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The young lady who works as our Receptionist is angry at her paycheck. She is 27 years old and makes about $25,000 a year. She is a High School Graduate, knows how to type, use some functions of Microsoft Office and answers the phone and greets visitors. She overheard people talking about one of our Accountants making about $75,000 a year.
The Accountant has a Masters in Accounting and a CPA. (Certified Public Accountant) and had to pass all kinds of really hard classes in six years of college and get her CPA, which was very hard. She, the Accountant, is also 27 years old.
The Receptionist thinks it is OK for the Accountant to make a little more than she makes but not three times as much. She says they both work hard and she, the Receptionist, deserves at least 70% of the money the Accountant makes.
Remind her that she is not degreed...and, yes, I would not even engage in such a volatile conversation about someones’ salary that should be CONFIDENTIAL
The young lady who works as our Receptionist is angry at her paycheck. She is 27 years old and makes about $25,000 a year. She is a High School Graduate, knows how to type, use some functions of Microsoft Office and answers the phone and greets visitors. She overheard people talking about one of our Accountants making about $75,000 a year.
The Accountant has a Masters in Accounting and a CPA. (Certified Public Accountant) and had to pass all kinds of really hard classes in six years of college and get her CPA, which was very hard. She, the Accountant, is also 27 years old.
The Receptionist thinks it is OK for the Accountant to make a little more than she makes but not three times as much. She says they both work hard and she, the Receptionist, deserves at least 70% of the money the Accountant makes.
What should I tell her?
I think we know which one is an entitled snowflake millennial. Tell her to move to Europe. Or get a degree and certification.
Most companies don't even allow conversations like that. Surprised an office manager wouldn't know that.
Talking about your salary is allowed by law. Not allowing it hurts employees by not allowing them to hear about competitor ssalaries. It's been this way since 1936.
True, but this isn't two co-workers discussing their salaries. OP claims she's the Office Manager, which brings in Breach of Confidentiality. She'd be better off suggesting the receptionist try "being frugal" by refusing to pay for restaurant food after eating it (reference to another one of the OP's threads, if you're wondering why on earth I just said something weird like that ). And there's always the standard advice to get a better degree.
I did not give the receptionist the salary of the accountant. It was passed along in general conversation. The accountant told someone who told someone else, etc.
The receptionist does not think just having a piece of paper (A MA Degree and a CPA) should mean that they make three times more than her. I told her that in 15-20 years when the Accountant moves into management she will make 5-6 times the pay of a receptionist. She got even angrier.
What is a fair wage difference between our 27-year-old Receptionist and our 27-year-old Accountant?
You could offer her the opportunity to take her scarce, high-level, hard-won skills into the job marketplace to find a company that will value them as much as she does. Then hire someone who isn't an idiot.
It is not unusual for people with no training or education beyond what they managed to acquire from high school to have no idea about what it really takes to have real skills that employers are willing to pay for. And some people are just idiots.
It's not your job to educate your receptionist about the realities of life on planet Earth. There are lots of people with similar or better skills who won't be constantly whining and understand if they want more money, they have to have more to offer.
ETA: The fact that they are the same age is irrelevant. Also, if she doesn't understand what that "piece of paper" represents, then all the talking in the world will not convince her that her skills are as valuable as someone with the accountant's education.
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). And there's always the standard advice to get a better degree.
