Is It OK To Discuss Your Salary With Coworkers?
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
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The taboo of sharing salaries may be changing. For most American professionals, talking about how much money you make is still quite taboo. Experts often encourage salary transparency as a means of employee empowerment and ensuring fair wages. And, of course, under the Under the National Labor Relations Act, employees have the explicit right to talk with their coworkers about their salaries.
However, new data reveals that workers are very reluctant to actually discuss pay details with their colleagues.
According to a LinkedIn survey, only 16% of participants said they share their salary information with coworkers. The vast majority prefer to keep their pay private, even from trusted colleagues. This illustrates how the cultural norm of avoiding conversations about money persists in most workplaces.
Signs of Changing Attitudes
On the other hand, some evidence indicates that perceptions are slowly shifting. Millennials have been seen as more willing to be open about salaries, and a few high-profile companies like Whole Foods have encouraged pay transparency.
There’s also the fact that the provision of public salary ranges attached to some jobs in California is protected by law, which could normalize these conversations. The LinkedIn data itself showed generational differences. Gen Z respondents were the most likely to share their salary with coworkers (at 22%), compared to just 12% of baby boomers. This suggests that, over time, attitudes on the subject may continue to change.
Why Many Still Keep Their Pay a Secret
Currently, however, there are still barriers holding many back from being totally open about their earnings. What drives this reluctance?
For one, money remains an intensely personal and private matter for many people. Even those comfortable talking about pay with family or friends may balk at telling colleagues. Some simply feel it’s no one’s business but their own.
Workplace competition can also discourage transparency. Employees may want to leverage pay secrecy to their advantage in negotiations and promotions. There can be a sense that sharing too much could compromise one’s career progress.
Additionally, discussions about money often provoke discomfort and awkwardness. No one wants to be seen as bragging or complaining about their salary. This makes frank conversations with coworkers hard for some.
The Benefits of Salary Transparency
However, there are good reasons to consider opening up. First, by sharing pay information, employees can discover and address potential wage discrimination. This may be especially important for women and members of minority groups, per Lora Korpar, writing for LinkedIn News.
Salary transparency allows people to ensure they’re being paid fairly relative to colleagues. These conversations also strip away the mystery around compensation at many companies. Employees gain a clearer sense of pay standards and structures when salaries aren’t secret.
This empowers them to better negotiate fair pay and raises for themselves. So while it may feel daunting, having candid discussions about salary can be incredibly useful for professionals seeking equal treatment and rewards for their work.
The Future of Pay Transparency
This trend may accelerate as younger generations, who are more open about money, take on leadership roles. But for now, cultural barriers around pay transparency clearly remain strong. Workers have to weigh significant pros and cons around sharing those sensitive figures on the job before making a decision on the matter.
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