To find talk of salary crass?

What, so that the poor people don't discover they are being exploited for crap pay? Because thats the effect this has.

YABU. If friends didn’t talk about salaries I would have had no idea of what was possible.

It can be a bit braggy but then so are most things that people share

So important to talk about salaries, esp. with colleagues who are women or ethnic/religious minorities. They so often do a similar job at lesser pay. Keeping quiet about pay is a way of keeping people from demanding appropriate remuneration.

I also think it is important so people understand what suggestions for collective activities are financially appropriate in certain groups. I have picked up the bill for others in the past, when I was in a better position, and when I went back to uni, they picked up the bill for me for a while.

The working classes of society have been groomed to believe talking about salaries is crass for centuries. Being convinced that it's a taboo keeps wages low and allows disparity to happen unchallenged - gender pay gap anyone?

My company gave a general low % raise to everyone a few weeks ago and the last line of the letter was "Your pay is confidential and should not be discussed with anyone else" - wonder why?!

Eh? It could be excruciating in so many social circles - I would never tell my friends what I earn and certainly not people who I know earn a fraction of what I do.

The concept of 'not talking about your salary' is something employers came up with to prevent people comparing their pay and discovering others earn more.
So all the snobby people who think its bad manners? Are just people who don't understand they are supporting employers in paying people unequally.
Many workplaces and oragnisations publish their payscales and this is because being open and pay and remuneration generally results in less inequality for eg between men and women, and between people of different ethnic groups.
If more people discussed what they are paid openly employers would not be able to get away with poor pay so often.

I think 'crass' is entirely subjective, and has just been a useful way to keep people quiet in the past; fuck that, I'm happy to be open about things with people.

The only people that try to to discourage talk of money are those that are have loads themselves or are underpaying people.

You forgot to add or those with manners. Do you tell everyone how much everything costs as well so everyone can compare prices?

It's crass, but it should be normalised. It's important to know what jobs pay how much, for career progression, the gender pay gap and for kids looking into careers. We need to get over the Britishness of not talking about money, because it does us (women) no favours.

The only people that try to to discourage talk of money are those that are have loads themselves or are underpaying people. It's a uniquely British thing. In some countries everyone's salaries and tax returns are publicly available so anyone can see what anyone else earns. That gets rid of the secrecy around salaries in companies that try to exploit and underpay as much as possible.

Totally crass.

One person's 'shit loads' is another's 'bugger all'. Dodgy ground with friends.

The OP didn't say negotiating salaries, that's 2 totally different things. Bragging about a salary to a friend who you don't work with doesn't compare to negotiating a salary.

It's very boorish behaviour and I wouldn't be impressed.

Talk of salary never bothers me but I've always worked in the public sector and with a quick Google could see my / colleagues salary.

Absolutely not!!! I recently started a new job and negotiated a salary £6K higher than what was originally advertised- in fact, they ended up offering the other 2 people alongside me the same salary (same roles). We've never talked money with each other but if I hadn't raised being underpaid in our job, we'd have all be worse off! We follow set pay scales though so our salaries aren't really a secret in the grand scheme of things. I would find it off putting however, if anyone ever asked me for exact figures on what I was earning. YABU

I agree with you. Anyone talking about salary is usually just to show off. PS I am a high earner and would never discuss salary in real life, so it's not that I'm bitter or anything.

Honestly, I can't get worked up about that. I am pretty certain most of my circle is aware of my salary as it came up in conversation at some point. It's not some secret knowledge. How is talking about salary any more crass than anything else you might talk to your friends about?

Open discussions about salary promote equality and fair pay so YABU.

I find it useful talking about salary in the sense you can if you're being paid equally for other people who do the same job.

People will say they earn more because of qualifications but there are jobs where people are equally qualified, do exactly the same job to the same standard and are paid less.

Plus women being paid less than men too.