Is it wrong to peek at colleagues paycheck?












2














As a background story, I am part of the IT person at the company.



The company wants to create a system to automate invoicing and billing process using our internal system because at the moment we're doing all of those manually by looking at transaction history on our system then copy/paste to an online accounting system services.



Obviously I need an access to be able to request an API call to that accounting system online to create the invoice/billing from our internal system, additionally I need full access to the system to do that (the accounting system we're using not very good to be able to implement minimum access policy for this, but good enough for us so far).



Consequently since we're using the same system and the same account both for our customer and internal accounting stuff (staff paycheck, bills, etc.), I could see literally everything (we're a small company with <20 staff in the office)



Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?










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  • 10




    Wait, are you experimenting on the real "production server"? What happens if you mistakenly flush all the data? Usually this kind of job is done on an experimental server, where you (or someone else) has full access and can create users and data quickly, so you can play with some "dummy" data, and not risk damaging the real database
    – frarugi87
    1 hour ago










  • Are you breaching any data protection laws in your country by peeking at information for no reason beyond idle curiosity?
    – Kozaky
    1 hour ago






  • 1




    @Kozaky the OP's profile indicates they are UK based - so what the OP proposes would be a GDPR violation
    – motosubatsu
    1 hour ago






  • 9




    The fact that you're asking kinda indicates you already know the answer is yes. So, what is your question?
    – rath
    1 hour ago










  • Is it ethically wrong doesn't seem to have any practical meaning. Is it wrong according to company policy? Or local law? That seems much more concrete. I'm still not sure why you're asking, or how anyone could possibly argue "it's OK" from an ethics perspective. What do you hope to gain from snooping? How would you justify it if people found out? Ask yourself those questions, regardless of what answers are given here.
    – dwizum
    1 hour ago
















2














As a background story, I am part of the IT person at the company.



The company wants to create a system to automate invoicing and billing process using our internal system because at the moment we're doing all of those manually by looking at transaction history on our system then copy/paste to an online accounting system services.



Obviously I need an access to be able to request an API call to that accounting system online to create the invoice/billing from our internal system, additionally I need full access to the system to do that (the accounting system we're using not very good to be able to implement minimum access policy for this, but good enough for us so far).



Consequently since we're using the same system and the same account both for our customer and internal accounting stuff (staff paycheck, bills, etc.), I could see literally everything (we're a small company with <20 staff in the office)



Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?










share|improve this question









New contributor




aries is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 10




    Wait, are you experimenting on the real "production server"? What happens if you mistakenly flush all the data? Usually this kind of job is done on an experimental server, where you (or someone else) has full access and can create users and data quickly, so you can play with some "dummy" data, and not risk damaging the real database
    – frarugi87
    1 hour ago










  • Are you breaching any data protection laws in your country by peeking at information for no reason beyond idle curiosity?
    – Kozaky
    1 hour ago






  • 1




    @Kozaky the OP's profile indicates they are UK based - so what the OP proposes would be a GDPR violation
    – motosubatsu
    1 hour ago






  • 9




    The fact that you're asking kinda indicates you already know the answer is yes. So, what is your question?
    – rath
    1 hour ago










  • Is it ethically wrong doesn't seem to have any practical meaning. Is it wrong according to company policy? Or local law? That seems much more concrete. I'm still not sure why you're asking, or how anyone could possibly argue "it's OK" from an ethics perspective. What do you hope to gain from snooping? How would you justify it if people found out? Ask yourself those questions, regardless of what answers are given here.
    – dwizum
    1 hour ago














2












2








2







As a background story, I am part of the IT person at the company.



The company wants to create a system to automate invoicing and billing process using our internal system because at the moment we're doing all of those manually by looking at transaction history on our system then copy/paste to an online accounting system services.



Obviously I need an access to be able to request an API call to that accounting system online to create the invoice/billing from our internal system, additionally I need full access to the system to do that (the accounting system we're using not very good to be able to implement minimum access policy for this, but good enough for us so far).



