# Wage Transparency In Your Workplace-Good Or Bad Idea?



## fmdog44 (Nov 6, 2019)

Watching a documentary about a woman that owns a small business employing approx. 100 people. She decided to make the earnings (hourly wages) of all of her employees including her own earnings visible to all employees. What is your opinion if that were applied to where you have worked?  For me I would object to it in some of my work background and OK with it at other jobs.


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## Butterfly (Nov 6, 2019)

I think if it is a matter of beginning wages-- for instance, widget polishers start at $15 per hour -- that's one thing.   But when you get into publishing wages of those who have earned merit raises, etc., that gets into a sticky wicket and can cause jealousy and resentment and generally lower morale.

Everywhere I ever worked, wages were considered confidential between the employer and employee and  paychecks were handed out in sealed envelopes.  I think it's generally a good idea to handle employee wages in this manner.


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## win231 (Nov 7, 2019)

It's a bad idea - at least from I've witnessed.
At one place I worked, the owner would leave everyone's check on their desk - no envelope - so everyone walking by could see it.
It frequently led to big, loud arguments - just as I expected.  The usual: "Hey...I've been working here for _____; she's only been here _________; why is she making more than I am for the same position?"


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## Lc jones (Nov 7, 2019)

I believe that it would not be a good idea as there could be jealousy and rancor and neither one of those emotions are helpful in order to create a harmonious workplace.


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## DaveA (Nov 7, 2019)

I can see where it might cause problems in private industry where there is more flexibility in pay, bonuses, etc..  Not so much in government jobs as most folks are in rigid pay grades with allowances for years of service, Military - same thing.  You know what everyone makes and they know the same about you.

Politics and/or favoritism may move you up in the ranks but usually you're still in a "pay grade" and your fellow workers are aware of your pay.


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## Gary O' (Nov 7, 2019)

Bad, bad idea
Asking for strife
There's enough unrest in the workplace


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## jujube (Nov 7, 2019)

In one of my jobs, because of submitting payroll, I knew what everyone (115 of them) made.  I can assure you that if wages were "transparent", there would be like unto a chorus of scalded cats.  Some people were making a salary that was FAR above their peers and also FAR above what they deserved.  

It would not be a pretty picture.


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## Trade (Nov 10, 2019)

jujube said:


> In one of my jobs, because of submitting payroll, I knew what everyone (115 of them) made.  I can assure you that if wages were "transparent", there would be like unto a chorus of scalded cats.  Some people were making a salary that was FAR above their peers and also FAR above what they deserved.
> 
> It would not be a pretty picture.



That is exactly why I think it should be required by law that all employers make wages and salaries transparent. If people aren't being paid fairly there should be Hell to pay.


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## StarSong (Nov 10, 2019)

I think wage transparency is a great idea.  Knowing they might be called on to justify wage disparities would be a great incentive to compensate everyone (including themselves) fairly.


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## Catlady (Nov 10, 2019)

jujube said:


> In one of my jobs, because of submitting payroll, I knew what everyone (115 of them) made.  I can assure you that if wages were "transparent", there would be like unto a chorus of scalded cats.  Some people were making a salary that was FAR above their peers and also FAR above what they deserved. It would not be a pretty picture.


That happened to me.  The woman who printed out paychecks was going on vacation and she trained me to do it for her absence.  I did it but did not look at the paychecks.  When she came back she assumed I had looked and said something like,  "Isn't it a shame that ''Susie'' started at the same time as you and is making more?"  I was very hurt and angry.  "Susie'' was very young and very pretty and her boss had wandering hands and my boss obviously appreciated me but was not creepy.  I quit shortly after telling my boss off with expletives and all.


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## Trade (Nov 10, 2019)

PVC said:


> That happened to me.  The woman who printed out paychecks was going on vacation and she trained me to do it for her absence.  I did it but did not look at the paychecks.  When she came back she assumed I had looked and said something like,  "Isn't it a shame that ''Susie'' started at the same time as you and is making more?"  I was very hurt and angry.  "Susie'' was very young and very pretty and her boss had wandering hands and my boss obviously appreciated me but was not creepy.  I quit shortly after telling my boss off with expletives and all.



Again, another reason why wage transparency should be a requirement. Any boss that's playing games like that should be made famous.


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## Olivia (Nov 10, 2019)

I do understand the fairness of having all employees be aware of everyone's wages in the organization.

I also believe that it also depends on who is in charge of deciding the yearly promotions and wage increases and  how is it determined. Is it decided by one person who is also your supervisor who you don't like or doesn't like you?  Or is it as it has always been in the organizations I've worked for, decided by a personnel committee which has to hear about any justifications and approve wage increases. But even then, I do remember actually hearing or learning about one committee member disagreeing about my salary amount. It seems like he wanted us to work for love. Yeah, right. The thing was that the person that was previously in my position didn't also have to be a property manager for the apartment building owned by the organization as well as being an administrative assistant for the head of the department.  Okay, 'nuff about me.

