Can employees not talk about their wages at work? (US)

[Lorelol]

The Jante Law applies everywhere.

The ten rules of Jante state:

You're not to think you are anything special.
You're not to think you are as good as we are.
You're not to think you are smarter than we are.
You're not to convince yourself that you are better than we are.
You're not to think you know more than we do.
You're not to think you are more important than we are.
You're not to think you are good at anything.
You're not to laugh at us.
You're not to think anyone cares about you.
You're not to think you can teach us anything.

These are silent rules that are at play more or less everywhere in the world. Disclosing your pay serves no other purpose than bragging or making people jealous. Just don't. Don't be a shitstirrer!

In other words, continue to be a sheep, don't question the wolves when they are eating you. Discussing pay simply creates unrest for the employer because it brings to light how they are trying their best to fuck people over. Again, why do you think CEO pay has skyrocketed compared to workers wages?

[Deleted]

In other words, continue to be a sheep, don't question the wolves when they are eating you. Discussing pay simply creates unrest for the employer because it brings to light how they are trying their best to fuck people over. Again, why do you think CEO pay has skyrocketed compared to workers wages?

The difference between sheep and wolves is that wolves actually do something about their problems. Sheep complaining within themselves accomplishes what exactly? If you're aware of a pay gap that needs to be addressed then turn to media, a union, the law, anything basically. Complaining to your sheep friends will only cause drama and make the pasture an uncomfortable place to be.

[endersblade]

I think it's kind of silly that most places don't allow it. Like, you can't even mention that you got a raise without someone complaining about it.

At my previous place of employment, of which I will not mention by name, I know exactly why we weren't allowed. Pay raises were capped at 4 years, and they did not raise people's wages when minimum wage went up unless they weren't making minimum wage.

For example. Someone who has been working at the company for 10 years is making, we'll say $9 an hour, because he capped out at 4 years and eventually got to the point where minimum wage was more than what he was making. So he's currently making minimum wage, and can't go up unless minimum wage goes up.

Someone who starts today will start at $9, but in 4 years, will be making about $11, at which point he will cap on raises. Minimum wage goes up to like $9.50, he doesn't see a raise at all. But he's currently making more in 4 years than the person who had been working for 10 years is making.

Someone actually went to the news about this, and broke the dam. We had so many people quitting when they found out that, at 15, 20 years at the job, someone fresh off the streets was STARTING at what they were currently making.

We had a strict policy that we COULD NOT discuss wages with anyone OTHER than payroll, we could not inquire about anyone else's wages, and believe it or not, sharing the information on your paper check with anyone other than your Supervisor or payroll would get you fired on the spot.

And the worst part about all of that was, after the media frenzy died down, nothing at all changed. New hires are starting at what the old vets are making.

[Lorelol]

The difference between sheep and wolves is that wolves actually do something about their problems. Sheep complaining within themselves accomplishes what exactly? If you're aware of a pay gap that needs to be addressed then turn to media, a union, the law, anything basically. Complaining to your sheep friends will only cause drama and make the pasture an uncomfortable place to be.

People you work with are not your friends. So that's the first problem. If they get pissy about getting paid less than other employees, that isn't the employees fault, that's the employers fault and because of how the laws work, they can just fire both people for bullshit reasons, hence the problem we have now, where workers wages are not growing at all, despite productivity being at all time high and all those extra profits going to CEOs instead of the workers.

[Silhouette of Seraphim]

I was in a discussion today about wages at work (US), and one individual said you shouldn't talk about wages. I disagreed with him. I thought the U.S. National Labor Relations Act allowed open discussion without fear of retaliation by employers.


Am I right in this? Or is there something I am not seeing? What are peoples opinions about talking about wages?

I personally think if you are willing to share what your wage is, there's no problem. If someone who's worked longer than you makes less, then either A.) They are underperforming and should realize this, or B.) They arn't getting a fair pay and thus talking about wages is important.

I know in my younger years when I worked an asshole job at Target when review time came around they tried to say we weren't allowed to talk about our increases, but everyone did anyway. Mostly because the increases were complete shit between $0.06 and $0.13 and I just assumed they were rightfully embarrassed about that.