Consequently since we're using the same system and the same account both for our customer and internal accounting stuff (staff paycheck, bills, etc.), I could see literally everything (we're a small company with <20 staff in the office)



Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?










share|improve this question









New contributor




aries is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











As a background story, I am part of the IT person at the company.



The company wants to create a system to automate invoicing and billing process using our internal system because at the moment we're doing all of those manually by looking at transaction history on our system then copy/paste to an online accounting system services.



Obviously I need an access to be able to request an API call to that accounting system online to create the invoice/billing from our internal system, additionally I need full access to the system to do that (the accounting system we're using not very good to be able to implement minimum access policy for this, but good enough for us so far).



Consequently since we're using the same system and the same account both for our customer and internal accounting stuff (staff paycheck, bills, etc.), I could see literally everything (we're a small company with <20 staff in the office)



Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?







salary ethics united-kingdom






share|improve this question









New contributor




aries is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




aries is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 1 hour ago









Snow

58.1k50185234




58.1k50185234






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asked 2 hours ago









aries

1254




1254




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aries is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor





aries is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






aries is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 10




    Wait, are you experimenting on the real "production server"? What happens if you mistakenly flush all the data? Usually this kind of job is done on an experimental server, where you (or someone else) has full access and can create users and data quickly, so you can play with some "dummy" data, and not risk damaging the real database
    – frarugi87
    1 hour ago










  • Are you breaching any data protection laws in your country by peeking at information for no reason beyond idle curiosity?
    – Kozaky
    1 hour ago






  • 1




    @Kozaky the OP's profile indicates they are UK based - so what the OP proposes would be a GDPR violation
    – motosubatsu
    1 hour ago






  • 9




    The fact that you're asking kinda indicates you already know the answer is yes. So, what is your question?
    – rath
    1 hour ago










  • Is it ethically wrong doesn't seem to have any practical meaning. Is it wrong according to company policy? Or local law? That seems much more concrete. I'm still not sure why you're asking, or how anyone could possibly argue "it's OK" from an ethics perspective. What do you hope to gain from snooping? How would you justify it if people found out? Ask yourself those questions, regardless of what answers are given here.
    – dwizum
    1 hour ago














  • 10




    Wait, are you experimenting on the real "production server"? What happens if you mistakenly flush all the data? Usually this kind of job is done on an experimental server, where you (or someone else) has full access and can create users and data quickly, so you can play with some "dummy" data, and not risk damaging the real database
    – frarugi87
    1 hour ago










  • Are you breaching any data protection laws in your country by peeking at information for no reason beyond idle curiosity?
    – Kozaky
    1 hour ago






  • 1




    @Kozaky the OP's profile indicates they are UK based - so what the OP proposes would be a GDPR violation
    – motosubatsu
    1 hour ago






  • 9




    The fact that you're asking kinda indicates you already know the answer is yes. So, what is your question?
    – rath
    1 hour ago










  • Is it ethically wrong doesn't seem to have any practical meaning. Is it wrong according to company policy? Or local law? That seems much more concrete. I'm still not sure why you're asking, or how anyone could possibly argue "it's OK" from an ethics perspective. What do you hope to gain from snooping? How would you justify it if people found out? Ask yourself those questions, regardless of what answers are given here.
    – dwizum
    1 hour ago








10




10




Wait, are you experimenting on the real "production server"? What happens if you mistakenly flush all the data? Usually this kind of job is done on an experimental server, where you (or someone else) has full access and can create users and data quickly, so you can play with some "dummy" data, and not risk damaging the real database
– frarugi87
1 hour ago




Wait, are you experimenting on the real "production server"? What happens if you mistakenly flush all the data? Usually this kind of job is done on an experimental server, where you (or someone else) has full access and can create users and data quickly, so you can play with some "dummy" data, and not risk damaging the real database
– frarugi87
1 hour ago












Are you breaching any data protection laws in your country by peeking at information for no reason beyond idle curiosity?
– Kozaky
1 hour ago




Are you breaching any data protection laws in your country by peeking at information for no reason beyond idle curiosity?
– Kozaky
1 hour ago




1




1




@Kozaky the OP's profile indicates they are UK based - so what the OP proposes would be a GDPR violation
– motosubatsu
1 hour ago




