'Discussing pay amongst employees is within our rights': Employee engages in fiery exchange with HR over wage transparency

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 21, 2024 2:00 PM EST

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder that no matter what anyone says about it, you are entitled to discuss your salary with others in the workplace. Of course, that kind of transparency is exactly the opposite of what your employers want you to do. That kind of transparency, however, can expose systemic flaws that all employees should be aware of regardless of whether or not those in charge want you to know about it.

Here, we have an employee who knew his rights and advocated for himself when his manager discouraged him from disclosing his salary with his closest coworkers. The idea, of course, was to keep people from learning that folks in similar positions were making different amounts of money. Luckily, this employee was not having any of it, and he subsequently engaged in a fiery back-and-forth with his HR representative in which it became quite clear that although managers can "discourage" this kind of behavior, they are in no way entitled to forbid it.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this post about an employee's Christmas Eve conundrum.

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  • 01
    3:26 2 Messages ill 77 Inbox Concern About Office Pol... A Hello I hope you're having a good day. I spoke with earlier today about an office policy I had a concern with here at
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  • 02
    Following some mutual conversations about pay between employees the other day, my store manager spoke to me about employees not being allowed to discuss their pay with each other, telling me to keep my pay discreet and hidden. This is concerning to me considering discussing pay amongst employees is within our rights and to create a verbal or written policy
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  • 03
    forbidding these discussions is against laws established by the National Labor Relations Board. I find it secretive and deceptive to make employees unable to have these discussions with each other, and I don't find it right for management to uphold policies that are against our rights. said she would mention that I might contact you as our HR representative. Thank you,
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  • 04
    3:26 ll 77 Inbox 2 Messages W 3:08 PM RE: Concern About Office Policy Hi We do recommend that employees not share their personal pay information, as some employees may be in the same position but different rates due to experience etc and can make it uncomfortable.
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  • 05
    If you choose to discuss that would be at your own decision. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you
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  • 06
    I sent an email to our HR rep because our manager said we shouldn't be talking about our wages with each other and this is the response I received after 5 days of waiting.
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  • 07
    Chris_the_Otter 18 hr. ago "We don't like it when you share but we can't tell you that you can't do it."
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  • 08
    1singleduck 18 hr. ago "So am i allowed to?" "We highly recommend you don't." "But you're not explicitly prohibiting it?"
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  • 09
    "Let's just say that it might have the potential for harm, but it also might not." "Am i, or am i not, accoring to the policies of the company, allowed to discuss my pay with my coworkers?" "Yesn't."
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  • 10
    P_K148 18 hr. ago Save the emails just in case, but that was a pretty decent response from HR. They likely informed the manager that he can't forbid employees from discussing pay then sent that email. As HR, they did what was
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  • 11
    expected of them by taking the managers side (saying that it was frowned upon) while protecting the company legally by expressly stating that it is allowed and that the company isn't going against labor laws.
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  • 12
    Sir_oshi 18 hr. ago Yeah basically this. The HR rep is basically saying 'We can't punish you for doing this but realize that discussing your pay could cause hard feelings among your coworkers'
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  • 13
    That said, assuming you're in a Right to Work state, I would be worried about them construing any angst arising from pay gaps being aired as a hostile work environment,
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  • 14
    caused by you. Or some other nit picky unrelated thing. Companies are more than willing to find 'justified' reasons for firing someone in situations like this
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  • 15
    ItsGotToMakeSense 17 hr. ago That's corporate speak for "We don't want to break the law but would rather you don't do this" They're covering their ;. As for whether this will have any repercussions, that all depends on your internal politics
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  • 16
    NotHis RealName 18 hr. ago Genuine question and I'm not being snarky: What exactly did you expect their answer to be?
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  • 17
    captainzigzag 18 hr. ago HR is not on your side. They've now flagged you as a troublemaker.
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  • 18
    rustler_incorporated 17 hr. ago Legally you're ok but there is a target on your back now. I have been part of conversations where management have decided someone was difficult and needed to be "managed out of the business" meaning they make your life until you up or quit.
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  • 19
    A business that behaves like that is not a business worth working for. The truth shall set you free.
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