How Do I Handle Workplace Politics After My Salary Was Revealed?

Dear All,

I am working in Agra with Avalon Aviation Academy. My problem is I am a highly paid employee, which creates issues for me. Initially, everybody is good to me, but when other employees, who are more experienced, find out that they are paid considerably less than me, they start engaging in politics against me. How can I address these types of problems? I am only 23, and people aged above 30 feel insecure because of me, even though I am very humble with everyone.

Last week, we had a meeting where our MD was discussing expenses, including salaries. On that day, everybody found out about my CTC, and they started plotting against me. They also questioned the MD about my salary. Please advise.

Regards,
Sakshi

Dear Sakshi,

Your MD paid you that salary because he must have felt that you are worth it. Ignore the fact that others are irritated about your salary, and try reaching out to them with your humble nature (as you say). Just interact with them and try to make them see the positive side of you, the reason why you are highly paid.

This should not be a headache for you at all. Relax and just be as good as you were earlier. The MD pays you because it's his money... he knows what he must do with it!

Dear Sakshi,

Your MD is insensitive to openly discuss salary because it is confidential and can be detrimental to teamwork.

Some logical reasons why an organization may offer premium pay to certain staff include:

- The staff consistently delivers outstanding performance.
- Despite holding the same job title, the individual may have higher academic qualifications compared to colleagues.
- Job accountabilities and scope may vary, such as product line management, market share responsibilities, number of direct and indirect reports, sales targets, etc. (this can make job title benchmarking misleading).
- The individual may have been hired to explore new business areas.
- The company could be grooming the individual for future leadership roles.

Some politically influenced reasons might be:

- The staff member is related to the MD or part of the "Inner Circle," leading to challenging salary administration situations.
- Hiring "new blood" to disrupt the existing team dynamics and encourage natural attrition among long-time employees.

Moving forward, it's essential to appreciate the mentorship from your MD, remain humble, learn from experienced colleagues, and delegate salary discussions to HR and the MD.

Autumn Jane

Dear Friend,

You are not receiving charity from your boss; it is the cost of your work that you are being compensated for. I do not know your role or job profile within the company, but I would advise against discussing this with anyone in your workplace as it seems to be common knowledge and therefore not a problem.

I would like to offer guidance: continue to work diligently, showcase your talents for which your boss is compensating you. With time, things will improve. Just focus on your job.

Thanks,
Parveen

Hi,
See you have not cleared what sort of job responsibilities you handle and what are your working hours and qualification and experience . Salary is basically a combination of lot of factors. What do you mean by high paid employee…are you getting somewhere btwn 5 to 10 lacs …..if yes then consider u are being paid good if not then I don't consider it to be a high paid employee….see u might be getting better than others but that doesn't mean u r in that category…..Dont worry just carry on your duties and try to give your best on every task assigned to you. If you justifying that you are worth it than no one can challenge what you are being paid but yes if your services are not upto the mark then there are bound to be questions being raised. Work and give the best forget the rest….

Hello,

Firstly, let me know, do you understand why you are paid more? Is it due to your job title, experience, gender, or some other factor?

Hi,

As all said, politics is everywhere, so don't let yourself down and avoid what others feel or say about you. Just concentrate on your work and give your best. If they ask you anything, you can clearly tell them to clarify with the boss. If it's bothering you too much, then have a word with your boss and tell him to schedule a meeting to clarify the criteria and eligibility for salary structure, hikes, incentives, and bonuses. This way, others will also be clear and will take initiatives to handle additional responsibilities, be more creative with new ideas. Hope this helps you.

First of all, it was really very unprofessional of your senior to discuss your CTC with others. Office politics are prevalent everywhere, from the ground root staff to the top management. Thus, do not feel like such things are only happening to you. It happens with everyone, and you are no exception.

What you should ideally do is prove your worth to your management and others that you are paid higher because of your abilities and capabilities. Also, do not get bogged down by the fact that despite being humble to others, they do not care for you. It is very natural for them to react in this manner.

So, concentrate on your work, give it your best, and prove your worth. Don't let petty issues bother you as your performance might get affected due to this, which will be detrimental for you at this stage.

Hey Sakshi,

Politics is very common in today's corporate world. I guess you just have to be chilled out and give your best. If you are getting a better salary than others older than you, that means you must have good enough potential. I am sure your MD must not be a fool to give you a higher salary than other employees. Don't bother, be what you are, and of course, yes, just be positive. Cheers.

Sakshi,

Do your job with full dedication. Respect others. Look for opportunities and always build on them. ENJOY LIFE!

Saurabh

Dear Sakshi,

The salary, which is creating problems for you, must have been decided by your MD. And the MD will not give so much salary without any reason. It may be your job knowledge, sex, your personality, your communication skills, or whatever, which has made you so highly salaried. So there is no cause to worry. Politics has always been a part of corporates, so don't be tense and face it bravely.

Thanks,
Rajesh Sharma

Hello,

You are paid for your skill and experience you have acquired. You say that you are humble to other members; well, that is your identity. People may still feel the complexity of mingling with you. Natural... But why the politics and plotting? You should remain as you are. In the long run, people will come to you. Please don't be serious about the behavior of others. They are as they are.

Hi Sakshi,

This is a common problem faced by everyone. A company hires a person from another company on a higher CTC because the new person may bring innovation, the previous company's culture (helpful to the organization if positive), and a proven track record of the individual. Unfortunately, his/her colleagues do not understand it.

