paid $25K less."
The employee argued that there's no doubt in her mind that what's happened is a form of workplace discrimination.
Yaya pointed out that she's fearful that what's happening to her is a form of discrimination since she's an openly Queer disabled woman with epilepsy and autism, but she doesn't have any proof to confirm her suspicions.
Despite the lack of proof, it doesn't take much to know when you're being discriminated against, especially if you're part of a marginalized community.
In fact, disabled adults were more likely than adults without disabilities to report unfair treatment in each of three settings: 32 percent versus 10 percent in healthcare settings, 18 percent versus 11 percent at work, and 14 percent versus 3 percent when applying for public benefits.
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For people within the LGBTQIA+ community, overall, 50% of LGBTQI+ respondents, including 7 in 10 transgender respondents (70 percent), reported experiencing some form of workplace discrimination or harassment in the past year because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status.
Yaya was encouraged to take her grievances to the HR department at her job and, if that didn't help, to seek legal counsel.
Frankly, it's a bit ludicrous that she's expected to continue working with the same fervor and passion as she was before, knowing that she's not being paid fairly.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.