Funny about money

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Without understanding the details of your company and situation, I can only give a general guide- but be assured, this is not the first time this has happened.

Assuming you aren’t the owner of the company, or the Head of HR, you probably have limited scope here- so it's worth working out what is within your sphere of influence, and what you can do to genuinely make a difference. Your company cannot stop you from talking about salaries as a group, but it rarely makes for a pleasant environment. Focus on what is within your remit- if the person that is the highest paid is the lowest performing, how can you recognise this in your existing processes? Perhaps you need to provide them with a lower rating come review time, or consider talking about poor performance? It ultimately isn’t the individual’s fault that they are paid more, so try to come at it with kindness.

Someone told me once “everyone is funny about money”, and that’s true. Salary should not be about racing the other individuals in the team but rather compensating someone for the job they are doing. Everyone’s motivation is different, too, and it's unlikely that a) these three individuals are doing identical work, and b) that they are 'benefit-equal'- for example, do they have identical WFH arrangements, progression opportunities, and access to mentoring? Remember to have a conversation about what the right total package is for each individual- you could be at risk of upsetting the apple cart over the wrong donkey (or something like that!).

You can also ask questions upwards. On paper, I understand that this is not an attractive option, but if you don't know the full picture you are in danger of the horse (or donkey) bolting prematurely, and perhaps unnecessarily. Find out more, and ask with genuine curiosity- even a simple “I noticed that the two women in my team are paid less than the man, what’s the origin of that?”. With the right intent and tone, a good question can work wonders.

Honestly, this may be a situation where you have little sway, and it is tough to feel powerless- so focus on what you can control.

This is crushing for her and miserable for you. But you can help her by being as honest as possible, as soon as possible.

Build trust: you are going to be worried about her leaving, but playing down what you know will be a real disappointment for her has a big risk of making her feeling like you don’t 'get it'.

Be honest: this is an opportunity for you to build rapport with her by laying out the situation without a lot of nonsense. You could say: you are great, this is frustrating, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t valued here. But accept that this might not be enough: she may leave, and that is her right and her choice. Think about how you can get ahead of it- is there a project or training opportunity you could provide her that would show you are still invested in her as an individual? A sabbatical, maybe?

This sucks, but she will remember how this is handled, and great talent is worth great respect.