Employee learns all their coworkers were hired at $20/hr when he was hired at $18/hr with more experience, confronts his boss about it: 'I have 7 years experience in related fields'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Feb 3, 2026 10:00 PM EST

Why do we think it's so impolite to discuss money?

If you grew up in a similar culture to mine, it was instilled in you from an early age that it wasn't proper to discuss money in mixed company. And I still believe in some of that. You never want to boast in front of someone or brag about how much money you make in front of someone who might be struggling. That's just common decency. But there is a difference between that and openly discussing your wages with people who might benefit from that information. I am a fan of discussing money with my friends as a way to gauge what's normal and what might not be. If all of your friends are making more money than you in similar fields, then it might cause you to look around and ask for more. But even more than your friends, your coworkers might have some relevant info about pay. 

Discussing wages with your coworkers might be uncomfortable, but it is bound to come up, and it can help you better understand where you fit into the ecosystem and where you stand among each other. It might even make you realize something you wish you could have avoided. But knowledge is power, and the more you know, the better off you are. But sometimes the truth hurts, and it just might make you rethink everything you thought you knew. That's what happened to this employee after they had a discussion with their coworkers. 

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  • An angry employee looks at his laptop after learning he is paid less than others
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • Nobody likes to be undervalued, and nobody likes to feel like they're less than their peers. And money is the main way we are rewarded in the workplace. It's the whole system of supply and demand. But one employee found out they were less in demand than they thought they were, and everything started to tumble down. They weren't sure if they knew who to trust anymore, or what they could get away with in the workplace. So they decided to take matters into their own hands and try to find answers for themselves. Read on for the whole story.

  • Recently learned I was hired on at $2 less than everyone else despite having years exp.

    Pay rate Good morning! I am wanting to discuss my pay rate with you. It has come to my attention that many others, including new hires, have been hired on at a rate of $20/hr while I just received a raise to get me to $18/hr. I have multiple years of experience under my belt in the mental health field and in the medical field itself. Based on current ranges for this role, I believe I am being underpaid. I'd appreciate an opportunity to discuss this with you further and discuss a possible adjustm
    via u/drownitopiout
  • This place I am working at is hiring people starting at $20/hr. I was started on $17/hr and just recently got a one dollar raise. I have only been here 5 months and while there are many red flags in this job I need to keep it for now. This is not my first nor will it be my last grievance for this place. I have 7 years experience in related fields and after some research (asking around) I figured out I'm being underpaid as hell.
    via u/drownitopiout
  • This is my first time asking about something like this. I understand employers can sometimes retaliate when discussing pay rates but if I am correct it is also illegal to do so. I just need some advice. Did I go about this correctly??
    via u/drownitopiout

  • Commenters came in with advice and opinions.

    XfinityHomeWifi Advice I've gotten was that finding a new job will always pay more than staying at your current job
    via u/XfinityHomeWifi
  • Tonenby In the US, discussing pay is protected at the federal level. So regardless of the state, it is illegal for your boss to retaliate for discussing pay.
    via u/Tonenby
  • SuitableExercise7... Jobs in the mental health and medical field are only paying 17-20$? You're ALL being underpaid if thats the case...
    via u/SuitableExercise7096
  • A man works from home looking at an iPad
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • Zestyclose-You-100 Just be prepared to find a new job because they find a way to fire you. If they're underpaying you as it is, they're not going to suddenly care. More likely they'll label you an issue and make your life hell til you're gone.
    via u/Zestyclose-You-100
  • desertroot You're being too meek here. I would be like, "Based on my experience, my pay should be $X/hr. Let's discuss an adjustment." No "possible adjustment." Go in there and take what is rightfully yours.
    via u/desertroot
  • Critical_Swimmin... Incoming (illegal) company wide memo/notice that employees are NOT to discuss pay with one another
    via u/Critical_Swimming517
  • der_innkeeper You should have waited until you were in unemployment benefits vesting, usually 6 months. You are going to be "we have re-evaluated your position "ed.
    via u/der_innkeeper
  • oddball667 I would have just gotten another job
    via u/oddball667
  • moon-lupe This happened to me. Even after they "fixed" it (I went from my coworkers making 2x as much as me to my coworkers making 1.5x as much as me), the damage was done. I quit a year later out of pure misery. Oh and they held it against me every time I blinked wrong, so have fun with that.
    via u/moon-lupe
  • MyDogsNamelsTo... I'm a retail supervisor and I make a $1.40 more than your raise. I think you should ask for a bigger raise.
    via u/MyDogsNamelsToes
  • Lov315Treacherous Stupid of you lol. You don't use everyone else's pay as an argument for your own. That's not how it works. Legally, you can discuss pay.
    via u/Lov315Treacherous
  • But then throwing it in your company's face typically leads to you getting let go. You're not a culture fit, or team player, or whatever buzz word phrase they want to use if you're in an at will state / USA.
    via u/Lov315Treacherous
  • swills300 Hard talk, but if you were happy agreeing to the job at $17 an hour, there's no reason they should pay you more. Maybe the other people just negotiated better than you?
    via u/swills300
  • Companies are naturally gonna pay people the least they can, and people are naturally gonna want the most they can get. For you it was $17 an hour, for the other people it was $20. If you think you're worth more, go find a job that pays that amount. This one doesn't. The fact that other people get paid more doesn't change what you signed up for.
    via u/swills300
  • MyageEDH Legal or not depends on where you are. What other people are making and what your relative experience is won't matter unless you demonstrate your higher value.
    via u/MyageEDH
  • Niijima-San ugh this just reminds me of when i was in my early 20s and had been working for this company for like 5 years at the time and new hires were making $3+ than i was and i was only making min wage. when i brought this up to management they just
    via u/Niijima-San
  • said well best we can do is a 50 cent raise instead of 25 which is what they usually give. i pointed out that i was making below the minimum. wage at the time and they just shrugged and later came back and made it like it was such a big deal that they fought so hard to get
    via u/Niijima-San
  • that meager 50 cent raise that still had me under minimum wage. granted this was just ssome crappy part time job between college semesters but still
    via u/Niijima-San

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antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working toxic-boss workplace bad bosses money
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