@Kozaky the OP's profile indicates they are UK based - so what the OP proposes would be a GDPR violation
– motosubatsu
1 hour ago




9




9




The fact that you're asking kinda indicates you already know the answer is yes. So, what is your question?
– rath
1 hour ago




The fact that you're asking kinda indicates you already know the answer is yes. So, what is your question?
– rath
1 hour ago












Is it ethically wrong doesn't seem to have any practical meaning. Is it wrong according to company policy? Or local law? That seems much more concrete. I'm still not sure why you're asking, or how anyone could possibly argue "it's OK" from an ethics perspective. What do you hope to gain from snooping? How would you justify it if people found out? Ask yourself those questions, regardless of what answers are given here.
– dwizum
1 hour ago




Is it ethically wrong doesn't seem to have any practical meaning. Is it wrong according to company policy? Or local law? That seems much more concrete. I'm still not sure why you're asking, or how anyone could possibly argue "it's OK" from an ethics perspective. What do you hope to gain from snooping? How would you justify it if people found out? Ask yourself those questions, regardless of what answers are given here.
– dwizum
1 hour ago










5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















26














Stop what you're doing and think things through.



You're developing APIs that interact with a live finance system. If things go wrong and you write instead of read or do something to corrupt the system, you could wreck people's lives (and the company for that matter).



Don't do that.



Create or request a separate test system to interface with and use that to develop and test against before attaching to the live system. If this is an online (third party) system, then they should be able to provide you with a test system/account to use for the purposes of development.



Even with a small company like yours, this is really really important.



And don't look at people's personal information - it's morally (and potentially legally) wrong - make sure that your test system has test values in it.






share|improve this answer































    9















    Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?




    Yes, and illegal in a lot of countries. Don't do this, and if you did hope no one will ever know or you risk your job and maybe more.






    share|improve this answer





















    • Note, there are usually exceptions in the law (or company guidelines at least) for people who need to see this data, usually that means just HR. In a small company with blended roles I can see you falling under this exception but it will mean a big responsibility and probably some extra training.
      – Borgh
      1 hour ago










    • As OP said, he needs to create invoices not to look at other's paychecks. I don't think the exception will help him there.
      – LP154
      1 hour ago










    • As I read it, he is the one responsible for their accounting software and in most companies you need someone who is able to confirm "yes we transferred (x money) to (y acocunt) on (z date)", ideally the company invoices and paychecks go through a seperate systems but in a smaller company with a single system that might not be realistic. I'd recommend building something where you get a "yes i want to see this" popup before any sensitive information is shown.
      – Borgh
      1 hour ago



















    5














    Yes. You should only be accessing the data you need to access to do your job, especially when it comes to financial data.






    share|improve this answer





























      0














      Depends on what you consider ethically wrong. I for one would be curious and do it when no one is watching, not because it's right or ethical, but because I would want to know if I'm getting shafted with the pay. As the answers above pointed out, I would refrain if specifically requested not to or it's illegal to do so.






      share|improve this answer





















      • If I find out that you looked at my salary without my permission and without any need I will do my hardest to get you out of the company. I think my boss will agree with this, so I won’t have to work hard. Even more with GDPR.
        – gnasher729
        47 mins ago






      • 1




        "Depends on what you consider ethically wrong." - spot on; there are some truths people don't like to hear; like ethics is a personal thing. Legal points are not however - and this would be breaking the law. Anyway, what would you do if you did find out you were being paid less - if you say to your boss "I saw everyones pay and I want more" their reply will be with a boot.
        – UKMonkey
        37 mins ago



















      0














      I agree fully with the answer of @Snow. Besides that:




      • Never use administrative access to "peek" at things. In 99% of the cases there is no credible explanation that you actually need to look at a real live document as an IT person, unless you need to give support on a specific case.


      • If you happen to come across such information without being explicitly permitted and asked to by the administration of your company, keep it absolutely confidential and never ever talk about it - but inform your boss that some procedure is not OK (see next point).


