Reviews, pay and promotions

“Wait, you make WHAT?”

I found out a coworker doing the same job makes significantly more than me.

What's really going on

• Pay gaps between people in "the same job" often come from things you can't see day to day: when each of you was hired, what the market looked like then, who negotiated harder, or differences in scope and experience that aren't obvious from outside.
• It can also be plain underpayment, or discrimination, especially if the only real difference between you is a protected characteristic like gender.
• The EU Pay Transparency Directive gives you real new leverage. By June 2026 EU member states must have it in national law. It lets you request your own pay level plus the average pay of colleagues doing equal work, broken down by gender, and it requires employers to make the criteria they use for pay and progression accessible.
• It also flips the burden of proof in a pay discrimination claim: the employer has to show they didn't discriminate, rather than you having to prove they did.

What to say

"Can I ask you about something that's been on my mind? I've learned that someone in the same role is paid quite a bit more than me. I'm sure there's context I don't have, so I'd love to understand what drives the difference, and I'd like my pay reviewed."

Change the words so they sound like you, but keep the tone.

This one can have legal consequences. The guide gives general career guidance, not legal or HR advice. Before you sign anything or make a formal complaint, talk to a qualified professional where you live.