'We shouldn't be talking about our wages': Employee exchanges fiery emails with HR after manager reprimands him for discussing his salary with his coworkers

This employee was sick and tired of being intimidated by HR when he knew his rights inside and out.

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder that you are permitted to discuss your salary privately with your coworkers. It doesn't matter whether or not those conversations are an inconvenience to your employer. That's their problem to fix. After all, they offered and agreed upon those salaries. If they cannot provide a legitimate reason as to why Jim is making twice as much as Joanne despite the fact that they are working the same job with the same responsibilities, then that's their issue.

This employee was reprimanded for being transparent with his coworkers about his annual salary, which prompted him to go above his manager and send the email (included below) to HR. It ended up taking the department five business days to respond to this completely valid and reasonable message… probably because they had no idea what to say. After all, the author pointed out that there could be no legitimate legal recourse for having this transparent conversations. 

Keep scrolling below for the full email exchange, including HR's carefully worded and empty response. 

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  • The truth of the matter is that HR was definitely shaking in their boots during the five days they spent drafting this empty reply to the author's confrontation. They knew they didn't have any legs to stand on, and they also knew they couldn't hide behind “experience” as their reasoning for paying some employees significantly less than others. Several members of this online community agree that this is not a desirable working environment moving forward. Here's hoping that this whole team finds better opportunities that are more worker friendly.

  • "Should I be concerned?"

    3:26 2 Messages اس Inbox Concern About Office Pol... Hello 77 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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  • 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
    via iicecream_
  • 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,
    via iicecream_
  • 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • A male employee sits in front of his laptop computer looking upset as two coworkers discuss something behind him.
    via Sebastian Herrmann

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • 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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  • 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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  • "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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  • 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • 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 i. As for whether this will have any repercussions, that all depends on your internal politics
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  • 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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  • captainzigzag 18 hr. ago HR is not on your side. They've now flagged you as a troublemaker.
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  • 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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  • A business that behaves like that is not a business worth working for. The truth shall set you free.
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salary workplace-stories toxic-manager wage theft employee work stories toxic-workplace manager job work wages human resources company money toxic-work-environment
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