to think that 'Don't discuss your salary' just ends up causing more resentment?

[workingdilemma]

Inspired by my other question thread about part-time work and feeling I'm not getting treated the same.

Lot's of us are told in our jobs that we shouldn't discuss our salaries with co-workers, with the justification that it will just cause resentment. Many people I know who aren't in managerial positions agree. As far as I can tell though, the only person this really ends up benefiting is our employer.

I couldn't care less if someone at my place is genuinely deserving of more money than I am - good luck to them and they deserve it. But, when you have justifiable suspicion that you're being treated differently for doing a better job - indeed, helping less senior people who are probablyon more than you, it's really disheartening. The only evidence is on the external market, but it would be so much easier (and help staff retention) if we were more honest.

AIBU to think that openness (like in Norway, where you can find out about anyone's) would actually be a lot more refreshing and cause a lot less problems?

We have our own business and work very hard to ensure all salaries are fair. Our theory is that the salary spreadsheet should be able to be left on the printer and we could justify everyone's pay and all would agree it was fair.

But we do market rate raises often and people's salaries go up a lot if they are good at their job.

So yes I think salaries should be published. Oh and we totally pay on ability and not how long you've been with us. We also don't keep people past their probation if they're not good enough.

Agree with Slightly in that it's daft to pay people who are at least decent at their job less than fair market salary, meaning they leave and you are a person down, for a while, need to pay all the recruitment costs, all the time and faff of interviewing people, making a offer, negotiating it and raising it, if they're a man, risking the counter offer, waiting for their notice period to be completed, then have to train them for about 3-6 months when they start.

So short sighted.

I work somewhere where everything is secret. When my boss rang me to offer me the job, I obviously asked what the salary was (not on ad and he didn't know at two interviews) and he had to go and find out and ring me back! I was recently told not to discuss my flexi-working request that had been approved - I work from home one day a fortnight. I did point out that my colleagues really had to know that I'd be at home working on those days!
I also once got right royally told off for telling my team the salary of a junior/entry level position we were recruiting for. It was a new position and I didn't realise it would be a problem. Except they found out they were being paid less and kicked up a fuss - rightly so in my opinion!

My boss thrives on secrets and is forever drip-feeding me stuff. Secrecy in the workplace is divisive and damaging in my opinion whether it's about salaries or anything else. It's a very poor management technique.

It also depends on the type of work. Teachers tend to have pretty clear pay scales and NHS workers, even consultants' merit awards int he NHS can all be looked up, MPs' and prime minister salaries.

Similarly it would not be hard to guess what my graduate son who is a post man earns and 100,000 + other post men or your average train driver.

In other industries there can be some publication - you can look up the biggest law firms' wages of solicitors for the first few years but there will be salary bands and bonuses and then after a few years big differences between people and no publication although some firms choose to publish profits per partner.

Anyway the Equality Act does make it easier to find out now if you think there is unequal pay based on reasons such as gender. I do really think women should lobby much more for higher pay.

If you're the one with a much higher salary than a colleague you may not really want that to get out.

I think limited companies which are plcs have to show the pay of the highest paid directors if it is an English company.

MrsCampbellBlack - sounds like a good test of salary fairness. Meant to post this link earlier in the thread - it's about a company who decided to publish their salary formula. Applications soared, so I think transparency os clearly appealing.

qz.com/169147/applications-have-doubled-to-the-company-that-discloses-its-salaries/

Agree with noname - I'm a purchasing manager and I know I get paid a lot more than my (male) colleague who has the same job title. The difference is that I handle much larger contracts and my boss can leave me to get on with my job with very little intervention and I produce tangible results. So, a lot more responsibility. I also negotiated my pay before I even agreed to an interview as it was above what they were offering and I know what I am worth. He took what was offered. To me and my boss the difference is easily defined - however I'm not sure my colleague would see it that way ! I would never reveal what my salary is to him as it may cause issues in the team and as far as I'm concerned it's my business ! Sometimes people think they are worth more than they are - if they think they justify a higher salary they need to ask their employer, justify why or go elsewhere. If you're worth it someone will pay you what you require

lotuslight All directors of listed plc's must disclose thier salary. It si this which is the main cause of significant pay inflation for directors. They all demand above average pay, so the average goes up and they then want more.

Ah yes, it changed for public companies - used just to be the highest pay without a name which you'd then have to guess based on who was most senior. As you say it may have backfired a bit (except for the recipients of high pay) as there has been a race to the top in a sense and boys' club friends sitting on remuneration committees for fees saying all the high fees are great.