Is this a breach of data protection?

Jordan90

elsien wrote: »

You can't ensure you all get the same rewards. Whatever you might think, that's down to the employer. All making a complaint will do is make you look worse. I really wouldn't go there.

I think we've all received the same rewards because our managers throughout the years, didn't really know too much about our department and the work we do. Our current manager doesn't either but I work a different shift pattern while C works the same shift pattern as the manager. I can understand why C has been seen favourably but not done enough to constitute a much higher increase in wage than me or our colleague, but life's like that, not fair and just.

Pennywise

You need to reply to your manager to explain how you knew. There's no breach of data protection if C told you herself. Your employer is right to try to investigate how you found out if they think it wasn't C - for all they know, there could be a gossip in their payroll dept.

Comms69

Jordan90 wrote: »

I think we've all received the same rewards because our managers throughout the years, didn't really know too much about our department and the work we do. Our current manager doesn't either but I work a different shift pattern while C works the same shift pattern as the manager. I can understand why C has been seen favourably but not done enough to constitute a much higher increase in wage than me or our colleague, but life's like that, not fair and just.

It’s perfectly fair, legally

Lorian

if they believe Her and not you, your continued employment could be potentially at risk.

Can and will your other colleague corroborate that she told you both?

Jordan90

Lorian wrote: »

if they believe Her and not you, your continued employment could be potentially at risk.

Can and will your other colleague corroborate that she told you both?

Yes the other colleague can corroborate that she told us, only problem being that we all work different shifts so I wasn't there when she told him.

KiKi

The reason your manager has mentioned breach of data is because C claims she didn't tell you - but you know. So from your manager's POV, someone else who knows people's salaries has told you - which is a potential breach of data protection.

I'm sure everything you've said about workload etc is true. But at the end of the day if the manager perceives that C has performed better than you - whether that be through workload, attitude, behaviour, support, level of complexity etc - they are entitled to pay her more than you. I've no idea what you intend to achieve by raising a complaint about it, but I can't see any good coming from it at all, I'm afraid.

KiKi

FBaby

I expect she told you 'in confidence' but you were so outraged you forgot the last bit. They will now deny it, or admit it and get a telling off but good luck working with them from now on.

How can someone get a better increase. Well they can make themselves indispensable, not forcibly by doing more work but making a project a success because of something they did, or knew, or gained very good clients, or received many compliments etc... They could then have hinted they were considering looking for a better job and as they'd just been headhunted...

They can just be cleverer about going about it although in this instance, they can't have been so clever if they thought a good idea to tell you and your colleague when told not to.

ohreally

Comms69 wrote: »

Discussing salaries is often a no no;

And unlawful.

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to prevent employees from having discussions to establish if there are differences in pay

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1811

TELLIT01

To be blunt, the OP's opinion of what is fair and what isn't is totally unimportant unless discrimination can be proven. To contact a manager to question why somebody else got a bigger payrise is simply not the greatest idea ever, as the OP has discovered.
Discussing salaries is not unlawful, although it might break the rules set down by an employer which is a disciplinary issue, not a legal one.
I simply do not believe that one person is doing 6 times more work than a colleague who is supposed to the the same work. It indicates to me an inflated sense of their own importance and may in part explain why others are treated better.

Gavin83

Did you try asking for a salary increase based on your own merits rather than because someone else is paid more? You've gone about this in totally the wrong way and I agree with the others, it could ultimately cost you your job.