Do you reveal your wage to your co-workers?

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Lothar

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: elmro
I like to know what my fellow employees make - I want to know if I am getting ***** in the ***. If I'm doing 2X the work that some tool who's making 2X more than me, I use this knowledge to my advantage: I am less aprehensive to demand more money at review time. I of course would never reveal that I have this information. I am also cautious about the people I reveal my salary too - they better not drop my name in a management meeting.

The way I look at it is the company pays me what they think I'm worth. If they are intentionally screwing me, then so be it. Its up to me to find another employer who see more value in me. Come time to put in the two weeks, if they try to match what the other place is giving you, just say "Sorry, had you thought I was worth more to the company, it would be reflected in the pay to begin with and we both wouldn't be in this situation. I don't want you to feel like I'm extorting more money out of you because its really not about the money."

How do you figure that they're "intentionally screwing you" without asking co-workers who you're close friends with about their salary to yours?

If there are no close co-workers in my particular "retail store X", I'll ask close friends who I know are working in the same state for the same "retail store X".

*note the emphasis on close*

If the company was screwing everyone in your department, how would you know you're being screwed in the first place? After all, you're getting paid the same as everyone else in the department so everything must be on the up and up, right?

Simple...
I have friends who work (or interviewed with) at CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Walmart, Target, and Safeway pharmacies this year.
If CVS is low-balling me, I'd know.
If Walgreens is low-balling me, I'd know.

I even go as far as reading their benefits/insurance/retirement plan packages they send them.

Trust me, I know exactly how much CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, Target, and Walmart are paying their pharmacy interns and pharmacists.

For example compared to their competitors...Safeway pay their pharmacy interns and technicians the best, but they pay their pharmacists like crap.
How do I know that? I can tell you, but I'd have to kill you. MUHAHAHAHA.

*EDIT*
As mentioned by many earlier, it's your job to find out if you're being low-balled or not.
Whether you find out through asking family/friends you know or other means is irrelevant.
If you're satisfied with the company and payrate/benefits you're getting, then kudos to you.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Special K
How accurate are the distributions posted on websites like salary.com? If we assume the ranges are accurate, then can't you at least figure out a ballpark range for someone's salary if they just tell you what their job title/function is?

Also, to the posters who commented that sharing salary information is bad because you could have two people doing the same job for vastly differing amounts of money:

Don't most companies usually put a hard range of salaries on a given position? That is, they define position X to have a hard salary range of $70k - $85k (just making up numbers here), and to get above the upper limit would require a promotion to a new position?

The reason I ask this is because if the limits are in place, then you can only negotiate yourself up so high, right? I mean if the range for a job is $70k - $85k, wouldn't it be pretty unlikely to find someone doing the exact same job for $150k+?

I've seen ranges in the 85-135 range for a specific grade level. Title does not equal grade level.

So, let's take the bottom end scale - 60-85K for a particular position and title. This position/title can scale 3 grade levels. The higher of that grade is 80-130K. So on the top end, for the same job/title you can have somebody making twice what the guy next to him is making.

In your experience, are the distributions posted on salary.com accurate for a given position?

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: Special K
How accurate are the distributions posted on websites like salary.com?

Based on the pharmacy profession, I can tell you those ranges provided there are inaccurate.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Special K
In your experience, are the distributions posted on salary.com accurate for a given position?

Not for me. According to Salary.com, I should be making considerably more than I do now.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm amazed that in today's world, people allow such corporate manipulation to continue...
do they WANT to keep you from discussing it? yes...
SHOULD they be allowed to? NO FVCKING WAY!

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Special K
In your experience, are the distributions posted on salary.com accurate for a given position?

Yes. Very accurate. Size of the company and actual roles matter though.

Big companies want the top quartile of employees for a given position (this is a competitive advantage for the company). They generally want the best and can afford the best. Any "good" company realizes they have to pay for what they get.

There are no absolutes however.

 

[Adam8281]

I tell my coworkers what I make, which isn't much, but is $1/hr more than they do since I have a master's degree

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Special K
In your experience, are the distributions posted on salary.com accurate for a given position?

Yes. Very accurate. Size of the company and actual roles matter though.

Big companies want the top quartile of employees for a given position (this is a competitive advantage for the company). They generally want the best and can afford the best. Any "good" company realizes they have to pay for what they get.

There are no absolutes however.

So when you negotiate raises within the same company, on what basis do you ask for more than their initial offer, and how much more can you realistically ask for, given that you can't just ask your co-workers in that position what they are making?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Special K
So when you negotiate raises within the same company, on what basis do you ask for more than their initial offer, and how much more can you realistically ask for, given that you can't just ask your co-workers in that position what they are making?

Start a new thread or just read "negotiating your salary: How to make 1000 a minute"

Only you know what you are truly worth.

 

[Cattlegod]

I don't care really. I make 62K/ year and I have the least seniority in my department.

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Lothar
What is wrong with telling someone you trust how much you make?
If I had family members working for the same company, I wouldn't hide such information from them.