There's also the situation where someone new could be making more than someone who's been working at a place for a couple of years but to a new hiring rate, and that can bring problems.

[Deleted]

It's kind of tacky to do so; it's either boasting or whining.

and that attitude is why we have shocking levels of inequality and employee exploitation.

[Khaza-R]

You can't have employees discussing how much they get paid, people will realize they're being shit on.

I think the policies are trying to discourage people from comparing salaries with their peers which opens a whole can of worms. If you're just discussing how much your position pays thats just general knowledge.

[Wulfey]

Of note, big dollar CEOs and superstars most certainly do discuss their pay and negotiate it firmly. Staying silent and not asking like a good little sheep is a ticket to being underpaid.

//baa baa

[Captain N]

Of note, big dollar CEOs and superstars most certainly do discuss their pay and negotiate it firmly. Staying silent and not asking like a good little sheep is a ticket to being underpaid.

//baa baa

Coincidentally those CEOs are contracted to their pay by members of their respective board of officers, those sports superstars are all contracted through their respective players union, and movie stars have the screen actor's guild. Yet when the common worker wants a contract for their pay we hear all this mumbo jumbo about markets setting wages and how the common man only deserves X.

[Themius]

You can, but you shouldn't. It doesn't help anybody. It will piss off the people that make less then you and feel they work harder and piss you off about the people that make more then you or are paid more then you were at their stage at the job.

Right so explain to me how you negotiate your pay when you don't know what people make? How do you know if you're underpaid in your company if you don't know the guy doing the same work as you makes 8k more and seemingly does less work.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Being uncomfortable about discussing wages and remaining oblivious sounds like a personal problem to me. I know the salary of all my coworkers. My partner in crime makes $35k more than me.

[moremana]

You can not be "fired" for it. It is illegal, however in states that are not "right to work" states, you will get fired for it, they just wont tell you that is why as in non right to work states they don't need a reason to terminate you.

[imabanana]

It's kind of tacky to do so; it's either boasting or whining.

Not really, I've had lots of talk about it in France and NZ, never had any issues with it. Only helps you seeing if things are right or not. Some people have a strong taboo around it though (I definitely not).

- - - Updated - - -

You can, but you shouldn't. It doesn't help anybody. It will piss off the people that make less then you and feel they work harder and piss you off about the people that make more then you or are paid more then you were at their stage at the job.

If you think someone (or youself) is under-paid, it sure can help to talk about it instead of ignoring the issue because TABOOOO.

[Lorelol]

Right so explain to me how you negotiate your pay when you don't know what people make? How do you know if you're underpaid in your company if you don't know the guy doing the same work as you makes 8k more and seemingly does less work.

That's kind of the point. If you are actively discouraged from discussing what others doing the same job as you are making, you have no leverage to negotiate equal pay. Quite an effective way to keep all the profits from record productivity from going to those are actually responsible for the record productivity, AKA, the workers. As others like to repeat, it keeps the plebs fighting among themselves instead of focusing on the problem, the ones who are not actually producing anything of value but are keeping all the wealth. But hey, better to have a drama free work place and not hurt people's feelings than actually dealing with the problem, right?

[Kuntantee]

It's also generally a social taboo to talk about salaries.

And there is a reason for that. Relative asssessment of salary of leads to confusion. Given the nature of capitalism, most people are not getting their works worth. Add that frustration to X person in workplace is getting more than you do, it is guaranteed to be problematic.

Asking salary, save for family or close friends, is outright rude in general, doing it in workplace is even worse.

[Spectral]

Asking salary, save for family or close friends, is outright rude in general, doing it in workplace is even worse.

Agreed. This is what things like Yik Yak are great for though - learning where you stand is pretty useful. Knowing exactly who is ranked higher than you or getting paid more, not so much.

[Kurioxan]

It's kind of tacky to do so; it's either boasting or whining.

Social conditioning to keep people from realising they are underpaid
OP: not illegal no, unless specific contract specifies so, ask away and battle your wage up.
Always negotiate salary, and constantly do so every year or half a year. (if its justified ofc)