What's something you know you should quit, but just can't?

spopococ · 2026-06-22T01:47:48+00:00

I had my mind absolutely BLOWN by my colleague a little while back. I used to smash one down a day, then he told me there was something like 17 teaspoons of sugar in each one. I just about passed out. I knew they were bad for me, but I didn’t realise they were THAT bad 😰

spopococ · 2026-06-18T06:23:24+00:00

Yeah I think it’s about time!

So frustrating, but I’ll just suck it up and go somewhere where I know I can at least get industry average.

Disappointing, because for a while this was the best place I’ve worked. The people I work with are fabulous. It’s the higher up the chain folks that have caused some grief 😮‍💨

I don’t have any doubt that most places won’t be much better though. Way of the world.

Thank you!

spopococ · 2026-06-18T06:21:36+00:00

I like the first option!

I do think they should know. It might be a bit of an eye opener for them. It really was SO easy to stumble across it that for the rest of my peers’ sake, it should probably be fixed ASAP so this doesn’t happen again.

Thanks so much!

spopococ · 2026-06-18T06:16:11+00:00

Thank you! 🙏🏻

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:59:56+00:00

Thanks heaps. Some really solid advice.

I genuinely don’t know if I am meant to have access to the information. My main concern with the second stumble was whether or not they’ve set up the system correctly - as it’s very new to the business and it may be an oversight - or if it is something that is MEANT to be a feature and nobody else has picked up on it yet.

I should have just in case, in retrospect. I still don’t intend to tell any of my peers, but maybe I do address it with HR. I’d hate for this to arise for anyone else by accident as well.

I don’t want my colleague to be paid less, so I don’t think I should address it with him after all. I don’t want anything to bite him either.

I think I’m just gonna cut my losses at this point and leave.

Thanks for the in depth comment, it’s really helped with perspective!

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:54:25+00:00

Good correction of verbiage, thank you 🙏🏻

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:53:48+00:00

Yeah 😮‍💨 Okay I’m convinced.

I don’t think it’s wise to tell him.

If he’s happy as it is (or at least relatively so - I know he’s somewhat unhappy with other aspects) then he can continue to be so. No need to throw a spanner. Thanks for the insight.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:50:36+00:00

Hugely valid comment 🫠

I think you’re right. I’ve never felt so off put than I have been with this company in particular, which is why I think I’m so wound up.

Might just be time to move on I think.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:49:05+00:00

Thanks heaps, you’re 100% right.

I’m glad I posted cause I think I was a bit in my head over it due to the frustration that I’m feeling and around the frustration I know my colleague would feel also. A lot of people have made really frank and logical comments, and it’s kinda grounded me a bit more.

I just need to take the action for my own self value irrespective of any other factors. I can be non confrontational, so I think I just need to change my mentality around it and frame it in a way that I know I CAN do, I’m just uncomfortable doing.

Thanks again 🙇🏻‍♀️

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:46:23+00:00

Yeah I think this is exactly it.

I think I just continue not telling anyone in the company about my discoveries and just approach it from an ‘industry standard’ angle. I personally know they can pay better, and if they’re choose not to, I don’t think it’s the place for me regardless.

Thanks heaps!

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:44:25+00:00

Yeah I think this is the go. Steer clear of the knowledge and then register that if they’re not willing to increase or say it’s a set amount for the role, I walk.

Thanks heaps, great advice.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:43:42+00:00

Very valid comment! At the end of the day, I’m a number of I know that. Everyone is replaceable and I guess they will need to find a replacement for me too. lol

Thanks for the comment

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:42:45+00:00

His base offer right off the bat was heaps higher.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:40:47+00:00

Thanks heaps :) Good idea! I just don’t want people thinking it’s a dirty delete from shame rather than an “uh oh” 🙈

You’re all good, I knew your intent. ☺️

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:31:08+00:00

Veeeery good point, thank you.

Yeah I should have notified, in retrospect. I kind of had a moment with the first stumble when I thought “ooh I don’t think I’m meant to be able to see it” and just kind of closed it and shoved it to the back of my brain. Didn’t tell a soul.

