4 ms·

I genuinely do not see a downside of publicly available salary information. What am I missing and/or not thinking about?

ghaff 5y ago
So I make $50K more than you. And, in your opinion, you're a harder worker than me, are more valuable, etc. On the one hand, yes, that is perhaps fodder for you to have a conversation with your manager. On the other hand, it's also fodder to go home and grumble about how underappreciated you are because your coworker who doesn't do crap as far as you're concerned but makes a bunch more than you do. Not saying either approach is necessarily wrong. But it probably works better in public sector which tends to be very seniority based. In the US, it would breed a lot of resentment towards people who you thought were overpaid relative to yourself for many people.
- Loughla 5y ago
  I still don't see a downside. If I know I am a better employee than you, and you make that much more, if I am unwilling to do anything about it but grumble, that's a personal problem. I would argue that anyone who is willing to stay in a shit situation without trying to remedy said situation (being underpaid and knowing it for a fact) sort of brought those problems on themselves. It's a problem to complain about only if you have tried to fix it and couldn't. Systematically, it would allow people to see which businesses pay best, where their particular skills would be best reimbursed. Therefore, anyone in that shit situation who wants to grumble would have even more information available to them to be able to shop for jobs. I still don't see a downside.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    It boils down to what people consider personal information. I don't especially want to share this information (nor lots of other things about my personal life) and that's my decision to make absent public policy that goes in a different direction. So it's a downside to me simply because I don't think my salary or many other things are any of your business. Also you don't know you're a better employee than me. You think you are but you may not even be aware of a bunch of stuff I do.
    - Loughla 5y ago
      That's fair. I think we just have a basic difference in what should be everyone's business. I don't want my address out in the world, but I have zero problems with my salary and job for public consumption. >Also you don't know you're a better employee than me. You think you are but you may not even be aware of a bunch of stuff I do This is actually still a pro-, in my opinion, on public salary information. If I know you make more and approach the manager, it opens up a line of discussion on expectations versus outcomes versus perceptions. I think it actually makes the process of helping staff improve much easier!
      - ghaff 5y ago
        Although if you own a house your address is out in the world in the US. In general default to private is the norm in the US and there isn’t a general sentiment to generally change that with respect to salary, tax returns, etc.
MobiusHorizons 5y ago
In general I think it would be a good thing as well, but there are some downsides that come to mind. For example, seeking new employment your new employer would be able to see your previous salary. That means people who start out in the lower wage markets could have a much harder time improving their salaries.
- rightbyte 5y ago
  On the other hand you can see your colleagues salary.

ghaff 5y ago

So I make $50K more than you. And, in your opinion, you're a harder worker than me, are more valuable, etc. On the one hand, yes, that is perhaps fodder for you to have a conversation with your manager. On the other hand, it's also fodder to go home and grumble about how underappreciated you are because your coworker who doesn't do crap as far as you're concerned but makes a bunch more than you do. Not saying either approach is necessarily wrong. But it probably works better in public sector which tends to be very seniority based. In the US, it would breed a lot of resentment towards people who you thought were overpaid relative to yourself for many people.

Loughla 5y ago
I still don't see a downside. If I know I am a better employee than you, and you make that much more, if I am unwilling to do anything about it but grumble, that's a personal problem. I would argue that anyone who is willing to stay in a shit situation without trying to remedy said situation (being underpaid and knowing it for a fact) sort of brought those problems on themselves. It's a problem to complain about only if you have tried to fix it and couldn't. Systematically, it would allow people to see which businesses pay best, where their particular skills would be best reimbursed. Therefore, anyone in that shit situation who wants to grumble would have even more information available to them to be able to shop for jobs. I still don't see a downside.
- ghaff 5y ago
  It boils down to what people consider personal information. I don't especially want to share this information (nor lots of other things about my personal life) and that's my decision to make absent public policy that goes in a different direction. So it's a downside to me simply because I don't think my salary or many other things are any of your business. Also you don't know you're a better employee than me. You think you are but you may not even be aware of a bunch of stuff I do.
  - Loughla 5y ago
    That's fair. I think we just have a basic difference in what should be everyone's business. I don't want my address out in the world, but I have zero problems with my salary and job for public consumption. >Also you don't know you're a better employee than me. You think you are but you may not even be aware of a bunch of stuff I do This is actually still a pro-, in my opinion, on public salary information. If I know you make more and approach the manager, it opens up a line of discussion on expectations versus outcomes versus perceptions. I think it actually makes the process of helping staff improve much easier!
    - ghaff 5y ago
      Although if you own a house your address is out in the world in the US. In general default to private is the norm in the US and there isn’t a general sentiment to generally change that with respect to salary, tax returns, etc.

MobiusHorizons 5y ago

In general I think it would be a good thing as well, but there are some downsides that come to mind. For example, seeking new employment your new employer would be able to see your previous salary. That means people who start out in the lower wage markets could have a much harder time improving their salaries.

rightbyte 5y ago
On the other hand you can see your colleagues salary.