Current Events > I told a coworker how much I made and immediately regret it

(+) Yeah! (+)

Mind you, we are pretty close. But I really regret it.

Telling a coworker your salary in your department is a double edged sword. On one hand, if no employees discuss their salaries with each other, it gives management the power to give higher or lower salaries to individuals over others in the same position without any employee knowing how much in their department make. *They can also low ball all their employees, even after counter offer. But there's a few fair reasons why they would give more to one individual over another though like
1. one person negotiated their salary which ended up being higher than an employee who was already working there for 6 months
2. person who negotiated their salary might also have more industry experience

On the flip side, It can give feelings of resentment either to management or other coworkers (or even you).

It can offer same pay across the board, but obviously some people will feel entitled to equal pay as another who has the same title, but are undeserving because they do the bare minimum at work and their performance aren't as great overall, OR vice versa.

Therefore this could eliminate differences in pay in a company between two coworkers, which fucks the person who is doing more for the company. Either there person drops their performance or finds another job.

Start belittling them for how little they make

So how much you make

$45/hr

It's a slippery slope. I regret it because I showed sympathy for another coworker who I know for sure got low balled into accepting a position below me upon hire (we have similar years of experience, including in our expertise) who got promoted a month after I started (match my title).. and she is getting paid 10k less. She told me her salary months back cause some other (ex) coworker was asking to be promoted and ask for a salary to coincidentally match mine, but didn't do shit to deserve it.
She didn't negotiate or whatever, but she didn't know the market rate value at the time either way, and it was the median rate. I would have advocated to management to give her the same as I earn, despite living farther away and doing a tad bit more than she does.

Well anyway the person I told then felt like they got low balled too, but they only have 3 years industry experience and does way less than I do.

So I'm in that position where.. I'm the most hardworking employee in my group who takes on extra projects and stays later than anyone else.. stupidly babble my salary to less deserving people with less years of experience and only does enough to get by (but are decent performers).

You shouldn't give a exact number but if you are close to a coworker, known them for a long time and they are hardworking, reliable and seem trustworthy you bargain with them and make them swear your identity to secrecy should you do them a favor and at least drop a rough estimate.

Capitalist society encouraging people to not share the amount they make only hurts the workers and limits their overall potential in life while rewarding their overlords who usually have more money than they'll ever use. Lots of evil employers and managers out there who discriminate when it comes to wages and raises based on unethical practices instead of doing things that matter based on merit like experience, performance and dedication. It's why the US is fucked and always will be unless the poor and working class band together and rise up against the rich.

Flockaveli posted...

$45/hr

maybe.

I don't know any good situation where telling another coworker how much you make is a good idea. Maybe if that person is your bff and puts in the same work as you do.

This is the first time that I told much I was making, while feeling resentment for it after. Fudge.

I told that coworker I was making the median but should have explained years of experience could have been factored and there not everyone is entitled to median? I dunno. She might tell other people who are in my position who have less work experience and just do the bare minimum to ask for a raise.

Number090684 posted...

You shouldn't give a exact number but if you are close to a coworker, known them for a long time and they are hardworking, reliable and seem trustworthy you bargain with them and make them swear your identity to secrecy should you do them a favor and at least drop a rough estimate.

Capitalist society encouraging people to not share the amount they make only hurts the workers and limits their overall potential in life while rewarding their overlords who usually have more money than they'll ever use. Lots of evil employers and managers out there who discriminate when it comes to wages and raises based on unethical practices instead of doing things that matter based on merit like experience, performance and dedication. It's why the US is fucked and always will be unless the poor and working class rise up.

But I fucking did . That coworker I confided with btw, they were also making 10k less than me when they had my title... But they left after working a year for another company.. but management was desperate for thrm to come back and they ended up getting promoted coming back to at least match it exceed what they got in their job that they worked for like only 2 months for. I'm not mad at them for coming back and get promoted btw. But they are supposed to be a lead, but they work less than I do and only does what they are told. They don't really "lead" our team. Trying not to get annoyed by that because I'm close with them.

but I just made them more entitled.