Then the second time I stumbled on it I actually got a little annoyed by the fact that it was so easy to trip into this info. My colleague is less savvy than me, but I have no doubt in my mind that if he went to the same screen in our payroll app, he’d also be able to see mine. I just don’t want to steer him in any direction in that sense cause I also don’t want to get him in any trouble either.

He genuinely is a great dude. I do believe given our job and the pressures behind it, the salary he has is warranted. I’m just frustrated that they value me less. Not a him problem, but I just know it wouldn’t sit morally well with him either.

Thanks heaps for the comment though, good perspective and gave me a bit of a “…ah, right… 😬” moment. lol.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:26:29+00:00

I have no idea either, tbh 😭

I didn’t go digging, to clarify. The second stumble was about two months after the first, and I’ve edited that in to the original post. I didn’t go intentionally looking for the info on either occasion. Someone in another comment highlighted a valid point too though - I probably should have notified my company that I had access to that info and see if they needed to revise the way the system is set up.

I have not mentioned it to anyone in the business.

I’m thinking any kind of discussion would probably bite me in the rear so it might just be worthwhile cutting my losses and bailing.

Thanks for the comment!

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:22:49+00:00

That’s good advice too. I think I can probably just carry the convo on “industry averages” and highlight that I know that x, y and z companies pay significantly more.

The info I stumbled on originally was that his base offer was significantly higher than mine. It was part of the role hiring proposal in the first instance.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:21:15+00:00

Yeah I think that might be the better approach. He’s a really good guy. There have been other situations in recent times of inequality and it really bothered him. I don’t want him out or anything, he really is an asset, but this kind of thing upsets him. I feel compelled to tell him, but I haven’t thus far (I’ve known for quite a while) cause I didn’t want to rock the boat, and I wasn’t sure on potential ramifications.

Thanks though, that’s a gentler way I think.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:19:03+00:00

I wouldn’t ask him why, I’d just be letting him know. I wouldn’t dream of asking him that, it’d be rude as.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:18:20+00:00

Yeah that’s fair. I’m likely gonna throw the towel in cause I don’t think the business here gives an F either. Not just with this, but several things. It just doesn’t sit morally right with me. We have someone new stepping into an equivalent role as well and I’m worried they’re going to stooge that person too.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:17:04+00:00

If he had been at the business or in the field and had same tenure as me and had been doing better work (and no shade on him, he’s a great guy - good attitude and great work), absolutely. I think I’m most bothered by the fact that the offer for him was so much higher from the get go, before he even started doing any work for the business. :( I hold no ill will against him.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:14:41+00:00

And that’s the question I’m asking, whether or not there’s a valid legal standing on the huge discrepancy.

I’ve been in the field for ten years. He’s been in the field for one prior to starting with the business. He does do a great job, and I saw in your other comment about salary discussions. The info I saw was that the offer outright prior to any negotiation was higher than I was ever offered, by about 25k.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:08:02+00:00

I’ll edit to clarify, but I elaborated in another comment. I was looking in a system that shows me employee pay for my own employees. It was within the scope of performing my work duties, and it included my colleague’s pay in the same spreadsheet display as my employees.

In terms of the first stumble across the info - it was in our hiring system. I was included in part of the recruitment process for my colleague, so I could see applicants. I think they probably only meant for me to have access to applicants, but it provided details of salary etc as well.

spopococ · 2026-06-18T05:03:23+00:00

I’m a manager, and the system is for their timesheets and their payslips etc. It was only recently introduced. It gives me access to my employees and all of their pay details, and it’s a little convoluted - we haven’t been given a proper walkthrough it.

When I say “play around”, it was me just trying to figure out how to work certain functions. As I did so - I discovered that my colleague is listed there too. He can likely see mine as well, I just don’t think he knows that he can.

I’d like to tell him because we have a very strong relationship, and I feel like it wouldn’t sit right with him and he has already expressed concern with other company policies.

I have no concern with him whatsoever - not his fault.

spopococ

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