You Need to Know How Much Your Colleagues Earn (and Vice Versa)
The idea that we should all be fairly paid for our work is undeniable, but how can we, as individuals, actually make progress towards pay transparency and ensure equal pay for equal work?
We will probably never know the details of exactly how our compensation package was put together when we received our last job offer. Was it standardized or based on a number you gave during the interview process? Was there any prejudice when the number was discussed, or was it decided solely on the basis of your demonstrated skills and experience? It is in the company’s interest not to disclose this information in any way, and it is especially important for them to withhold this information when the company unfairly pays its employees. It’s hard to know what category your workplace falls into until you know more about how the people you work with get paid. And the only way to understand this is to talk to each other.
Quite often, people don’t make exactly the same amount of money as a colleague, often due to slightly different levels of experience or expertise in a specific area of your role, in which case there’s no cause for concern (in this particular case). area, anyway). It’s normal to see differences between jobs and between features, but if you start to notice a trend during these conversations, or if the differences are significant, it might be worth investigating.
Getting started can be difficult, but having conversations like this with colleagues can be an important step forward in achieving pay transparency. And when you’ve spotted a trend and are ready to act, but don’t know where to start, you can turn to my personal role model and available resource: Jorts the Cat . (But seriously, Yorts gives so much thoughtful and relevant advice about worker rights and wages. Plus, he’s a cute ginger cat with a touching backstory .)
Fight the impulse that these conversations are “inappropriate” or “unprofessional.”
It’s a well-established notion that talking about money is taboo, rude, and unprofessional, and there are certainly still times when it’s true (such as bragging about the cost of a new car or making fun of someone because of their financial situation). But when it comes to being transparent about pay and making sure everyone gets paid a decent wage, there’s nothing unprofessional about it. It’s your protected right to discuss your salary – unprofessional when companies take advantage of a lack of awareness to unfairly pay people.
If you find yourself too scared or uncomfortable at work, start with those closest to you. Bring up the topic of payment transparency with your partner, friends, and other people you really trust. It will still be a valuable conversation even if you don’t work together and you will get more used to these conversations and money talks without existential fear (or at least less fear).
Build relationships before delving into the smallest details of your paycheck.
While we know it’s perfectly appropriate and legal to talk about your salary, it’s still inconvenient. It’s even more embarrassing if it’s your first conversation with someone and they suddenly ask very intrusive questions about what you do and how much money you make. If it turns off on a first date, then it probably turns off any social interaction with someone you don’t know too well.
Don’t start with the question of salary – instead, focus on building relationships and trust with your colleagues. Talk to each other about how satisfied you are with your job, working conditions, and your aspirations. This will not only make it easier and more natural to talk about pay in the future, but it will also create a community of caring and supportive people in your workplace ( which will make work more bearable).
Explain why you think it’s important to talk about
Instead of going into “tell me how much money you make”, it’s helpful to give context to why you care. People tend to be defensive – will you laugh at me if I tell you? Are you trying to steal my identity? Are you going to turn me in to management if I participate in this conversation? Be honest about why this topic is important to you, it will help people feel more comfortable and reassure others that you are asking because you genuinely care about their well-being.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list of topics to discuss, here are a few introductory words that my friends and I used to start the conversation:
- “I’ve heard of many situations where people with the same job get different pay just because someone used to make less money or because they didn’t negotiate. I don’t want this to happen to us, and if that’s the case, I want to try and fix it.”
- “Because we do the same work, we should probably be paid the same. It’s important to me that none of us is taken advantage of.”
- “I know it’s embarrassing, but it’s really important to me to be transparent about our pay so that we know we’re being paid fairly. I don’t want any of us to make less money just because we didn’t negotiate or because of discrimination.”
- “I know money is a touchy subject, but that’s why it’s important for me to talk about it. It’s definitely not a competition or bragging rights, but companies rely on us not talking about it so they don’t have to pay people fairly. It’s more important to me that people like us get decent wages than if the company’s executives could buy another summer home.”
Share your salary first (if possible)
I won’t pretend that everyone is in a position to share this kind of information safely, but if you can share your payment information first, it will help people feel more comfortable and trusted in this conversation. By sharing your salary, you put the ball in their favor and offer a kind of olive branch to demonstrate that you are also willing to share this unpleasant but important information. Don’t think of it as an IOU (“I shared mine, so now you should share yours”), but more like a peace offer to show that you’re on the same team. You can also share information about any promotions or promotions, which can help you figure out if pay differences are based on performance and career advancement, and not company greed and bias.