Would you go to one of your colleagues and ask them how much they make?
Let’s face it. Even in today’s changing times, salary is still taboo and very few people feel comfortable talking about it with their coworkers. Even if the said coworker is a friend or someone you like and respect – the subject of money is almost always a big no-no.
Also known as pay secrecy, this phenomenon is not new. Plus, in the U.S. companies employ various tactics to discourage talk about such unholy things.
This happens in spite of the fact that it is illegal to punish employees for disclosing their salary or managers for disclosing salary information in general.
As a result, there is little transparency with respect to how much a position should bring, according to location and experience. And, while there are various websites that try to make some light on the matter, their information is almost always inaccurate.
So why are we still perpetuating the habit of pay secrecy?
There are a few reasons why people still feel uncomfortable disclosing salary information, and we are going to comb through some of the most common ones moving forward. We’ll also talk about methods to overcome this habit.
Company Policy
As we already mentioned, many companies still have this rule in their corporate culture. Even though legally employers can’t take any measure against employees who disclose their salary, there is still this fear that you’ll be seen less then.
And yes, there are companies where you’ll be reprimanded if you dare talk openly about money. Of course, these are the same companies that are happy to keep underpaid workers and have a toxic culture focused on maximizing profit at all costs.
Other companies prefer keeping salary hush-hush as a method to discourage raise requests (reasonable or not). After all, for most of us regular folks, even the idea of asking for a raise can fill you with dread.
Yet, if everyone knew how much they should be earning based on their performance, it would be way easier to submit a reasonable raise request.
Cultural Habit
In some cultures (the USA included), it is considered discourteous to talk about money. You can talk about your deepest fears, expose your intimate behaviors, but don’t you dare bring money into the mix!
This is true even if you’re talking with friends. If you make too much, you’ll be seen as bragging. If you have the unpleasant surprise of being the worst earner of the group, you’ll be seen as lame or even whiney. Who wants that?
But the stigma goes deeper. Some see money discussions (pertaining to the salary) as shameful. Therefore, if you dare open the topic, you’ll be thoroughly reprimanded and even risk becoming an outcast.
How to Start the Discussion
There is no doubt that the subject of money bears powerful connotations. In the current human brain, how much we make is directly connected to our status in society and (sadly) our value as an individual.
Yet, more transparency with regards to salaries and overall wages can help bring much-needed clarification in one’s life. People who think about a career change and even those who are just starting in the field can make their decisions based on real, accurate data.
After all, financial compensation is part of the journey to becoming a valuable employee. No one wants to work just for the passion of doing something unless they already have a secure financial future.
This is why it’s important to participate when the discussion leads to this topic. For now, people are talking online on hashtags like #talkpay on Twitter or sites that focus on the topic of jobs. True, the information may not be 100% accurate, but it’s a start.
Also, ask your supervisor and managers at work how the company deals with this topic. If it’s frowned upon, try to understand why. Is it an attempt to exploit certain groups of employees or is it just something left behind from past times?
Key Takeaway
The only way we can bring salary talk out in the open is to talk about it. So, next time someone tries to ask you about your salary or monthly earnings, be honest.
It may be weird at first, but once the subject is out in the open it will feel less like a burden and more like an interesting thing to talk about.
