On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Should You Tell How Much Money You Make

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Should You Tell How Much Money You Make People have very strong opinions about whether it's OK to talk about salaries, so when this survey from Glassdoor.com crossed my desk, I knew I had to explore it further. Would you tell someone what you make if they asked? Are you more or less likely to do so since last year at this time? It's an interesting topic I explored for my recent Gannett column:The workplace has been turned upside down in the last year because of the recession, and it appears it has even changed our attitudes regarding an often taboo subject: talking about our salaries. Whether to reveal to others what we make has prompted more than a few debates, and a new survey reveals that Americans are becoming even more guarded about sharing the details of their compensation. According to a Glassdoor.com survey, 17 percent of respondents say they are not comfortable talking about what they earn, up from 11 percent in 2008. Why are workers talking less about their pay? Theres a lot of fear and insecurity out there, says Rusty Rueff, a Glassdoor workplace expert. People dont want the boss or human resources to think theyre not grateful to have a job if they question their salary. And, I think there is some survivor guilt, as well. People just dont want to talk about it if things are going well for them. The survey found that a workers age and gender may determine whether theyre willing to share income amounts with others. For example, 11 percent of men age 18-34 share salary information with casual acquaintances, compared to only 2 percent of men over 55 and 2 percent of women age 18-34. Veronica Schaefer is a 26-year-old finance employee in New York, says she believes strongly that salaries should be openly discussed. She says she is surprised that more people are keeping mum about their earnings, and says she and her co-workers are talking about money more than ever before. My colleagues and I have been talking about how were doing the work of two or three people, and not getting paid for it, she says. I think a lot of people are being taken advantage of in this economy, and companies know employees are willing to suck it up and take what they can get. Thats why I think we should reveal what we make that way you know if youre getting paid what youre worth. Rueff notes that workers like Schaefer show that while theyre willing to commiserate with co-workers or friends, employees often dont complain to bosses because they dont want to call attention to themselves in a way that might bring a negative backlash from management. They dont want to be vulnerable in any way, he says. Its like they go into a cocoon. One of the concerns facing employers these days, however, is what will happen once the economy improves and workers decide to emerge from their cocoons. Already operating with only key players, these companies could be facing some real threats to their ability to compete if workers discontented with their workload and their salaries decide to leave. I believe f rom the boardroom on down, there has been the attitude by many companies of: Oh, yeah? Where are they (unhappy workers) going to go? Rueff says. That attitude is short-sighted and arrogant, a combination that could prove to be a costly mistake for many employers, Rueff says. He says that companies who have cut staffs and then reduced salaries for existing workers now consider this the new normal for conducting business. Employees, on the other hand, expect to see not only more people hired to help them as business picks up, but also expect to get pay raises. Were living in a time of very mismatched expectations, between companies and workers, he says. Schaefer says she and her colleagues may be some of those ready to head for better jobs when the economy recovers. Well all definitely be looking for another job if we dont feel like were being paid fairly. If we think the favorites are getting paid more, its not fair to those who work really hard and dont get as much. Thats why I think it makes sense to reveal what you make. At the end of the day, what works is all of us making sure we get paid fairly for the job were doing. Notes Rueff: The workplace is like a game of musical chairs, and while the music has been stopped for a while, when it starts up again youre going to see employees be on the move.Social Bookmarking