      • If you have a support role where you get in touch with personal information and your company has not given you a dedicated training/explanation on it, including introducing the person actually responsible for this, then something is severely wrong in the administration. In a well organized company, there is no way that somebody gets in contact with salary information without that being addressed explicitly, including precise limitations and procedure how to handle things, and a form which you have to sign that you understood what was said.






      share





















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        5 Answers
        5






        active

        oldest

        votes








        5 Answers
        5






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        26














        Stop what you're doing and think things through.



        You're developing APIs that interact with a live finance system. If things go wrong and you write instead of read or do something to corrupt the system, you could wreck people's lives (and the company for that matter).



        Don't do that.



        Create or request a separate test system to interface with and use that to develop and test against before attaching to the live system. If this is an online (third party) system, then they should be able to provide you with a test system/account to use for the purposes of development.



        Even with a small company like yours, this is really really important.



        And don't look at people's personal information - it's morally (and potentially legally) wrong - make sure that your test system has test values in it.






        share|improve this answer




























          26














          Stop what you're doing and think things through.



          You're developing APIs that interact with a live finance system. If things go wrong and you write instead of read or do something to corrupt the system, you could wreck people's lives (and the company for that matter).



          Don't do that.



          Create or request a separate test system to interface with and use that to develop and test against before attaching to the live system. If this is an online (third party) system, then they should be able to provide you with a test system/account to use for the purposes of development.



          Even with a small company like yours, this is really really important.



          And don't look at people's personal information - it's morally (and potentially legally) wrong - make sure that your test system has test values in it.






          share|improve this answer


























            26












            26








            26






            Stop what you're doing and think things through.



            You're developing APIs that interact with a live finance system. If things go wrong and you write instead of read or do something to corrupt the system, you could wreck people's lives (and the company for that matter).



            Don't do that.



            Create or request a separate test system to interface with and use that to develop and test against before attaching to the live system. If this is an online (third party) system, then they should be able to provide you with a test system/account to use for the purposes of development.



            Even with a small company like yours, this is really really important.



            And don't look at people's personal information - it's morally (and potentially legally) wrong - make sure that your test system has test values in it.






            share|improve this answer














            Stop what you're doing and think things through.



            You're developing APIs that interact with a live finance system. If things go wrong and you write instead of read or do something to corrupt the system, you could wreck people's lives (and the company for that matter).



            Don't do that.



            Create or request a separate test system to interface with and use that to develop and test against before attaching to the live system. If this is an online (third party) system, then they should be able to provide you with a test system/account to use for the purposes of development.



            Even with a small company like yours, this is really really important.



            And don't look at people's personal information - it's morally (and potentially legally) wrong - make sure that your test system has test values in it.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 1 hour ago

























            answered 1 hour ago









            Snow

            58.1k50185234




            58.1k50185234

























                9















                Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?




                Yes, and illegal in a lot of countries. Don't do this, and if you did hope no one will ever know or you risk your job and maybe more.






                share|improve this answer





















                • Note, there are usually exceptions in the law (or company guidelines at least) for people who need to see this data, usually that means just HR. In a small company with blended roles I can see you falling under this exception but it will mean a big responsibility and probably some extra training.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago










                • As OP said, he needs to create invoices not to look at other's paychecks. I don't think the exception will help him there.
                  – LP154
                  1 hour ago










                • As I read it, he is the one responsible for their accounting software and in most companies you need someone who is able to confirm "yes we transferred (x money) to (y acocunt) on (z date)", ideally the company invoices and paychecks go through a seperate systems but in a smaller company with a single system that might not be realistic. I'd recommend building something where you get a "yes i want to see this" popup before any sensitive information is shown.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago
















                9















                Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?




                Yes, and illegal in a lot of countries. Don't do this, and if you did hope no one will ever know or you risk your job and maybe more.






                share|improve this answer





















                • Note, there are usually exceptions in the law (or company guidelines at least) for people who need to see this data, usually that means just HR. In a small company with blended roles I can see you falling under this exception but it will mean a big responsibility and probably some extra training.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago










                • As OP said, he needs to create invoices not to look at other's paychecks. I don't think the exception will help him there.
                  – LP154
                  1 hour ago










                • As I read it, he is the one responsible for their accounting software and in most companies you need someone who is able to confirm "yes we transferred (x money) to (y acocunt) on (z date)", ideally the company invoices and paychecks go through a seperate systems but in a smaller company with a single system that might not be realistic. I'd recommend building something where you get a "yes i want to see this" popup before any sensitive information is shown.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago














                9












                9








                9







                Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?