I believe you should not change your behavior towards them and treat them as you were treating them until now. Once you prove your worth, they will not question you. If the problem persists, you will have to approach your seniors.

I know organizations plan standardization in the CTC of the employees at the same level at certain intervals. This may also resolve your problem.

Regards,
Navprit :)

Hello,

These issues are pretty common with all the employees across the world. The reason you are paid high is because you deserve it. You need to focus more on your work and not on what people have to say. The world speaks on and on, but it actually depends on how you take things. This is one method to demotivate you so that you do not perform, and others get a chance to let your prestige be down in front of the Director, etc. Always remember you work for money; no one in this world would work for free, not even your MD. So just do your work and leave the rest.

The solution to your problem is twofold.

1. For now, as Ash suggested, ignore others and try your best to (learn and) protect yourself from the dirty side of office politics.

2. Take this as a lesson learned. NEVER in your life again discuss your compensation package with ANYONE other than your direct manager and your family. Your direct manager knows your salary because (s)he is the one signing off on your performance appraisals, etc. Your family - you can trust them (I hope).

All the best.
--Som G


Dear All,

I am working in Agra with Avalon Aviation academy. My problem is I am a very high-paid employee, which creates a problem for me. Initially, everybody is good to me, but when other employees who are more experienced come to know that they are paid quite less than me, they start playing politics against me. How to handle these kinds of problems? I am just 23, and people who are aged above 30 feel insecure because of me, although I am very humble with everyone. Last week, we had a meeting where our MD was discussing expenses, including salaries. On that day, everybody came to know about my CTC, and they started plotting against me; they also questioned the MD about my salary. Please advise.

Regards,
Sakshi

Nice that you are being paid well. Ask yourself, do you deserve it? If yes, be happy and enjoy it. Certainly, people will feel differently about it; they will also know your worth and accept it in due course. You cannot shut every talking mouth and should not make an effort to do so. However, you can certainly be calm, cool, collected, and befitting your position, and make no foes intentionally. The best way is to maintain relationships in a balanced manner - not too close, not too far. Perhaps time and experience will help you learn. This is a common problem I see during my training programs for manufacturing units where old-time, tested labor force has been pitted against new technical graduates - experience against graduation. It is certainly a task to reckon with. I am sure you will pull through. All the best.

Hi,

If you feel yourself worthy of your salary, do your work calmly and don't get into this kind of discussion. If you are not worthy, your opponents will definitely win over you.

Thanks,
TSRao

Hi Sakshi,

I have gone through your issue. In this case, I would like to suggest you concentrate on your job and try to put your best efforts always by implementing your strengths. At the same time, try to get rid of your weaknesses. Let the people (colleagues) say what they want. You should understand that if such types of your staff members criticize you through "Politics," it means they have compromised with their talent and competencies and are trying to demotivate you. So, you should trust in your strengths and ignore the political comments by the people.

"When we burn our fingers, we always blame the fire."

You should believe in your inner guide, which is your personal source of wisdom. It is often difficult to march to your drumbeat and listen to your instincts when the world around you criticizes.

Always try not to disclose your secrets to the person, especially those whom you trust. If there is an open forum announcement by the CEO regarding the achievement and CTC, everyone can well understand that you deserve that CTC because different people have different mindsets and thinking.

You should know that your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world.

Vishal
Agra
+91-9997760254

With due respect to the views given by all, I think that the problem is obvious and I have experienced it. Some conceptual perspective from a recruiter is the result of someone getting a higher or lower salary, and most of the time the concerned person does not realize his strengths, which are worthy. As you progress with time, you will realize that yes, I am different, and the critics start realizing the reasons for you being different. The best way is to ignore and overcome criticism by focusing and spending more time on work.

All the best and Regards, Sachin

With due respect to the views given by all, I believe that the problem is evident as I have personally experienced it.

Some conceptual perspective from a recruiter often leads to someone receiving a higher or lower salary, and many times, the individual in question fails to recognize their own valuable strengths. Therefore, as you progress over time, you will come to realize your uniqueness, and the critics will begin to understand the reasons behind your distinctiveness.

The best approach is to disregard and overcome criticism by concentrating on work and dedicating more time to it.

All the best,

Regards,
Sachin

Salary drawn is a matter to be kept strictly confidential between the two parties. I have not divulged the gross amount drawn by me even to my wife in full. So that's for beginners. I am sure that the MD has a hidden agenda for you, which you will come to know gradually. Until that time, keep quiet and focus on your work and relationships.

Keachur

Hello! Nothing to get disturbed about! You are being paid for your skills, competence, and other professional traits. If you are confronted by those senior colleagues, tell them you are being paid to give the best for your company. Perhaps, at some time the MD did not find them worthwhile to give a better salary. Ignore them after this.

Since you are just 23, you may have to learn a lot about dirty office politics. Keep everyone in good humor and do not rub anyone on the wrong side. There are many who care two hoots for the organization - these people only think about themselves and their own personal gains and try to pull down others.

Hi, you need not be worried by this, but I think this is the time when you need to show them that you are worthy of taking a higher salary than them. So, keep doing your job sincerely and do not worry about this. This issue will fade out over time automatically.

Regards,
Divyjyoti

You are paid for your worth, but if your MD is remarking on your salary, I have a gut feeling it's time to look out or show your MD that you are worth what you are being paid, unlike others in the organization. It is important that even the MD understands that salary information is highly confidential.