Can I find out what my employer pays others

paddyrg

People may be paid different rates for the same job for any number of reasons, not all of which may be good reasons, but that's that. I had to manage HR-level data for a major IT company when I worked on their HR systems. Two just sitting across from one another, one was earning £2 for every £1 the other got - same job, similar length of experience. I guess he just bargained better at year-end. Of course neither knew what the other got and I was certainly not going to stir that up, but the disparity can be huge and that means the possibility of dissent can be huge also. That's why it can be a sacking offence to discuss salary details.

OP - do you feel you earn enough *ON YOUR OWN MERITS*? Forget any comparisons, the only thing you can do is to justify why you feel you deserve a raise in absolute terms ('I am one of 4 sales staff but bring in 40% of the business', 'I earn less commission because I'm doing all the back-office processing for the other three sales staff, so feel my baseline salary should be higher', etc.).

If you've been there less than 2 years though, don't get seen as an agitator - easier to get rid of you than keep trouble.

John1993_2

19lottie82 wrote: »

Me neither. in fact, I've never even heard of anything like that.

It will tend to depend on the type of work. In my business the pay is very variable (the management basically pay you the minimum they think that they can get away with without you leaving to work somewhere else), and if people knew what each other got there'd be a vastly increased pay bill, and a much bigger staff turnover.

If the wage is more standard, then there's less need for secrecy.

I'd pay an awful lot of money to know what all of my colleagues earn...

Southend1

John1993 wrote: »

It's explicitly stated in my conttract that it will be gross misconduct. People doing the "same" job can be on vastly diffferent pay levels, and the company does not want war breaking out if people compare numbers.

Nevertheless, despite what your contract says you have a legal right to ask if it's for the purpose of finding out whether you are being illegally discriminated against.

I wouldn't have a problem telling anyone what I'm paid. Transparency isn't a problem for me and it can help reduce gender inequality in pay.

Takeaway_Addict

Southend1 wrote: »

Nevertheless, despite what your contract says you have a legal right to ask if it's for the purpose of finding out whether you are being illegally discriminated against.

I wouldn't have a problem telling anyone what I'm paid. Transparency isn't a problem for me and it can help reduce gender inequality in pay.

If you're not and you ask its a sure fire way to get your card marked...

Southend1

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

If you're not and you ask its a sure fire way to get your card marked...

Ooh I'm quaking in my boots.

Takeaway_Addict

Southend1 wrote: »

Ooh I'm quaking in my boots.

I wasn't specifically saying you but if as an employer who pays fairly someone thought I was screwing them over and I proved otherwise I wouldn't be chuffed they had no trust in the company. They would have to go some to redeem themselves as I would lose the trust in them.

Southend1

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

I wasn't specifically saying you but if as an employer who pays fairly someone thought I was screwing them over and I proved otherwise I wouldn't be chuffed they had no trust in the company. They would have to go some to redeem themselves as I would lose the trust in them.

On the other hand, if I found out a member of my team had been asking colleagues how much they are paid I wouldn't think twice about it because I am not paranoid. It's natural to be curious, it's fair to be transparent and it's against the law to discriminate on certain characteristics, even indirectly. So on balance it's best to be open and honest and not afraid of asking questions.

I think a lot of people who think it's important to keep quiet about their earnings would be surprised to find colleagues who are more open to conversation probably get paid more too because it's easier to get a sense of your market value.

The only reason I can see for secrecy over pay is to make it easier for bad employers to pay staff less than they are worth and/or to facilitate illegal discrimination.

John1993_2

Southend1 wrote: »

The only reason I can see for secrecy over pay is to make it easier for bad employers to pay staff less than they are worth and/or to facilitate illegal discrimination.

Well yes, but the public are already furious at what me and my colleagues get paid. If the bank had to bump us all up to match the highest then the guardian would go into meltdown.

auldblerk

On a more simplified level, there are too many permutations and individual circumstances, tax codes etc for one person to have the same take home pay as his fellow work mate and that's one of the reasons some Companies don't encourage their workers to compare their salary.

Southend1

auldblerk wrote: »

On a more simplified level, there are too many permutations and individual circumstances, tax codes etc for one person to have the same take home pay as his fellow work mate and that's one of the reasons some Companies don't encourage their workers to compare their salary.

Really? They think their employees must be so dim they can't work out the difference between gross and net pay? Pull the other one.