How to Talk About Salary With Your Coworkers

How to Talk About Salary With Your Coworkers
How to Talk About Salary With Your Coworkers

Talking salaries is good for employees. So why does the taboo persist? Here’s how to shed the salary shame and bring the paycheck conversation to the water cooler.

Reject the taboo

Most employees report deciding against talking about their salaries due to the strong taboo around discussing money with coworkers. Workers receive better pay and report higher satisfaction with work when immersed in a culture of salary transparency. If the company isn’t going to create that culture for their employees, you can create it within your working group.

Look at the big picture

Salary transparency isn’t just about negotiating better raises—it can mean a closing of the pay gap and bringing gender and racial equity to workplaces everywhere.

Establish trust

The ability to reject the taboo of salary talk requires a strong level of trust between coworkers. A culture of salary secrecy begets a culture of distrust. Coworkers may wonder why you are asking, especially if they are reluctant to speak.

Make it clear why you want to share salaries. Maybe you’re both hoping to negotiate a raise and salary transparency can put you on stronger grounds.

Know the rules

It’s not unheard of for some companies to require salary silence among their employees—not just as a request but as a command. Look at the fine print on your hiring contract and make sure you aren’t barred from discussing salary with fellow coworkers.

If a non-disclosure clause exists in your contract, try negotiating a change to that section before signing. Always check the fine print of any contracts you sign.

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