I know everyone's salary

[quark]

It's obviously a mistake, but I seem to have a fully unlocked quickbooks on my computer.  I can see exactly what everyone gets paid, including the major differences in our monthly "commission" paychecks.   Some people make more than others who have been there longer.  It's a lot to carry, haha!  The boss recently made some changes that take money back from some senior people except one (a family member).

Not necessarily looking for advice.. I know I should not divulge this information to the team.   Or should I??  Honestly just wanted to tell SOMEBODY, anybody about this. 

[Cynder]

1 hour ago, quark said:

  Or should I?? 

Don't.

Nothing good will come of it. 

[Seraphim]

Keep it to yourself . You will make a massive amount of enemies. There was this woman at one of my former workplaces who used to go into the computer and check out everybody’s hours to make sure nobody was ever getting more than her ,especially me. A good friend of mine told me that this woman did this every day check out my hours for the week. Eventually in a moment of supreme irritation I went to my boss and told her this was happening. Our boss actually went to her home to tell her to stop doing it or it would not end well. 
 

I know you are not doing this purposefully but you need to keep your mouth shut. Forget what you saw. 

[boltnrun]

If you want to be unemployed, sure, tell everyone.

You probably know you can't.  No, not even that person you "trust", who you just know would never, ever tell anyone.  Because that person absolutely WILL tell everyone.  And they'll tell everyone that you told them.

[Seraphim]

6 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

If you want to be unemployed, sure, tell everyone.

You probably know you can't.  No, not even that person you "trust", who you just know would never, ever tell anyone.  Because that person absolutely WILL tell everyone.  And they'll tell everyone that you told them.

💯 %

[Capricorn3]

5 hours ago, quark said:

It's obviously a mistake, but I seem to have a fully unlocked quickbooks on my computer.  I can see exactly what everyone gets paid,

Is there any way you can delete it? Close it? Block it?  If it's obviously a mistake, and does not belong on your computer, then surely your superiors should know about it?  Whatever you do, STOP looking what everyone gets paid.

[jul-els]

Don’t tell any of your co-workers. It would cause a giant ish-storm, particularly for you. I would let your boss know that the information in the software is being exposed. It will demonstrate your trustworthiness to the company. 

[Kwothe28]

Cool. I know too. Mainly because here people openly discuss salaries and its not some big secret. While at the western world corporate structure, you are incited not even to tell your wife/husband that, let alone your colleague.

Anyway, yes, I would keep it for yourself. That kind of sensitive informations tend to cause issues. Dont believe its classified document, but would report it to higher ups. Say that you were mistankenly sent a file that shouldnt be there.

[Wiseman2]

6 hours ago, quark said:

 including the major differences in our monthly "commission" paychecks.   Some people make more than others who have been there longer.  

So? Who cares? Especially if commissions and reimbursements varies.  There's no law that states people must pay anything more than minimum wage. Some people get higher merit raises than others. Who cares? Is it your job to tell others about this finding? 

[Batya33]

Agree with the others.  Also if word gets out that you did this and revealed it word travels fast even among other employers. 

I had sensitive information of a personal nature a few years ago - I did nothing wrong -other than randomly a Facebook friend I used to know in person as a friend most likely is the mistress of my other friend's former partner/father of her child (real life friend who I knew for years) - and this mistress had been harassing her with letters to their home, etc.  My friend had met her in person years previously.

  But by the time I realized my friend's partner had passed away.  What good would it do at all for me to share with my friend that I knew this person? She might be interested in the information - and what this person had posted, etc. - but even if I'd known before this man passed away I doubt I would have said anything. 

In fact when she wanted to show me the letters from the mistress - before I knew the connection -when this man was still alive- I declined because I did not want to be involved.  Was it tempting? Yes, it was on some level.  But I decided to show restraint and stay in my lane.  It's really hard sometimes when it's literally right in front of you - but you can't unsee something, can't unring the bell.  You can't unsee it but do damage control by keeping silent.  100%.  Even though it is hard.  Good luck.

