'I was reprimanded for discussing pay at work': Hostess told by manager discussing pay is forbidden in the employee handbook, hostess considers legal action

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 23, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder that any boss who forbids their employees from discussing pay with one another is quite simply not entitled to enforce that policy. 

This hostess at a restaurant chain knew that instinctually after her manager reprimanded her for doing so. The hostess learned that she was getting paid less than her two coworkers for doing the same job. She brought this up to her general manager, who ultimately acquiesced and gave her a deserved pay raise. However, that raise did not come without its consequences and the hostess was made to feel like she was violating the employee handbook by having those pay conversations with her coworkers. Of course, when she ended up looking through said handbook, she found no such mention of that forbidden policy. Some folks in the comments section almost wished she had found that written policy because then she might have grounds for serious legal action.

Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more, check out this post about an employee who was tasked with training their future replacements after getting let go.

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  • 01
    BONE "You really aren't allowed to discuss pay at work" CAL SIXIS
    via Sergio Arteaga
  • 02
    I was reprimanded for discussing pay at work and told it was in the employee handbook that I'm not allowed to discuss it
    via WillingPiglet
  • 03
    I work as a hostess at a national restaurant chain here in the United States. I am the senior most host here
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  • 04
    having started in January of this year. I was hired at $14.65. I was having a conversation with two other hosts and one of them
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  • 05
    mentioned making $15 an hour, and so did another host. I was kind of like hold the phone because they were hired after me and this is all three of our first hosting position. I immediately wrote
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  • 06
    on a sticky note that I wanted to have a conversation with the GM when she was in next.
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  • 07
    So a few days later on Wednesday we talk and she says "I'm going to raise your pay to make it fair but you
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  • 08
    really aren't allowed to discuss pay at work, it even says so in the employee handbook, I'm not going to fire anyone or anything but just know talk about pay really has to stay between you and I". So I texted my
    via WillingPiglet
  • 09
    best friend to tell them about this and their husband texts me a few minutes later and he told me about the equal pay act and how if it's in the employee handbook I have quite the lawsuit on my hands.
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  • 10
    Unfortunately I couldn't find. anything in the employee handbook about it so I can't sue the company but I did report the GM to HR for lying to me, and I haven't heard anything yet but I'm reaching. out to the district manager tomorrow!
    via WillingPiglet
  • 11
    fromwayuphigh · 20 hr. ago Even better, ask them to show you where it is in the employee handbook.
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  • 12
    WillingPiglet OP. 20 hr. ago Oooo I'm going to do that
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  • 13
    O kristy2056 20 hr. ago It's definitely against the law to tell employees they can't talk about pay.
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  • 14
    They tell you not to so the exact same thing that happened doesn't happen. They don't want
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  • 15
    to fairly pay you. Talk about it all you like and make them fire you so you can sue their a■ off.
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  • 16
    kor341 20 hr. ago I got fired from a company called G (they make drill bits), which is a German company but I worked at their Wisconsin factory, for telling a coworker my wage.
    via WillingPiglet
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    BUT, they were smart enough not to list that as the official reason. The official reason listed was "a personality conflict" with my supervisor. Of course, by personality conflict they meant "told his supervisor he is indeed allowed to tell his wage to his coworkers"
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  • 18
    that place was an The most corrupt company I've ever worked for. There's a dude in the shipping department that makes six figures and sits around all day because he's not expected to do
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  • 19
    anything. Because he has pictures on his phone of upper execs doing b with h in the hotel at a company event, and threatened HR with them. There's lots more too, the place is a joke.
    via WillingPiglet
  • 20
    JarmaBeanhead 2 days ago Yeah important to remember that HR is hired by and works for the company first... They are essentially a relations manager between employees and company, but they're going to defend the company whenever push comes to shove.
    via WillingPiglet

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