Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about sharing a slightly lowered hike figure with a manager on my team, only to learn a week later from a colleague that the manager had told the whole team my exact percentage. I have rewritten it into advice on what to do if your pay is disclosed.
To recap: a manager on my team asked for my hike percentage, and after a lot of thought I gave him a figure slightly lower than the real one, trusting he would keep it to himself. Nothing more was said, and I got on with my work. About a week later, while chatting with a colleague who reported to the same manager, I learned that the manager had discussed my hike with him and shared my exact percentage with the whole team. It was a serious breach of trust.
How could he have known the exact figure?
Managers with access to team pay data may already know it, which means the question may have been a test or simply idle curiosity. That is one more reason to decline such questions: the asker may know more than you think.
What should you do if your pay is shared without consent?
- Stay calm: confronting the person in anger rarely helps.
- Note the facts: who said what, to whom, and when.
- Raise it with your own manager or HR: sharing pay data can breach company policy, and people with access to it are usually held to a higher standard.
- Ask for it to stop: rather than for a public apology.
How do you work with someone who broke your trust?
Keep the relationship professional and limited to work. Share only what the work needs, in writing where possible.
What about the misleading number I gave?
It did not protect me and made the situation more awkward. A polite refusal would have been better for everyone.
What is the lesson?
Confidential information stays confidential only if you keep it. Policy gives you the words to say no; use them.
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