But anyway, to your second paragraph. Yes, I know that. I kind of addressed it at least with the whole double edged sword part, by saying it gives management all the power when employees don't know how much their other coworkers make. There are scummy management, and there could even be favoritism involved with inconsistencies regarding how much an employee is paid and deserves to be paid.

But there's also decent management and a lot of background things we don't know about behind the scenes such as.. HR could be the limiting factor in the final approving how much should earn. Years of experience factored into date of hire, and how well people negotiate their salary--if at all. And it's common for someone who started be offered higher vs someone who worked there for some time.

it might make sense to pay everyone with the same title the same amount.. But some more than others. Not just the bare minimum, and it's not fair for them to be paid the same.. and when someone else who is less experienced or not as performant finds out, they will feel entitled to want the same amount at least.

Then there's years of experience to be taken into account which is also a double edged sword. Should people who have more industry experience be paid more than those then less when offered--and usually a more senior title? yes, usually. There's also a few people who have been longer in the industry who don't do shit, aren't team players, and totally not qualified for their opinion as well (I have one coworker like that right now that could get canned).

It's complex..

The bar is already set kinda low in my department. I am the only one who does extra. The next person is the one who shares my title and the one I felt low balled.. She does do a lot for the company, but no extra projects.

Yup, bad idea. Hopefully your name doesn't get tossed into conversation when they go to HR or management.

I saw a guy get fired for telling me how much he made years ago. I mentioned to our supervisor why someone fairly new who I'm training is making that much more. He was gone by the end of the day.

Not sure about everywhere it's often company policy not to discuss that so some employees don't see how badly they're being fucked over and get disgruntled.

Jiggy101011 posted...

Yup, bad idea. Hopefully your name doesn't get tossed into conversation when they go to HR or management.

Fuck why you gotta make me worried like that.

LeoRavus posted...

I saw a guy get fired for telling me how much he made years ago. I mentioned to our supervisor why someone fairly new who I'm training is making that much more. He was gone by the end of the day.

Not sure about everywhere it's often company policy not to discuss that so some employees don't see how badly they're being fucked over and get disgruntled.

Does he have more experience than you in the industry? Cause then that would make sense. Then that's why he got paid more upon hire. You training him on something doesn't mean anything by itself. This is something newer people in the industry need to understand. It's only an issue if he can't perform his job duties for his position, which is decided by management.

I don't think he would get fired for that, unless he was already on the chopping block for like not performing to par, and/or they seemed sketchy. Either that or that company is awful, and they could get sued. What kind of work is this? Blue or skilled white collar?

Arcanine2009 posted...

maybe.

I don't know any good situation where telling another coworker how much you make is a good idea. Maybe if that person is your bff and puts in the same work as you do.

This is the first time that I told much I was making, while feeling resentment for it after. Fudge.

I told that coworker I was making the median but should have explained years of experience could have been factored and there not everyone is entitled to median? I dunno. She might tell other people who are in my position who have less work experience and just do the bare minimum to ask for a raise.

Its only bad if only a few people are doing it. Everybody needs to be open about it.

It was manufacturing repairing machines. I started there when I was 19, took classes, kept getting promoted to more technical positions for the next few years, and my pay didn't budge much at all.

The guy didn't seem to know any more than me and wasn't even familiar with anything electrical. Otherwise I wouldn't have questioned the pay difference. But it was common knowledge there that you don't tell anyone what you make. I remember seeing something about it in the paperwork I signed when I was hired.

Co-worker of mine was incredibly upfront about how much he got paid and how he thought I deserved the same. Immediately discussed it with management and got a significant raise right away.

LeoRavus posted...

It was manufacturing repairing machines. I started there when I was 19, took classes, kept getting promoted to more technical positions for the next few years, and my pay didn't budge much at all.

The guy didn't seem to know any more than me and wasn't even familiar with anything electrical. Otherwise I wouldn't have questioned the pay difference. But it was common knowledge there that you don't tell anyone what you make. I remember seeing something about it in the paperwork I signed when I was hired.

