Is it OK to share your salary with coworkers?

Yes, it’s legal to discuss your pay with coworkers. Employers claim that salary discussions at work create a bad environment. In 1935, the federal government passed a law called the National Labor Relations Act. This law restricts private sector employers from creating policies that prohibit wage discussions.

Can your employer disclose your salary to other employees?

An employer may not prohibit an employee from disclosing his or her own wages, discussing the wages of others, inquiring about another employee’s wages, or aiding or encouraging any other employee to exercise rights under the Equal Pay Act.

Is compensation considered confidential?

Salaries are almost always confidential, but that’s just cultural. Your employees may already be talking. But, despite all the confidentiality, it’s all self-imposed. Federal law protects your right (and the right of your employees) to discuss their working conditions–including salary.

Is it legal to share compensation?

The Act prohibits employers from forbidding employees from discussing their wages or the wages of other employees. Pay secrecy policies, whether formal or informal, often reflect an effort by an employer to conceal wage discrimination.

Why you should not discuss salary with coworkers?

Conversations can evoke feelings of jealousy and inequity among co-workers who most likely are unaware of the reasons for salary differences, including education, experience and training. Suspicion, distrust and other negative emotions often result from salary discussions and seriously affect company morale.

Why you shouldn’t share your salary?

“The cons are obviously that it can cause jealousy and rebellion in the workplace from the employer’s point of view.” If workers are unhappy about their pay, their productivity may drop. Employees may also turn on each other if they feel some people are getting more than others feel they deserve.

Why is compensation confidential?

The biggest reason for maintaining salaries confidential is to mask the pay differences between those performing the same job. Pay differences also arise between employees who are hired from the market compared to those who have grown to a position from within the organization.

Can an employer prohibit employees from discussing their salaries?

You cannot forbid employees – either verbally or in written policy – from discussing salaries or other job conditions among themselves. Discussing salary at work is protected regardless of whether employees are talking to each other in person or through social media.

Can my employer prevent me from discussing my salary?

Should you share your salary with your co-workers?

As it turns out, sharing is sometimes not caring. “Sharing salary information can create tension between colleagues and resentment toward management—so it can really lead to a toxic work environment ,” says Susan Brennan, Associate Vice President of University Career Services at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Is it worth discussing your salary with your coworkers?

Despite the risks, there are a couple situations when it’s worthwhile discussing your salary with your coworkers. If there’s a good chance that you’re significantly underpaid compared to your coworkers, it makes sense to have this talk. This way, you have a range to keep in mind when you try to negotiate a better salary with your employer.

Should you trust a co-worker who shares their paycheck figure?

Whether a co-worker voluntarily or accidentally shares their paycheck figure, you can’t always trust that the information is entirely truthful. And in some cases, it could even be a ruse to get you to fess up. “Employees might try to find the salary of other employees by lying to them,” says Malloy.

Should you take salary discussions with co-workers with a grain of salt?

Take salary discussions with a grain of salt, even if they come from a colleague whom you consider a friend. If you think that going to your manager with an ultimatum based on co-worker salary intel will work, think again.