mh67511

At work one of the supervisors told us that it is illegal to tell others what we make or ask them what they make. She said we could be fired immediately. I just don't get it. Why can't I tell someone what I make? Is it some big secret? And why in the world would the government care?

The only reason I can see is that a business wouldn't want employees to find out about sexism/racism/agism in salaries.

holla

It's the same way at my job.
They said that if you make more than someone (do to a raise or whatever) and then the other person knows and they aren't making the same then they will make a big fuss out of it and complain. The managers don't want that.

Grilka

From usatoday.com

Shhh, they're talking salary
By Sacha Cohen, special for USATODAY.com

Rumors about who's making what swirl around the water cooler. But whether it's formal policy or just an unspoken rule, many companies frown on employees talking about salaries and raises.

Bill Coleman, senior vice president of compensation at Salary.com, tells one story about a consultant who learned his assistant was making more money than he. The consultant complained to his boss, but wouldn't disclose his source. Although his information was correct-and he got a raise, he was reprimanded.

Some companies try to discourage employees from talking money with general "confidentiality" policies that allude to salary discussions without explicitly banning them, which would be illegal under the National Labor Relations Act.

The NLRA says employers cannot interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in exercising their rights under NLRA, which protects the employees' right to discuss their "wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment" for their "mutual aid or protection."

Legal or not, workers are expected to keep their lips sealed about their salaries. "It's the unwritten law," says Lee Miller, co-author of A Women's Guide to Successful Negotiating. "It's the expectation that management communicates."

Miller was once asked to fire an employee who had been caught talking salary. Instead, they had a frank discussion.

"I told her that in her position, she was expected to use discretion and that most people consider discussing what they earn to be indiscreet because salary is a personal matter," Miller says.

Bob Lambert, managing partner at Christian & Timbers in Irvine, Calif., agrees that firing is not the answer to silencing salary talk. "Sit down with people, talk to them about the problem." Be clear: It's not OK to talk salary at the office.

"Discussing compensation makes people uncomfortable because there is implied pressure for them to reciprocate by disclosing their salary," Miller says.

Still tempted to talk about what you're making? Don't.

"It's in your best interest to keep that information to yourself," Miller says. "Smart people listen but don't talk about their own salary."

Think about it from your boss' standpoint. If you just got a raise, don't make them regret it by notifying the entire office.

Get the facts straight

To ensure you're being compensated fairly, do your research. Check online salary sites for general information and advice.

But a ballpark figure off the Internet may not satisfy everyone, Coleman says. "Third party sources can be used as a reality check, but it still doesn't answer the question, 'What does the guy at the next desk make?'"

Talk with people in your field to get an idea of competitive salary ranges and join professional associations to stay in the loop. Ex-company employees are another great resource. "They'll tell you just about anything," Miller says.

More than just money

From a management perspective, educate employees about your company's compensation system, including salary ranges for various job levels. Put employees in charge of their own futures: Workers should understand why they earn what they do- based on such factors as current responsibilities, personal achievement, company performance-and what they need to accomplish to make more. Then, co-workers' salaries will be much less important.

Beyond job performance, salary levels reflect current economic and business pressures as well. Companies have to balance external market value with internal equity; a newly recruited employee with particularly valuable skills may earn more than workers with longer tenure in the same department. Don't rush to conclusions about how much someone else is making. There's more to salaries than meets the eye.

However, if you seriously feel that your compensation is unfair-especially if it relates to gender or race-research the fair market value of your position and your company's salary guidelines.

"It's not good enough to say 'I'm as good as he is'," Coleman says. "Collect as much information as you can and talk to your boss and/or the HR department. "Focus on the inequity, not on how the information came up. That's not relevant."

Contributing: Sacha Cohen is a freelance journalist based in Washington, D.C. who writes about workplace and career issues.

Galaxia21

It's really stupid but most people don't like to discuss it. I remember at my mother's work they had a boy that I went to middle school with working there for a while. He kept asking everyone what they made and one woman got mad and told him to quit asking that. I asked my mom what the big deal was about him asking and she said that it's just not polite and co-workers don't ask that. If one person gets paid more then the others might get testy....

barelylegal

I agree with the article. It's better not to tell how much you earn.

Unforuntaly, there is jelousy.. and if co-workers knew how much you earn.. well they might bitch about it... not necesarily openly or directly, but it's not a good move.

True rich people don't just tell. Even Donald Trump I bet won't tell exactly how much he makes yearly to anyone, right? Even if it might be obvious for some.

Co-workers, people are not to be trusted. And unfortunately that's true!

Better be careful!

Wild Pikachu

All of this only applies to private companies, though. In the public sector (where I work), the complete salary schedules for every single position from the Directors down to the janitorial staff are not only known, but public record.

Sick Boy

I never followed that rule. I always knew who made what and where i stood.

JW77

Personally, I don't care what other people make. Just doesn't matter to me.

Anyway, it's not illegal to discuss it (as the article posted states). If they tell you that they can fire you for that, tell them that you'll call the labor department.

ALittaM

I might agree that it's a bit tacky to talk about salaries among employees... but if you want to do it, I don't think it's illegal.

I think you should talk to your supervisor and ask him/her where did he/she found it was illegal and if it was on any contract you signed.

- Jen -

i think it is tacky to go around asking people...

although i just started a new job, and i asked a guy if he knew how much i would be making when i go onto full time, and he told me how much he made, which is about what i will be getting...he had no prob with it

at my last job there were virtually 20 different levels of pay, and a lot of jealousy, so no one spoke about salaries...

Peter Parker: Spider-Man

i do find that it would be counterprodcutivie to discuss but its not Illegal

Jay

it's a confidential issue. Personally, I wouldn't tell anyone of what i make...i mean it's my money. Besides, the more people tell about their salaries...the more conflict there will be business wise within the employees.

CrabbyCancer69

if someone wants to tell you how much they make that's their business, and vice versa if you want to tell someone what you make. but it is a confidentiality thing and they don't have to tell you if they don't want to. it's like discussing politics or religion

Lorna

My employer doesn't like us discussing how much we earn -- mainly because the more junior people (ie. me!) get paid so badly that if they knew how much other people get, we'd all quit! I didn't know it was actually illegal though!

I talk about it with my friends in the office though I don't really care if people know how much I get paid -- it's nothing to boast about anyway!

mh67511

Thanks for the responses. It doesn't cause conflict where I work, it just makes us hate the managers all the more. I don't really care if people know what I make but I like to know what others make. Although I'd probably be better off NOT knowing, because then I wouldn't get as pissed off

I AM convinced they pay the girls more though. I was told that they can't pay me $6 an hour, even though I had experience. Another girl, same age as me, no experience, got $6 an hour right off the bat.