The Backdated Letter and the Salary Question
You are the administrative assistant to the operations director. On Friday afternoon a departmental manager brings you a draft letter confirming that a supplier's contract started on 1 April. The signed agreement in the file is dated 12 April, and the supplier has already invoiced for the full month. The manager says, 'Just change the date in the letter - it's administrative.' The director who would sign is on leave until Monday and has asked not to be contacted except for emergencies. In the same hour, a colleague from another department asks you to check a coworker's salary and the reason for her recent sick leave, saying it is for a 'team support plan.' Your login has HR read access because you are the payroll backup. The colleague is friendly and has helped you before; the request comes by chat, not email.
1. How do you respond to the request to change the contract start date?
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I would not alter the date. The letter is a confirmation of a contractual fact, and the signed agreement says 12 April. Changing the letter to 1 April would create a document that contradicts the contract and could support a false invoice for eleven days of service. 'Administrative' does not mean 'without consequence' - this is a record-integrity issue.
My response would be practical, not preachy: 'I can prepare the letter today, but it needs to reflect 12 April. If the intention is to confirm that services began earlier, we need evidence - a signed variation, an earlier purchase order or an email authorising early mobilisation. I can draft a separate sentence explaining the invoicing period once that evidence is on file.'
I would also keep the original draft and the signed agreement, note the request and my response, and avoid changing the file silently. If the manager insists, I would ask for the instruction in writing and refer it to the director or a delegate. The director's 'no contact except emergencies' does not mean nobody can approve a contract confirmation; a delegate or the finance manager may be able to sign, and the signed agreement already exists. If the supplier has genuinely invoiced for a period not covered by the contract, that is a finance query, not a typing correction.
2. How do you handle the salary and sick-leave request?
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I would decline to look it up, even though my login allows access. Having access is not the same as having a legitimate purpose. Salary and the reason for sick leave are confidential personal information, and a 'team support plan' does not require me to disclose either to a colleague in another department.
I would respond in writing rather than only in chat: 'I can't share salary or medical information. If you need adjustments for the team, HR can advise on what can be shared and how.' Then redirect to the proper route - HR, the person's manager if appropriate, or an occupational-health process. I would not confirm or deny the reason for the leave, because even a denial can reveal information.
I would also log the request and my response, and tell my supervisor or HR that the request was made, without turning it into an accusation. The chat message should be preserved because it is evidence of the request. If the colleague pushes, I would not negotiate; the answer stays the same. Separately, I would ask whether the payroll-backup access is still necessary and whether it should be time-limited or require a second approval, since broad standing access is itself a risk.
3. What records would you keep, and when would you escalate?
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For the letter: the original draft, the signed agreement, the manager's request and my response, any substitute evidence supplied, and the final version sent for signature. For the salary request: the chat message, my written reply and the date and time. These records protect everyone - they show what was asked, what was refused and why.
Escalation points differ. For the letter, I would escalate to the director's delegate or the finance manager if the manager insists on the altered date, or if the invoice is about to be paid on the basis of a false confirmation. For the salary request, I would escalate to HR or the privacy officer if the colleague repeats the request, pressures me, or attempts to obtain the information another way. I would also report a possible access-control weakness if my payroll-backup rights are broader than my actual duties.
The test is not whether I personally dislike the request but whether the action would mislead a third party or misuse personal information. Backdating a confirmation misleads the supplier and auditors; disclosing salary or medical details misuses information I hold only for payroll cover. Both are escalated on the facts, not on seniority.