People are struggling with incredible financial and socio-economic burdens today despite having full-time jobs, college degrees, and professional certifications. They sacrifice their well-being daily for a 9-to-5 job that hardly provides them with security, let alone comfort. 

It’s exactly why employees should never be degraded or feel inferior for prioritizing their pay — whether that be following up on pay stubs, reviewing their invoices, or advocating for themselves if they feel undervalued.  One employee, who wrote to employment expert Ben Askins for advice, admitted they were forced to “confront” their boss after learning they were severely underpaid.

The worker confronted her boss after learning she was ‘the lowest paid person’ on their team — only for them to argue it was ‘not an appropriate’ discussion for work. 

“Hi [boss], just found out I am the lowest paid in the whole team,” this employee wrote in a message to her boss, “that is despite the fact that I’ve been here the longest and also one of the most senior.” 

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Instead of mediating the situation or alluding to some kind of mistake — as Askins suggested would’ve been the “appropriate” response — this boss instead asked, “Who told you that?” 

“It’s weird how often they come out with that. It’s such a confirmation of guilt,” Askins added. “Mistakes do happen. But, to come back with ‘Who told you that’ is just weird.”

Of course, the woman responded by telling her boss that “it didn’t matter” who told her because the truth was the same either way — she wasn’t being financially compensated for her worth at her company. It was not only unacceptable, but it was demeaning. 

However, her boss disagreed, responding with, “It absolutely does matter. This is not an appropriate discussion for a workplace.” It’s almost as if you can hear the collective gasp — from this employee, the video’s thousands of viewers, and Askins himself.