[Wiseman2]

10 hours ago, quark said:

.  I can see exactly what everyone gets paid, including the major differences in our monthly "commission" paychecks.   

Can you post it on twitter? 📲💰🙈🙉🙊

[Lambert]

Something similar happened to me. way back when someone left a list of salaries on the copier.

Man was I jerked at what some people were pulling down!  But the truth is,  I was going to be mad no matter what I saw on that list.  lol

I put it in the shredder and never told anyone. Try to forget it. Don't tell anyone.  All it will do is cause problems... every hear the phrase "don't shoot the messenger? " 

don't be the messenger... no one needs to know.

[Rose Mosse]

Leave it alone. I’m not clear how this affects your productivity or current position. Treat your coworkers the same. 

[catfeeder]

The good news is, you don't sound upset by the information, so I'd shut this down NOW, before I see something that would make me upset.

The bad news is, the owner of that sheet may learn that it's insecure, and may even be able to generate a list of anyone who has accessed it.

So if you don't report accidental access to the owner, you could position yourself to be viewed as dishonest.

I'd straighten this out and fly right.

[Spawn]

lol creepy and really something you should forget and move on, watch Netflix or prime instead you will get more entertainment 🙂

[Jibralta]

On 9/10/2022 at 2:42 AM, Kwothe28 said:

Cool. I know too. Mainly because here people openly discuss salaries and its not some big secret. While at the western world corporate structure, you are incited not even to tell your wife/husband that, let alone your colleague.

In America, people are ridiculously uptight about this. There's no law against divulging your salary to coworkers. We just unquestioningly bow down to the whim of to our employers like good little children. Truly bizarre, and sheeplike in my opinion. We like to think we're free from indoctrination in this country, but we all comply. (No wonder the mass media feeds us garbage, like we're idiots 😅)

On 9/9/2022 at 8:36 PM, quark said:

I know I should not divulge this information to the team.   Or should I?? 

It depends on what you want. If you want to keep the peace (and keep your job!), don't divulge it. 

I'm sure it's interesting and informative--a good insight into the facts of life. How do you feel about what everyone is getting paid? Do you think you are being paid fairly as compared to others with similar responsibilities? 

[Kwothe28]

51 minutes ago, Jibralta said:

In America, people are ridiculously uptight about this. There's no law against divulging your salary to coworkers. We just unquestioningly bow down to the whim of to our employers like good little children. Truly bizarre, and sheeplike in my opinion. We like to think we're free from indoctrination in this country, but we all comply. (No wonder the mass media feeds us garbage, like we're idiots 😅)

Here its different. Its not unusual to discuss salary. In fact its usually the first thing people ask you when you get a new job lol. In my old job I was even in charge of handling salary paper sheets(we still use those) for employees to sign. Salaries where not much but they were pretty fair regarding it. At my position I had little more then the girl that was there almost from the start on the basis I worked more night shifts. My other female coleague had more because she did "book keeping" for the company also. And the guy in charge of our department had little more then us as he was the head of the department and had more obligations(worked same job as us but had other obligations also). That was not really a secret to any of us as we all could just ask one another even if we couldnt see paper sheets ourselves. 

But I understand its different culture and America is different. And that it could be very controversial in a situations like OPs. I read a nice example where a woman find out from her male colleague that he made more then her for the same position she was in. So he prepared her for an interview with bosses and she asked for a raise and got it. Its a nice example what could be done in reality. But everybody gets so afraid to discuss it that its almost a "taboo" subject.

[Jibralta]

28 minutes ago, Kwothe28 said:

But everybody gets so afraid to discuss it that its almost a "taboo" subject.

Taboo is the correct word! There's very little benefit to employees in not discussing salary. It simply allows employers to benefit from discount labor by perpetuating wage gaps. Employers protect themselves by disciplining or even firing employees who discuss salary. There's no actual legal basis for that except for, perhaps, employment agreements. E.g., if you don't agree to be secretive, you wont get a job. So, we agree to be coerced in order to receive whatever wage we get. It's a real racket 😅