do you think life would be better or worse generally if everyone's salary was availab

The_White_Horse

le on the internet?

Do you think this would mean fairer pay? less pay? happier people, more annoyed people?

I think it would help in some ways. although, I think the fact you can see house prices on the internet has been bad generally.

What do you think - a huge database, everyone on it, with the salary details available to all?

dunstonh

do you think life would be better or worse generally if everyone's salary was availab
le on the internet?

Far worse. Also, how would you show the self employed or those that take their pay in dividends?

Why should people know?

I think it would help in some ways. although, I think the fact you can see house prices on the internet has been bad generally.

House prices are not on the internet. Estimates are so far out in some cases that it makes them worthless.

lostinrates

I think it would be worse, and inaccurate, What people earn is not limited to their salary.

Fifer

dunstonh wrote: »

House prices are not on the internet. Estimates are so far out in some cases that it makes them worthless.

They are. The prices detailed are the sold price recorded in the Land Register.

ChiefGrasscutter

Done in Norway:
Income, tax paid,net worth.
I believe in the modern day of internet searcheable databases the info is now becoming more restricted in its availablility - don't know the uptodate details.

FTBFun

What my employer decides to pay me is only the business of them and myself. No-one elses.

BigAunty

Yeah, let's go for full transparency - house prices, benefits, salaries and tax returns all available for public scrutiny.

Actually, I believe there are companies which publish the salaries that all employees receive.

Jennifer_Jane

Don't know about it being on the internet, but I've always thought it was only to the advantage of the Company for people's salaries/income packages not to be publicly known. When people are underpaid, it will be apparent, and also when they are being overpaid (or have negotiated well, perhaps).

If people think it will build up resentment amongst lower-paid people, then it's up to the wonderful Human Resources to explain to the employee why they are being lower-paid.

In addition, many people get the information informally. I certainly used to have access to everybody's salaries including the top layer below Board and Executive level (which are to a certain degree transparent in the Annual Reports and from share sites like iii when share options are declared.)

Good thread, TWH, of course most people here will be against it - but I disagree, I'm all for transparency!

lostinrates

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

Don't know about it being on the internet, but I've always thought it was only to the advantage of the Company for people's salaries/income packages not to be publicly known. When people are underpaid, it will be apparent, and also when they are being overpaid (or have negotiated well, perhaps).

If people think it will build up resentment amongst lower-paid people, then it's up to the wonderful Human Resources to explain to the employee why they are being lower-paid.

In additon, many people get the information informally. I certainly used to have access to everybody's salaries including the top layer below Board and Executive level (which are to a certain degree transparent in the Annual Reports and from share sites like iii when share options are declared.)

Good thread, TWH, of course most people here will be against it - but I disagree, I'm all for transparency!

Dh's salary is on the net: they all are where he works i think...infact, the firm give the employees no idea of pay scale after the first three years so we look it up on things like The vault. When we asked them for a letter confirming this for the mortgagees it confirmed that. Infact, we have only hD confirmTon of this years slary because the pay cheque came in, so noticed there had been the raise we were expecting.


My first reaction is still no though i admit on reflexion i am favouring it. I don't think the problme is necessarily bad...of challenging lower payscale salaries, or indeed, leveling playing fields, and i see a positive advantage in publishing tax payments. But it would be very expensive i think.

lostinrates

BigAunty wrote: »

Yeah, let's go for full transparency - house prices, benefits, salaries and tax returns all available for public scrutiny.

Actually, I believe there are companies which publish the salaries that all employees receive.

The thing i think it would cause more problems for are interfamily situations. I can imagine emotional fall outs from wills and people bickering over whther it was fair they were leaving their children the same amount when one earned three times the amount of the other, or whatever.

I think it would only be accurate if everything was included, not just salary.

Jennifer_Jane

lostinrates wrote: »

The thing i think it would cause more problems for are interfamily situations. I can imagine emotional fall outs from wills and people bickering over whther it was fair they were leaving their children the same amount when one earned three times the amount of the other, or whatever.

I think it would only be accurate if everything was included, not just salary.

I think families probably have a very good idea of the wealth within sibling groups: my brother is a solicitor, and I know he's wealthier than I am.