Copyright newsweek
When it comes to talking about pay, younger workers are breaking old taboos—and changing workplace culture in the process. A new survey by Kickresume, which polled 1,850 anonymous employees worldwide, found that only 31 percent of people say salary is openly discussed at their job, while 37 percent work somewhere that explicitly bans talking about pay. But the way people feel about discussing pay varies greatly between the generations, too. Gen Z Is Talking About Salaries Nearly 40 percent of Gen Z respondents say salary is openly discussed at work—almost double the rate of Gen X, where just 22 percent report the same. Younger workers also seem more willing to defy pay silence: 18 percent of Gen Z said they have talked salary, even when it wasn’t technically allowed. In contrast, 1 in 3 Gen X employees said they prefer not to talk about pay at all, compared to only 18 percent of Gen Z. Another survey from earlier this year revealed that Gen Z employees are avoiding applying for roles when the salary isn’t transparently listed. But pay transparency isn’t just about policy; it is about curiosity. Thirty-two percent admit they are genuinely interested when a coworker mentions what they earn. That curiosity peaks among younger and female employees: 38 percent of Gen Zers describe themselves as curious, compared to 34 percent of women and 31 percent of men overall. In Europe, curiosity is even higher at 36 percent. Still, for some, the conversation remains uncomfortable. Nineteen percent said salary discussions at work feel awkward. That discomfort rises to 24 percent for Gen X, who entered the workforce when pay talk was largely taboo, while just 15 percent of Gen Z said the same—a sign that attitudes are shifting fast. A file photo of a group of young employees talking at work. Can You Tell Your Colleagues What You Earn? The federal government already shares public payroll data for millions of public-sector employees, allowing citizens to see how taxpayer-funded salaries are allocated. Databases with public pay tables make this information openly available. Meanwhile, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and subsequent pay transparency protections enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor ensure that workers have the right to discuss wages and seek pay information without fear of retaliation. The department’s guidance states that employees “may inquire about, discuss, or disclose their own pay or the pay of others.” Legislation across the U.S. is also increasingly forcing employers to lift the curtain on pay. In states such as Massachusetts, companies with more than 25 employees must now include salary ranges in job postings, part of a wider trend seen in states such as Colorado, California and New York. Advocates say this is essential to tackling wage gaps, particularly for women and workers of color, because “pay disparities thrive in the shadows, and transparency gives workers a valuable tool to ensure they are being paid fairly.” Ruth Thomas, chief compensation strategist at Payscale, told Newsweek: “New pay transparency laws are increasing awareness around budgets and salaries for certain roles, giving them more insight into what peers earn and what is considered fair market pay. There is more pay information available than ever before.” Thomas added that, for Gen Zers, this sort of transparency has come to be expected. “Gen Z has grown up in an era of radical transparency—from social media to open-source information—so openness is part of their DNA. They value authenticity and fairness, and that extends to how they think about pay.” A Push Toward Openness A desire for transparency in salaries is growing. Forty-six percent said they support open salary policies, and, for Gen Zers, that figure was even higher: 49 percent of younger workers back total openness, while just 14 percent prefer to keep pay private. Amy Spurling, CEO and founder of the HR tech firm Compt, told Newsweek: “Gen Z didn’t invent salary transparency. They just stopped pretending it shouldn’t exist, and I’m grateful for that. “They’ve grown up watching their parents or older siblings get burned by corporate secrecy during layoffs, recessions and restructures. They’re also not emotionally attached to outdated corporate etiquette. They share pay information because it protects them. Information is power, and they’re unwilling to give that power up just to make employers comfortable,” she said. Spurling added that fear of pay transparency often says more about company culture than professionalism. “Talking about pay is one of the fastest ways to expose inequity in a workplace,” Spurling said. “Companies, and CEOs, are afraid of salary discussions because they reveal inconsistencies, not because they’re ‘unprofessional’. That’s a cop out,...
