No

They have offered this salary either because (a) they mistakenly believe it’s the rate for the job as your friend gets it and therefore need to pay it. Or (b) because they are the daughter of the owners friend and the owner wants to.

None of this affects the salary your friend earns ( and I assume was happy with). So I agree it’s unfair but she has far bigger priorities than a teenagers salary.

I do not believe there is a legal claim here and I do not believe complaining to the boss would have much effect  

what result does your friend now want? The juniors salary reduced? 

On a general point of an office junior straight out of college can do the job then it’s questionable if the 18 years experience should actually be rewarded. Sone jobs just don’t need that level of experience it should therefore reward it.

In reply to Keith:

Hi Keith,

Thanks for your response and in answer to your question I'm not entirely sure what my friend is looking to getting out of approaching her boss. I was looking to see if from experience approaching the situation would have any impact.

Thanks again

Victoria

Unless your friend thinks that difference is a result of direct discrimination - which is difficult to evidence from a comparative figure of one - then there's no legal grounds for objection.

I'm pretty sure that challenging the apparent disparity *will* have an impact, but it might not have the impact your friend would like it to. Either - hurt and betrayed as she feels - her grievance will be rejected and she'll feel even more hurt and betrayed, her morale will collapse and she will either be exited for poor performance or will resign in a cloud of indignation. Or her employers will raise her salary despite not, actually, needing to.

Which is the more likely outcome will depend upon her relationship with her employer...

In reply to Robey:

Apologies, I was mistaken when I first posted. Having spoken to my friend again, the office junior is being paid more than my friend who is the office manager. The boss has confirmed the junior is only to be covering the basic admin tasks and not the legal aspect of the role (sheriff officers).

In reply to Keith:

Keith said:

On a general point of an office junior straight out of college can do the job then it’s questionable if the 18 years experience should actually be rewarded. Sone jobs just don’t need that level of experience it should therefore reward it.

I agree with Keith here. Maybe that's just the pay for the role? Are there annual increments or do the employee need to negotiate a raise?

Now I've just seen your latest post, which I guess changes things. What does everyone think now?

In reply to Steve Bridger:

I think I've seen business owners pay family members inflated salaries for deflated roles rather a lot. Whilst I think it is a strategic mis-step, it's not illegal.

Rationally, the only question Victoria's friend should ask herself is "Is the salary I'm being paid for this role a fair one for work I'm being asked to do?" Comparing ourselves to what others are paid is a quick route to misery, akin to comparing your life to the lives you see others displaying on their social media.

I make an exception to that when there is an issue of justice at stake, such as illegal discrimination, because by standing up for your right to fair pay, you are standing up for a thousand or more others affected by the same issues but without the will, courage or wherewithal to fight it. But when the issue is one person looking at another person and complaining that "she's paid X and I'm paid Y and it's not fair..." then all you've got is a grievance and not a very good one, because the employer is entitled to pay whatever he/she pleases that will attract the right talent within the law so if the employer looks at the complaint and shrugs, whatchagonnado?

In reply to Victoria:

I think I'd want to know why someone was being paid more than me to do my job; especially if I would 'know' that as part of my job. I think a careful and non-aggressive: "I'm looking forward to coming back to work on X and to handing over with Y, who I understand has done a great job. I would appreciate it if we could have a conversation about my salary on my return? I'm aware of course that the salary for my role has been increased while I've been away, so it seems like a good time to have a conversation about it." There are of course good reasons why temp cover demands a higher rate than a long term role (as they have no job security and offer flexibility that most of us cannot), so even though it doesn't sound like it's the case here, making it a genuine enquiry could bear fruit.