To each their own. The only ones that know what I make are the IRS.

My SO glanced at a pay check once. Ever since then there have been problems. Jealousy is an evil emotion.

Damn dude. Not to be mean, but it sounds like you have some issues.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Lothar
What is wrong with telling someone you trust how much you make?
If I had family members working for the same company, I wouldn't hide such information from them.

To each their own. The only ones that know what I make are the IRS.

My SO glanced at a pay check once. Ever since then there have been problems. Jealousy is an evil emotion.

Damn dude. Not to be mean, but it sounds like you have some issues.

Yep, got my own. Still working on it. Long story.

thanks for the head check though.

My point stands though. Jealousy is an evil emotion, that's why I don't succomb to or participate in it. Honey-bunny and I are doing just fine.

 

[sapiens74]

Only my boss

Nothing good can come from telling everyone

 

[Adam8281]

Isn't it the boss who tells YOU what you make?

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Special K
So when you negotiate raises within the same company, on what basis do you ask for more than their initial offer, and how much more can you realistically ask for, given that you can't just ask your co-workers in that position what they are making?

Start a new thread or just read "negotiating your salary: How to make 1000 a minute"

Only you know what you are truly worth.

How is reading that book supposed to work if your boss has already read that book and knows the tactics and strategies discussed there?

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: TuxDave
I don't. Money and pay is categorized under the "mind your own business" folder.

Exactly. I would never tell a co-worker what I make...you're just asking for problems.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Lothar
How is reading that book supposed to work if your boss has already read that book and knows the tactics and strategies discussed there?

Negotiating is a skill that can be learned. Not just for salary but for everything. Two good negotiators can still walk away from a deal where both parties are comfortable and in agreement.

So it doesn't matter if boss has read that book. To be a decent manager you already have to have good negotiating skills anyway.

 

[meltdown75]

The pay scale for each position is outlined in our collective agreement. If I want to know what someone makes, I just look it up. Their position is listed in the seniority listing, posted on the company's intranet website.

 

[DougK62]

I work with a few really good friends and no way in heck would we ever discuss salary.

 

[eleison]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Lothar
How is reading that book supposed to work if your boss has already read that book and knows the tactics and strategies discussed there?

Negotiating is a skill that can be learned. Not just for salary but for everything. Two good negotiators can still walk away from a deal where both parties are comfortable and in agreement.

So it doesn't matter if boss has read that book. To be a decent manager you already have to have good negotiating skills anyway.

Negotiation is largely based on what you know. the more information you have the better off you are. Everyone will agree with that... Take for instance negotiating on a car... It would be wise to get as much information before haggling... To start negotiation without knowing what other people bought the same car for... or without even knowing the invoice price.. its just bad ...

 

[randomlinh]

yeah, mine will be public knowledge in a year I think. But my direct coworkers know what I get paid.. we all get paid the same. yay state.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: eleison
Negotiation is largely based on what you know. the more information you have the better off you are. Everyone will agree with that... Take for instance negotiating on a car... It would be wise to get as much information before haggling... To start negotiation without knowing what other people bought the same car for... or without even knowing the invoice price.. its just bad ...

Totally disagree when it relates to salary. Sure, using salary.com to get a ball park is a good idea. But just as a good salesman can get more for the car or get you to buy the rust protection and winter package, you can get a much bigger compensation package than others if you're good.

 

[eleison]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: eleison
Negotiation is largely based on what you know. the more information you have the better off you are. Everyone will agree with that... Take for instance negotiating on a car... It would be wise to get as much information before haggling... To start negotiation without knowing what other people bought the same car for... or without even knowing the invoice price.. its just bad ...

Totally disagree when it relates to salary. Sure, using salary.com to get a ball park is a good idea. But just as a good salesman can get more for the car or get you to buy the rust protection and winter package, you can get a much bigger compensation package than others if you're good.

How will you know you "got a bigger compensation package" without asking other folks? Your advice is weird. Even though you are advocating not asking people for their salaries, you seem to know a lot about how much they make. Else why would you think they would be jealous?

 

[Thetech]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: eleison
Negotiation is largely based on what you know. the more information you have the better off you are. Everyone will agree with that... Take for instance negotiating on a car... It would be wise to get as much information before haggling... To start negotiation without knowing what other people bought the same car for... or without even knowing the invoice price.. its just bad ...

Totally disagree when it relates to salary. Sure, using salary.com to get a ball park is a good idea. But just as a good salesman can get more for the car or get you to buy the rust protection and winter package, you can get a much bigger compensation package than others if you're good.

I don't fully understand wage negotiations though, if I don't know how much other people at the company make how will I know what to ask for? and also how will I know when I'm asking to much and risk offending my potential employer .

BTW-Tons of "No" votes.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
Worse is when colleagues or even friends reveal their pay to you and then expect you to tell them yours :roll:.

Yeah I hate that. I make more than my coworkers. A friend told me he made 40k and I was like "Well thats not bad" and then he just waited for me. Eventually he said "Well go on" and I was like "Go on what?".