                Yes, and illegal in a lot of countries. Don't do this, and if you did hope no one will ever know or you risk your job and maybe more.






                share|improve this answer













                Is it ethically wrong to have peek at staff paycheck?




                Yes, and illegal in a lot of countries. Don't do this, and if you did hope no one will ever know or you risk your job and maybe more.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 2 hours ago









                LP154

                1,540516




                1,540516












                • Note, there are usually exceptions in the law (or company guidelines at least) for people who need to see this data, usually that means just HR. In a small company with blended roles I can see you falling under this exception but it will mean a big responsibility and probably some extra training.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago










                • As OP said, he needs to create invoices not to look at other's paychecks. I don't think the exception will help him there.
                  – LP154
                  1 hour ago










                • As I read it, he is the one responsible for their accounting software and in most companies you need someone who is able to confirm "yes we transferred (x money) to (y acocunt) on (z date)", ideally the company invoices and paychecks go through a seperate systems but in a smaller company with a single system that might not be realistic. I'd recommend building something where you get a "yes i want to see this" popup before any sensitive information is shown.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago


















                • Note, there are usually exceptions in the law (or company guidelines at least) for people who need to see this data, usually that means just HR. In a small company with blended roles I can see you falling under this exception but it will mean a big responsibility and probably some extra training.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago










                • As OP said, he needs to create invoices not to look at other's paychecks. I don't think the exception will help him there.
                  – LP154
                  1 hour ago










                • As I read it, he is the one responsible for their accounting software and in most companies you need someone who is able to confirm "yes we transferred (x money) to (y acocunt) on (z date)", ideally the company invoices and paychecks go through a seperate systems but in a smaller company with a single system that might not be realistic. I'd recommend building something where you get a "yes i want to see this" popup before any sensitive information is shown.
                  – Borgh
                  1 hour ago
















                Note, there are usually exceptions in the law (or company guidelines at least) for people who need to see this data, usually that means just HR. In a small company with blended roles I can see you falling under this exception but it will mean a big responsibility and probably some extra training.
                – Borgh
                1 hour ago




                Note, there are usually exceptions in the law (or company guidelines at least) for people who need to see this data, usually that means just HR. In a small company with blended roles I can see you falling under this exception but it will mean a big responsibility and probably some extra training.
                – Borgh
                1 hour ago












                As OP said, he needs to create invoices not to look at other's paychecks. I don't think the exception will help him there.
                – LP154
                1 hour ago




                As OP said, he needs to create invoices not to look at other's paychecks. I don't think the exception will help him there.
                – LP154
                1 hour ago












                As I read it, he is the one responsible for their accounting software and in most companies you need someone who is able to confirm "yes we transferred (x money) to (y acocunt) on (z date)", ideally the company invoices and paychecks go through a seperate systems but in a smaller company with a single system that might not be realistic. I'd recommend building something where you get a "yes i want to see this" popup before any sensitive information is shown.
                – Borgh
                1 hour ago




                As I read it, he is the one responsible for their accounting software and in most companies you need someone who is able to confirm "yes we transferred (x money) to (y acocunt) on (z date)", ideally the company invoices and paychecks go through a seperate systems but in a smaller company with a single system that might not be realistic. I'd recommend building something where you get a "yes i want to see this" popup before any sensitive information is shown.
                – Borgh
                1 hour ago











                5














                Yes. You should only be accessing the data you need to access to do your job, especially when it comes to financial data.






                share|improve this answer


























                  5














                  Yes. You should only be accessing the data you need to access to do your job, especially when it comes to financial data.






                  share|improve this answer
























                    5












                    5








                    5






                    Yes. You should only be accessing the data you need to access to do your job, especially when it comes to financial data.






                    share|improve this answer












                    Yes. You should only be accessing the data you need to access to do your job, especially when it comes to financial data.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 2 hours ago









                    Robert Dundon

                    1,645189




                    1,645189























                        0














                        Depends on what you consider ethically wrong. I for one would be curious and do it when no one is watching, not because it's right or ethical, but because I would want to know if I'm getting shafted with the pay. As the answers above pointed out, I would refrain if specifically requested not to or it's illegal to do so.






