Let’s say you got a raise recently and you couldn’t wait to tell your friend the coworker about your latest evaluation and raise in pay. You want him or her to be just as happy as you are about your new comeuppance but before you go spreading your business, please know that telling your salary to your coworker, friend of not, is a recipe for disaster.
There is no better way to commit career suicide in your office by discussing your salary with another coworker. That type of information is not needed to be known by anyone else but you and your managers and or direct supervisors and human resources. That is it.
When I worked as a Human Resources Manager at a company here in St. Louis, employees began to speak to one another about their salaries and it caused quite a stir in the office. A clause was added to the employee work agreement and handbook that it was against office policy to discuss salary with another coworker unless it was with management. Many other companies have already adopted this policy and those who are found to have violated it could be subject to termination.
Why shouldn’t you discuss your pay rate with your coworkers? Simply put, it is no one else’s business how much you make. If you are interested in knowing if you are being compensated the same as your other coworkers, then that is a discussion that you have with management only. Pulling another employee in on your issues may cause other problems in the office and it is not worth it. Keep your compensation amount to yourself to avoid conflict and pandemonium in the office.
To determine if you are being adequately compensated, refer to Salary.com, which will show you the median income of many different job positions from retail, to sales to customer service, to management. It will also give you geographical data based on your location. Use this information if need be during your next review if you feel you are being low balled or not adequately compensated accordingly.
There is really no need to discuss your pay range with other coworkers. Doing so may just cause friction in the office and disrupt productivity. Do you discuss your salary with other coworkers? Sound off below!
worst thing you could ever do is tell someone you work with how much you make.
It is a good thing to know you are bang paid what you feel is a fare wage compared to your coworkers, but it can lead to jealousy and nasty working conditions if you are unhappy with your findings!
“A clause was added to the employee work agreement and handbook that it was against office policy to discuss salary with another coworker unless it was with management.”
These clauses are against federal law and unenforceable.
http://www.nlrb.gov/global/search/index.aspx?mode=s&qt=discussing%20wages&col=nlrb&gb=y
That rule protects the pockets of the business and not the employee. In the Federal Government, everyone knows what everyone else makes Point Blank Period. If you are a GS-15 in DC the salary is noted. Guess what…no confusion. I think there is alot of anomosity when people assume that they are getting paid less than others.
No offence Cubicle Chick, but since you were a Human Resources Manager, you were the face of the employer. This means that you had to mouth the company line. I don’t know what job you occupy now, but it seems you’ve internalized the company’s worldview.
As for Salary.com, what use is it? It’s easy for a boss to argue that circumstances in his/her company are different, that the town/county/state faces different economic conditions, and some such justification for less-than-satisfactory wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Coworkers must be able to discuss these matters. It is when they become aware of the unfairness of their situation that they can fight back, including by forming unions if they so choose. I don’t suppose you are a great fan of unions…
It’s troublesome that in the US where you need money to do anything (get healthcare, education, enjoy leisure, etc.) and where you can discuss private sexual and other matters, money remains a taboo. Surely, this taboo serves a purpose in employer-worker relations. And it’s one that doesn’t favor the workers.
I am very annoyed indeed.
A
I can’t fathom why I WOULDN’T discuss my salary with my coworkers – in fact, I think everyone should have a right to know how much their coworkers are being paid, so you can see when favoritism or nepotism have taken root. If the differences in wages between equal coworkers are so vast that it “disrupts productivity” then GOOD, it should!