That paperwork is proof of federal law violation. They cannot bar you from talking about pay. They can lie and tell you they have legal authority to punish you for talking about it, but they cant actually follow through with the threat without breaking the law.

LeoRavus posted...

I saw a guy get fired for telling me how much he made years ago. I mentioned to our supervisor why someone fairly new who I'm training is making that much more. He was gone by the end of the day.

Not sure about everywhere it's often company policy not to discuss that so some employees don't see how badly they're being fucked over and get disgruntled.

again the policy is illegal to enforce.

I only bring it up if we're ex-coworkers

One current coworker is kinda not hiding how much he makes, given that he complains he doesn't make enough. I can tell he makes more than me, and he's newer than me, but in no higher position. I don't think I'm offended, but it's like shut up with that. Anyone else could start calling it out like another poster did here and potentially two people are getting cut.

Makeveli_lives posted...

again the policy is illegal to enforce.

Maybe as TC mentioned she came up with another reason to officially fire him, or neither one of them knew the legal side of it.

That place was shady anyway when it came to management and even the HR department.

LeoRavus posted...

It was manufacturing repairing machines. I started there when I was 19, took classes, kept getting promoted to more technical positions for the next few years, and my pay didn't budge much at all.

The guy didn't seem to know any more than me and wasn't even familiar with anything electrical. Otherwise I wouldn't have questioned the pay difference. But it was common knowledge there that you don't tell anyone what you make. I remember seeing something about it in the paperwork I signed when I was hired.

But does he have more industry experience? That could be why he got more when he was hired. Oh.. I see, If it was clearly stated in the paperwork/hr handbook. Dude your company is totally fucked up though for having a clause like that. And it does kind of sound illegal. Do you live in the states? I'm assuming you live in an at-will state

Sounds like blue collar work, which honestly is more rough than a white collar job when it comes to this type of stuff. I'm guessing they don't give warnings like Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) for employees that aren't performing to their standards, and just fire them after an investigation

Makeveli_lives posted...

That paperwork is proof of federal law violation. They cannot bar you from talking about pay. They can lie and tell you they have legal authority to punish you for talking about it, but they cant actually follow through with the threat without breaking the law.

I'm guessing he lives in a at-will state, which means employees can pretty get fired for almost anything by a company (and employees can leave at any time). Dude probably doesn't know his rights.

KronoCloud posted...

Co-worker of mine was incredibly upfront about how much he got paid and how he thought I deserved the same. Immediately discussed it with management and got a significant raise right away.

Do you like your management and think they are good people? I'm guessing they are decent. I'm cool with my managers and they aren't shady. Yeah it does depend on management and how you handle it. But I can't help but feel kinda bitter.

don't think i want coworkers who have either less industry experience than me and/or less than i do, feeling entitled and then to earn as much as me. Especially when they are complaining they aren't getting paid enough, and they work freaking 32 hours a week on salary while i work 38-40 doing side projects as well, and I put in my work.

It might be a generational thing too and how the culture has been before I started for coworkers in my field.

The bar is kinda already set low at my job. Coworkers come and do their assigned testing in the lab and leave. The average coworker in my field, in my department works like 6-7 hours a day maybe on average, tops (so that becomes 30-35 hours a week). Since nearly everyone does this, they copy each other and it becomes the standard. I'm like the outlier, but management doesn't put me as the standard for everyone to reach, which I'm OK with that.

Makeveli_lives posted...

Its only bad if only a few people are doing it. Everybody needs to be open about it.

Few people are doing it? You mean few people going to management and name dropping to HR and management?

Forgot to mention that my state will require companies to. post their salary range of their jobs in January

Arcanine2009 posted...

Few people are doing it? You mean few people going to management and name dropping to HR and management?

He means a few people talking about pay with each other. If everyone does it then there can't be any real repercussions for it unless they plan to fire everyone for at-will reasons ("its just not working out, thanks for your time.") and tank the business.