                        share|improve this answer





















                        • If I find out that you looked at my salary without my permission and without any need I will do my hardest to get you out of the company. I think my boss will agree with this, so I won’t have to work hard. Even more with GDPR.
                          – gnasher729
                          47 mins ago






                        • 1




                          "Depends on what you consider ethically wrong." - spot on; there are some truths people don't like to hear; like ethics is a personal thing. Legal points are not however - and this would be breaking the law. Anyway, what would you do if you did find out you were being paid less - if you say to your boss "I saw everyones pay and I want more" their reply will be with a boot.
                          – UKMonkey
                          37 mins ago
















                        0














                        Depends on what you consider ethically wrong. I for one would be curious and do it when no one is watching, not because it's right or ethical, but because I would want to know if I'm getting shafted with the pay. As the answers above pointed out, I would refrain if specifically requested not to or it's illegal to do so.






                        share|improve this answer





















                        • If I find out that you looked at my salary without my permission and without any need I will do my hardest to get you out of the company. I think my boss will agree with this, so I won’t have to work hard. Even more with GDPR.
                          – gnasher729
                          47 mins ago






                        • 1




                          "Depends on what you consider ethically wrong." - spot on; there are some truths people don't like to hear; like ethics is a personal thing. Legal points are not however - and this would be breaking the law. Anyway, what would you do if you did find out you were being paid less - if you say to your boss "I saw everyones pay and I want more" their reply will be with a boot.
                          – UKMonkey
                          37 mins ago














                        0












                        0








                        0






                        Depends on what you consider ethically wrong. I for one would be curious and do it when no one is watching, not because it's right or ethical, but because I would want to know if I'm getting shafted with the pay. As the answers above pointed out, I would refrain if specifically requested not to or it's illegal to do so.






                        share|improve this answer












                        Depends on what you consider ethically wrong. I for one would be curious and do it when no one is watching, not because it's right or ethical, but because I would want to know if I'm getting shafted with the pay. As the answers above pointed out, I would refrain if specifically requested not to or it's illegal to do so.







                        share|improve this answer












                        share|improve this answer



                        share|improve this answer










                        answered 1 hour ago









                        BoboDarph

                        2,7471516




                        2,7471516












                        • If I find out that you looked at my salary without my permission and without any need I will do my hardest to get you out of the company. I think my boss will agree with this, so I won’t have to work hard. Even more with GDPR.
                          – gnasher729
                          47 mins ago






                        • 1




                          "Depends on what you consider ethically wrong." - spot on; there are some truths people don't like to hear; like ethics is a personal thing. Legal points are not however - and this would be breaking the law. Anyway, what would you do if you did find out you were being paid less - if you say to your boss "I saw everyones pay and I want more" their reply will be with a boot.
                          – UKMonkey
                          37 mins ago


















                        • If I find out that you looked at my salary without my permission and without any need I will do my hardest to get you out of the company. I think my boss will agree with this, so I won’t have to work hard. Even more with GDPR.
                          – gnasher729
                          47 mins ago






                        • 1




                          "Depends on what you consider ethically wrong." - spot on; there are some truths people don't like to hear; like ethics is a personal thing. Legal points are not however - and this would be breaking the law. Anyway, what would you do if you did find out you were being paid less - if you say to your boss "I saw everyones pay and I want more" their reply will be with a boot.
                          – UKMonkey
                          37 mins ago
















                        If I find out that you looked at my salary without my permission and without any need I will do my hardest to get you out of the company. I think my boss will agree with this, so I won’t have to work hard. Even more with GDPR.
                        – gnasher729
                        47 mins ago




