Supervisor accidentally shares 2026 team budget, reveals longest-serving employee is being paid the least: 'One new hire earns double what I'm getting'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Oct 9, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

In the job market we are experiencing currently, loyalty often doesn't pay.

The practice of 'job hopping', where an employee changes jobs frequently in search of a better deal, has become a trend because so many believe or experience that when they stay at the same company for a long time, they do not get the compensation that they deserve for their skills and experience. The reality is that if workers aren't getting a yearly raise in line with inflation, they are getting a pay cut. On top of that, it breeds resentment towards businesses and managers that do not seem to appreciate their value.

A lot of companies benefit from the fact that they are not transparent about how much they pay all of their employees, because it means that the likelihood of them protesting it is a lot lower. That being said, sometimes mistakes are made that make the workforce start asking questions.

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  • a man presents something on a tablet to his colleagues
    via Yunus Tuğ

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • This is exactly what happened when a supervisor accidentally shared the wrong screen during a meeting, briefly revealing the team budget for the next year. One of the longest-serving employees noticed through this error that they were one of the lowest-paid people on the team, with a new hire earning double their salary. It left them questioning their position at the company and wondering if it was an issue that they should be raising with their supervisor or HR. They asked for advice on the situation.

  • Screen share error

    My supervisor was sharing his screen during a meeting, he accidentally shared something but it was removed quickly. However, the meeting was recorded and I reviewed the recording to find it was our team 2026 budget along with compensation of every employee.
    via ahole66
  • front view of a man showing a presentation on his tablet to his colleagues
    via Yunus Tuğ (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I discovered I am one of the lowest paid employees, despite being one of the longest tenured and most experienced. One particular new hire from the last few months earns double what I'm getting, despite no prior knowledge of our company and its products.
    via ahole66
  • Is it appropriate to discuss directly with the supervisor? Discuss with peers? HR?
    via ahole66
  • a man crosses his arms as a coworker talks to him while looking at her laptop
    via Yunus Tuğ (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • People were quick to offer advice.

    Small_Fail_1849 Don't mention that you saw the budget!! Just ask for a review, state your qualifications, and if they don't meet your requested pay, ask why Whatever you do, do not mention that you know what anyone else is making. This is about you being qualified
    via Small_Fail_1849
  • DazzlingPotion Ask for a raise and start looking now that you know what you're truly worth.
    via DazzlingPotion
  • CornflakeBob1 Good advice on this thread. One other way to approach this is to get a job offer from another company, and then ask that they match the salary of your offer. You'd just have to be prepared to move on if they don't.
    via CornflakeBob1
  • Then_Double8677 Yeah 1000%. HR and your executives.
    via Then_Double8677
  • needy1infl A similar situation happened to me years ago. I confronted my boss that I found all the salary, increases for the year along with bonuses for the year. I saw in black and white (paper report, not screen share) how low I was paid versus my colleagues and peers. I told him obviously I was low paid and unqualified to fill the position I held. That I would continue in
    via needy1infl
  • my capacity until he could fill that job and I would be seeking employment elsewhere. He asked me to wait a couple of days and let him discuss this situation with upper management. I ended up getting a 40% increase immediately and put on a much better bonus incentive. While still not where the peers were, I stayed
    via needy1infl
  • Micheal_Noine_Noine You're probably not going to get matching money of the newest employee. This is why people job hop - to get market rate.
    via Michael_Noine_Noine
  • JackDeth7 Before you do anything that you'll regret later, read your employee code of conduct (or whatever your company calls it) and make absolutely certain that discussing compensation is not a violation of the policy.
    via JackDeth7
  • CantaloupeComplete57 The new hire is likely getting paid that because they took the risk of job hopping in one of the worst markets in history. S k it up.
    via CantaloupeComplete57
  • rock300867 Just throwing this out there. Just because you have been at a job a long time and have experience does not make you the most productive or knowledgeable. Every employee thinks they are the best one at the company. You would also need to look at what you bring to the table.
    via rock300867
  • They may have had to bring the newer people in at the higher rate if they wanted them. Typically, in order to get big pay raises you need to job jump. If you stay with a company for a long time you typically get 2-5% raise per year. Not bagging on the OP, just stating how it is done in the real world. I am an engineering manager and that is the environment we live in today.
    via rock300867
  • Don't be afraid to look for another job to get paid. Just do your homework so that you are the newer employee with the higher pay. Good Luck!
    via rock300867
  • LowAcanthocephala251 Discuss this with your peers. They deserve to know whether they are underpaid. If you are in the United States, this is a protected activity. Meaning, it may be illegal for a company to punish you for doing this. (NAL disclaimer)
    via LowAcanthocephala251
  • SecondBubbly3000 I work for a state university and all salaries are public knowledge. Definitely advocate for yourself!!
    via SecondBubbly3000

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