Hi guys

New here as looking for advice. I'm taking 3 months shared parental leave this summer. I work as an HR advisor. The lady chosen to cover me has got more experience (in terms of she has worked at more senior levels) and the head of HR plans to use her to obviously cover my job and the day to day stuff, and also to do some project work although nothing definite has been decided on yet. She is to be paid 20% more than me and will work 4 days a week (I work 5). Now obviously working in HR I'm well aware that sometimes you have to pay more to get someone experienced to do short term contracts, but her FTE salary works out about 50% higher than mine - this is surely not a reasonable difference for doing what for the most part will be the same role?

I'm not making a fuss - my plan is upon my return to speak to my boss and ask for a pay review, using this as leverage. I wouldn't even want what my cover is being paid, but just a bit more - its obviously quite disheartening and makes me under-valued. I think as a department we'd be raising eyebrows if another manager was doing this. I just wanted to canvas opinion and see what others think? Maybe it is reasonable and I should wind my neck in?

The other thing is, as a man and this is a lady who will be covering me, does that create a potential sex discrimination issue? Not that I want to open that can of worms but again, I can't help but feel I'm not being treated very fairly here...?!

Thanks in advance.