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I've worked for quite a few companies over the years who had made it a firing-offense to discuss salaries at all in the workplace. This made negotiation your to

I've worked for quite a few companies over the years who had made it a firing-offense to discuss salaries at all in the workplace. This made negotiation your top skill in the company - not the quality of your work, nor the quantity of your work. While this didn't stop employees from finding out who made what, it slowed it down, and it did little to reduce the sense of unfairness. Folks who tend to go into managerial tracks tend to think that everything is negotiable. While techies tend to be poor negotiators. This results in an arms race where one side is unarmed.

gamble 16y ago
Absolutely. Very few people in western countries are comfortable negotiators. The reality is that most things are negotiable, but the everyday consumer experience is crafted to ensure that average people crumble at the thought of negotiating. For every employee who is comfortable renegotiating compensation, there are a dozen who will stew in silent resentment waiting for raises that never come rather than engage in a task they hate and fear. Level-based systems with standard salary ranges and regular evaluations are superior for that reason alone. (Unless your goal is to have unhappy and unproductive - but cheap - employees)
- Dylanlacey 16y ago
  I've worked in a company where they avoided negotiation altogether. The CEO set raises based on 'input' from the department managers. That manager then passed the raise on to the employee. The employee didn't even know when this process would occur, but it was always before the annual review. Big shock, that company also didn't pay well.
ihumanable 16y ago
IANAL, but as far as I understand it, in the US it is against the law to fire someone for discussing pay as this is protected speech. The is part of the National Labor Relations Act, http://www.nlrb.gov/Workplace_Rights/i_am_new_to_this_website/what_are_protected_concerted_activities.aspx http://www.nlrb.gov/Workplace_Rights/i_am_new_to_this_websit...
- yason 16y ago
  Few people probably know that, hence the effectiveness.
- tptacek 16y ago
  I looked this up, and as it turns out, in addition to the NLRA, there are also state laws that prohibit contract terms restricting disclosure of wages. These are dumb laws (unless you're trying to start a union, i guess).
ja27 16y ago
I worked for a company that fired two developers for disclosing salaries. (An executive put a spreadsheet of them on a public drive.) It wasn't just the difference in salaries that got people upset. It was the lies management had told when people had asked for raises: "Nobody makes that" or "You're already one of the highest paid developers." A year later, when the company didn't make enough sales to pay bonuses according to their plan, they gave bonuses to a few select people. Oddly, rather than keeping this secret, they announced it in a company meeting. My favorite moment was one developer asking, "When will you be letting those people know?"

gamble 16y ago

Absolutely. Very few people in western countries are comfortable negotiators. The reality is that most things are negotiable, but the everyday consumer experience is crafted to ensure that average people crumble at the thought of negotiating. For every employee who is comfortable renegotiating compensation, there are a dozen who will stew in silent resentment waiting for raises that never come rather than engage in a task they hate and fear. Level-based systems with standard salary ranges and regular evaluations are superior for that reason alone. (Unless your goal is to have unhappy and unproductive - but cheap - employees)

Dylanlacey 16y ago
I've worked in a company where they avoided negotiation altogether. The CEO set raises based on 'input' from the department managers. That manager then passed the raise on to the employee. The employee didn't even know when this process would occur, but it was always before the annual review. Big shock, that company also didn't pay well.

ihumanable 16y ago

IANAL, but as far as I understand it, in the US it is against the law to fire someone for discussing pay as this is protected speech. The is part of the National Labor Relations Act, http://www.nlrb.gov/Workplace_Rights/i_am_new_to_this_website/what_are_protected_concerted_activities.aspx http://www.nlrb.gov/Workplace_Rights/i_am_new_to_this_websit...

yason 16y ago
Few people probably know that, hence the effectiveness.
tptacek 16y ago
I looked this up, and as it turns out, in addition to the NLRA, there are also state laws that prohibit contract terms restricting disclosure of wages. These are dumb laws (unless you're trying to start a union, i guess).

ja27 16y ago

I worked for a company that fired two developers for disclosing salaries. (An executive put a spreadsheet of them on a public drive.) It wasn't just the difference in salaries that got people upset. It was the lies management had told when people had asked for raises: "Nobody makes that" or "You're already one of the highest paid developers." A year later, when the company didn't make enough sales to pay bonuses according to their plan, they gave bonuses to a few select people. Oddly, rather than keeping this secret, they announced it in a company meeting. My favorite moment was one developer asking, "When will you be letting those people know?"