                        If I find out that you looked at my salary without my permission and without any need I will do my hardest to get you out of the company. I think my boss will agree with this, so I won’t have to work hard. Even more with GDPR.
                        – gnasher729
                        47 mins ago




                        1




                        1




                        "Depends on what you consider ethically wrong." - spot on; there are some truths people don't like to hear; like ethics is a personal thing. Legal points are not however - and this would be breaking the law. Anyway, what would you do if you did find out you were being paid less - if you say to your boss "I saw everyones pay and I want more" their reply will be with a boot.
                        – UKMonkey
                        37 mins ago




                        "Depends on what you consider ethically wrong." - spot on; there are some truths people don't like to hear; like ethics is a personal thing. Legal points are not however - and this would be breaking the law. Anyway, what would you do if you did find out you were being paid less - if you say to your boss "I saw everyones pay and I want more" their reply will be with a boot.
                        – UKMonkey
                        37 mins ago











                        0














                        I agree fully with the answer of @Snow. Besides that:




                        • Never use administrative access to "peek" at things. In 99% of the cases there is no credible explanation that you actually need to look at a real live document as an IT person, unless you need to give support on a specific case.


                        • If you happen to come across such information without being explicitly permitted and asked to by the administration of your company, keep it absolutely confidential and never ever talk about it - but inform your boss that some procedure is not OK (see next point).


                        • If you have a support role where you get in touch with personal information and your company has not given you a dedicated training/explanation on it, including introducing the person actually responsible for this, then something is severely wrong in the administration. In a well organized company, there is no way that somebody gets in contact with salary information without that being addressed explicitly, including precise limitations and procedure how to handle things, and a form which you have to sign that you understood what was said.






                        share


























                          0














                          I agree fully with the answer of @Snow. Besides that:




                          • Never use administrative access to "peek" at things. In 99% of the cases there is no credible explanation that you actually need to look at a real live document as an IT person, unless you need to give support on a specific case.


                          • If you happen to come across such information without being explicitly permitted and asked to by the administration of your company, keep it absolutely confidential and never ever talk about it - but inform your boss that some procedure is not OK (see next point).


                          • If you have a support role where you get in touch with personal information and your company has not given you a dedicated training/explanation on it, including introducing the person actually responsible for this, then something is severely wrong in the administration. In a well organized company, there is no way that somebody gets in contact with salary information without that being addressed explicitly, including precise limitations and procedure how to handle things, and a form which you have to sign that you understood what was said.






                          share
























                            0












                            0








                            0






                            I agree fully with the answer of @Snow. Besides that:




                            • Never use administrative access to "peek" at things. In 99% of the cases there is no credible explanation that you actually need to look at a real live document as an IT person, unless you need to give support on a specific case.


                            • If you happen to come across such information without being explicitly permitted and asked to by the administration of your company, keep it absolutely confidential and never ever talk about it - but inform your boss that some procedure is not OK (see next point).


                            • If you have a support role where you get in touch with personal information and your company has not given you a dedicated training/explanation on it, including introducing the person actually responsible for this, then something is severely wrong in the administration. In a well organized company, there is no way that somebody gets in contact with salary information without that being addressed explicitly, including precise limitations and procedure how to handle things, and a form which you have to sign that you understood what was said.






                            share












                            I agree fully with the answer of @Snow. Besides that:




                            • Never use administrative access to "peek" at things. In 99% of the cases there is no credible explanation that you actually need to look at a real live document as an IT person, unless you need to give support on a specific case.


                            • If you happen to come across such information without being explicitly permitted and asked to by the administration of your company, keep it absolutely confidential and never ever talk about it - but inform your boss that some procedure is not OK (see next point).


                            • If you have a support role where you get in touch with personal information and your company has not given you a dedicated training/explanation on it, including introducing the person actually responsible for this, then something is severely wrong in the administration. In a well organized company, there is no way that somebody gets in contact with salary information without that being addressed explicitly, including precise limitations and procedure how to handle things, and a form which you have to sign that you understood what was said.







                            share











                            share


                            share










                            answered 1 min ago









                            Sascha

                            7,39221535




                            7,39221535






















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