When Negotiating Wages, Ask How Much Your Male Colleagues Are Paid
You may have done some online research about what your experience in the job market is worth. But if you don’t ask your coworkers what they are doing, you might underestimate yourself in the next salary negotiations.
Money’s Nina Semchuk wrote about renewing her contract as a yoga teacher at the same hourly rate as last year. She was about to sign until she wondered: what does her male colleague earn?
Semchuk made a bold choice by e-mailing her employer if the rate on her contract was the same as a male yoga teacher. She found out that he made 15 percent more, and the studio offered the same rate.
Of course, many employers will likely tell you that they cannot discuss other employees’ pay, if you even have the courage to ask them if your pay is the same as others. But this does not mean that you cannot find out how your rate is growing. While employers usually cite confidentiality issues, they usually can’t stop you from discussing pay with your peers (thank you labor law ).
Talking to coworkers – at your place of work, at other companies, in your city, in online groups – can help you figure out if you’re getting paid fairly.
Here’s an example of an email that Semchuk provides to ask colleagues for their opinion on the pricing of a freelance project:
“I was quoted [price] for [describe scope of work]; since you [insert a precise description, such as a seasoned professional or expert], I wanted to know if you think the offer is fair for someone with my experience [add details if that person doesn’t know you well]. ”
If discussing this topic makes you sweaty just by thinking about it, think about the possible outcome.
Caitlin Boston, user experience researcher from New York,on this weekposted a video on YouTube, to celebrate the last payment of their student loans, which amounted to 222 817.26 dollars between students and graduate students. Boston’s video, which can be described as a hilarious holiday dance, contains top advice that helped her pay off her loans:
She recommends that you especially question your male peers. She considers this advice “the only reason I started earning an additional 41% per year.”
For starters, you don’t have to wave pay stubs when you go to your nearest colleague. Boston recommends asking if a peer or industry colleague is making “more or less” a certain amount to give you an idea of how you are comparing.
For example, if you ask a colleague, “Do you make more or less $ 50,000?” and they go around with their eyes wide open and mutter, “Stop it! Wait, isn’t everyone in our area paid at least that much? “Well, then you know there is a problem.
Yes, starting these conversations will be awkward as hell. But the more you do this, the more comfortable you will be in discussing salaries. Before you know it, you may be the one guiding your peers towards better rewards.