6 ms·

Take aside legal aspects, why wouldn't any employee share their salary with their peers? All the secrecy just create noise, how could transparency be bad? I onl

by a_imho 11y ago

Take aside legal aspects, why wouldn't any employee share their salary with their peers? All the secrecy just create noise, how could transparency be bad? I only see some incentive from the company's pov, you can position yourself somewhat better at bargaining salaries, when your employee has no access to the same data to debate, thus lowering costs a few percents. What am I missing?

hn_user2 11y ago
If you on the high end of the pay scale, then sharing your information can hurt you. When it comes time to negotiate a raise, the company could be reluctant to give you a raise knowing that your peers will also expect a similar raise. If you keep your salary a secret, when it comes time to ask for even more money, then the company could be more likely to offer it since it will not have repercussions across the whole team. Selfish? Yeah, probably, but there you have it. If you are on the low-end, then getting the salary information of others helps you. If you are on the high-end then it can hurt you (IMHO)--as salaries will tend to trend to the average if they are public info.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- walshemj 11y ago
  Actualy transparency acts to bid up the going rate for the job you can see that effect in how CEO pay has increased.
  - RodericDay 11y ago
    I read a really interesting account of how public disclosure of lawyer salaries led to a boom in the 90s. Finance people also are very brazen about how much they're making, from accounts I've read. Doctors too.
muzani 11y ago
Volunteer's dilemma. If everyone tells (honestly), it benefits the group as a whole. If only one tells, it would be to that individual's disadvantage, since she'll be seen as violating company secrecy policy. Some companies do set wages as confidential info.
- bhickey 11y ago
  > Some companies do set wages as confidential info. This is unlawful in many jurisdictions, including California and the United Kingdom.
orangecat 11y ago
Take aside legal aspects, why wouldn't any employee share their salary with their peers? If your salary is lower than average, it may cause coworkers to at least subconsciously believe that you're a weak performer. If it's higher than average, it can cause resentment among others who think that they're as good or better than you. Plus, it opens the door to being classified as wasteful or cheap if your perceived spending patterns don't seem to match your salary. The best way to do something like this is to anonymize individuals and publish averages.

by a_imho 11y ago

hn_user2 11y ago

If you on the high end of the pay scale, then sharing your information can hurt you. When it comes time to negotiate a raise, the company could be reluctant to give you a raise knowing that your peers will also expect a similar raise. If you keep your salary a secret, when it comes time to ask for even more money, then the company could be more likely to offer it since it will not have repercussions across the whole team. Selfish? Yeah, probably, but there you have it. If you are on the low-end, then getting the salary information of others helps you. If you are on the high-end then it can hurt you (IMHO)--as salaries will tend to trend to the average if they are public info.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
walshemj 11y ago
Actualy transparency acts to bid up the going rate for the job you can see that effect in how CEO pay has increased.
- RodericDay 11y ago
  I read a really interesting account of how public disclosure of lawyer salaries led to a boom in the 90s. Finance people also are very brazen about how much they're making, from accounts I've read. Doctors too.

muzani 11y ago

Volunteer's dilemma. If everyone tells (honestly), it benefits the group as a whole. If only one tells, it would be to that individual's disadvantage, since she'll be seen as violating company secrecy policy. Some companies do set wages as confidential info.

bhickey 11y ago
> Some companies do set wages as confidential info. This is unlawful in many jurisdictions, including California and the United Kingdom.

orangecat 11y ago

Take aside legal aspects, why wouldn't any employee share their salary with their peers? If your salary is lower than average, it may cause coworkers to at least subconsciously believe that you're a weak performer. If it's higher than average, it can cause resentment among others who think that they're as good or better than you. Plus, it opens the door to being classified as wasteful or cheap if your perceived spending patterns don't seem to match your salary. The best way to do something like this is to anonymize individuals and publish averages.