Mind If I Peek At Your Paycheck?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

On May 29, in a 5-4 opinion in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT ), the [u.S. Supreme Court] ... held that wage discrimination lawsuits must be brought within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. That is, 180 days after the original payment was set--not when the worker finds out. Now that workers are facing such a tight time frame to file lawsuits, the controversial court decision raises an important question about the workplace: Do workers actually know what the person in the next office makes?

The answer: not really. Some companies, as a matter of policy, forbid employees from discussing the size of their paychecks. But this rule, which may not be legal, is hardly necessary. Salary information "is probably the most confidential thing other than sexual orientation" in the workplace, says Neil Mullin, a Montclair (N.J.) labor lawyer. People seem anxious about revealing their compensation to co-workers--whether because of the mortification of being exposed as underpaid or the awkwardness of substantially outearning a more productive colleague.

That may explain why many people tacitly tolerate disparities in pay by avoiding the subject entirely. "Social relations are a big source of people's satisfaction" in the workplace, says Jeffrey Pfeffer, an organizational behavior professor at Stanford University School of Business. Self-enforced salary secrecy "can maintain a certain kind of social serenity."

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/conte...opStories_ssi_5

[sparkofcreation 0]

Frankly, I think salary is *more* of a taboo than sexual orientation, but I'm a Unitarian Universalist from New Jersey, so take that as you will.

[mendeleev 69]

Frankly, I think salary is *more* of a taboo than sexual orientation, but I'm a Unitarian Universalist from New Jersey, so take that as you will.

I'm not UU but agree with U.

[Jenn! 918]

Frankly, I think salary is *more* of a taboo than sexual orientation, but I'm a Unitarian Universalist from New Jersey, so take that as you will.

I'm not UU but agree with U.

Me too. The thought of asking a coworker his salary or him asking me is completely foreign to me. I can't think of much else that would be more rude. JMHO.

[doodlebug 3]

When I was doing internal audit I knew what everyone was paid. It suuuuucked!!!!!! I hated knowing that people who do nothing and know nothing were making three times what I made.

Now I don't wanna know. I like my little bubble. lol

[babybunny 2]

I would like to know. I think I make pretty good money.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I would like to know. I think I make pretty good money.

Me too. I'd like to know as well. I checked salary.com and am pretty sure most of my peers make more than I do.

Also, I don't think this is about whether we'd like to know or not. It's about how are we supposed to protect our rights if we don't know?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Many jobs I work will have many different contract companies. We usually know what each other make and use it as leverage for a better deal.

[Ban Hammer 14,462]

Also, I don't think this is about whether we'd like to know or not. It's about how are we supposed to protect our rights if we don't know?

exactly. and with the time limit imposed, by the time one finds out it's tough luck.

[patiently_waiting 0]

I work for the gov't so we use pay grades. We all make pretty much the same. Either way, we are very underpaid. They keep us just above poverty limits and most of us struggle and have second jobs.

[almaty 19]

it is an american norm....reinforced by the company..corporation

[Carlawarla 1]

I'm not employed now...(AOS pending), but while working for the Government of Saskatchewan, I was a Union employee. All employees salaries are public information, and as such, anyone can find out what we made. So it should be, especially if the taxpayers are paying us. That's just my opinion.

Carla

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

it is an american norm....reinforced by the company..corporation

Exactly. They say we're supposed to each "negotiate" our own terms, which is fine - but part of being able to effectively negotiate is knowing what the 'market rate' is... how do you do that if you don't know what your peers make? You can't really negotiate, which is what the corporations want.

I work for the gov't so we use pay grades. We all make pretty much the same. Either way, we are very underpaid. They keep us just above poverty limits and most of us struggle and have second jobs.

All the corporations I've worked for had pay bands/grades/levels too.... but the bands are huuuuge...like 85k to 135k for a band 6 or level 30... ####### kind of range is that???

Edited June 12, 2007 by Gupt

[mawilson 2,133]

All the corporations I've worked for had pay bands/grades/levels too.... but the bands are huuuuge...like 85k to 135k for a band 6 or level 30... ####### kind of range is that???

You're a level 30 mage?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

All the corporations I've worked for had pay bands/grades/levels too.... but the bands are huuuuge...like 85k to 135k for a band 6 or level 30... ####### kind of range is that???

You're a level 30 mage?

lol