My coworker accidentally saw my salary slip while using my computer.
The next morning, he stopped talking to me.
I thought I had offended him.
Three days later, he confronted me in the office kitchen.
Coworker: “How long have you been earning that amount?”
Me: “What amount?”
Coworker: “Your salary. You earn almost twice what I earn, and we’ve been doing the same job for two years.”
Me: “I didn’t know our salaries were different.”
He walked away angrily.
That afternoon, he went to HR to complain.
HR called both of us into a meeting.
HR: “Your salaries are different because your employment contracts are different.”
Coworker: “But we do exactly the same work!”
HR: “You both agreed to your contracts when you joined.”
My coworker turned to me.
Coworker: “So you knew you were earning more than me?”
Me: “I honestly didn’t.”
HR ended the meeting.
I thought that was the end of it.
But the following week, something strange happened.