So that was an example about how it could really hurt morale and cause distress when it is made public in the organization when wage decisions aren't understood. This kind of thing has to be considered in making that kind of a policy decision. Truthfully, if I was still working today, I would be worried about someone being so upset and angry about perceived wage discrepancies that it could cause an unstable person to take matters into their own hands. I understand that kind of thing is a rare event, but a possibility nevertheless in bigger or lesser ways.

I really don't know what the solution would be to make everyone happy.


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## Catlady (Nov 10, 2019)

In my last job I worked for an electric company and each job had a pay scale.  If there was any hanky-panky going on, I didn't want to know.  They had great benefits and I lasted 16 years until my retirement.  Best job I ever had.


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## Liberty (Nov 11, 2019)

Wondering, did anyone watch 60 minutes last night, speaking of well paid folks?

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/11/jpm...imon-wealth-inequality-is-a-huge-problem.html


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## win231 (Nov 11, 2019)

PVC said:


> That happened to me.  The woman who printed out paychecks was going on vacation and she trained me to do it for her absence.  I did it but did not look at the paychecks.  When she came back she assumed I had looked and said something like,  "Isn't it a shame that ''Susie'' started at the same time as you and is making more?"  I was very hurt and angry.  "Susie'' was very young and very pretty and her boss had wandering hands and my boss obviously appreciated me but was not creepy.  I quit shortly after telling my boss off with expletives and all.


Reminded me of "The Betty Broderick Story."  (she's the wife who murdered her husband & his new wife).  When the husband hired the pretty, young employee he was sleeping with, another employee found out that she was making more, with less time on the job, so she quit.


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## Catlady (Nov 11, 2019)

win231 said:


> Reminded me of "The Betty Broderick Story."  (she's the wife who murdered her husband & his new wife).  When the husband hired the pretty, young employee he was sleeping with, another employee found out that she was making more, with less time on the job, so she quit.


It's very demoralizing to the other employees.  A boss can always give gifts and stuff to the sweetie under the table, but the job should be about job performance only.  My boss did offer me a raise after I told him off, but by then I didn't trust him to be fair to me henceforward so I quit anyway.


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## Catlady (Nov 11, 2019)

Thanks, @win231, I just read up on the Broderick story.  That Betty was a nutcase.  I can understand her pain and disappointment, but she included her children in her revenge and that was not right.  I was angry after I divorced the chronic cheater, but was also relieved that I didn't have to be married to him anymore.  I even felt sorry for his next wife when she married him.


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## jerry old (Nov 11, 2019)

Ross Perot, when he wasn't running for president, owned Electronic Data System.  Any employee that discussed their salary was fired-immediately, if this
information became available to higher management.  Good old Ross, had some queer ways.

Payroll:  didn't know this:  Females asked out by a male employee- if there was any suspicion of his true marital status,  trotted down to payroll where they would ask any female employee in payroll, 'Is he married?
All too often, the answer was 'Yes.'

Us man, we is an adulteress bunch.


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## 911 (Nov 11, 2019)

PVC said:


> Thanks, @win231, I just read up on the Broderick story.  That Betty was a nutcase.  I can understand her pain and disappointment, but she included her children in her revenge and that was not right.  I was angry after I divorced the chronic cheater, but was also relieved that I didn't have to be married to him anymore.  I even felt sorry for his next wife when she married him.


Did you read the whole story? IMO, her ex drove her to the crazy house. That doesn’t give her an excuse to blow his and his new wife’s brains out all over the sheets, but he was a very vindictive bastard and then his new wife got her licks in too. There are a lot of people in her corner and would like to see her paroled, which I am split on.

She worked her butt to the bone, so that he could become a doctor. Shortly after getting his degree, he decided to become an attorney, so Betty had to continue being the wage earner. When he became an attorney, that’s when he and Betty started having marital problems. He had the legal community in his back pocket, so whatever he asked the court for, he got. I would have sworn at that ah myself.

Betty is going to have to own what she did before she will even be considered for parole, but even still, her chances look slim.


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## Catlady (Nov 11, 2019)

911 said:


> Did you read the whole story? IMO, her ex drove her to the crazy house. That doesn’t give her an excuse to blow his and his new wife’s brains out all over the sheets, but he was a very vindictive bastard and then his new wife got her licks in too. There are a lot of people in her corner and would like to see her paroled, which I am split on.
> 
> She worked her butt to the bone, so that he could become a doctor. Shortly after getting his degree, he decided to become an attorney, so Betty had to continue being the wage earner. When he became an attorney, that’s when he and Betty started having marital problems. He had the legal community in his back pocket, so whatever he asked the court for, he got. I would have sworn at that ah myself.
> 
> Betty is going to have to own what she did before she will even be considered for parole, but even still, her chances look slim.


I did say, "I can understand her pain and disappointment", but like you said,  "That doesn’t give her an excuse to blow his and his new wife’s brains out".  I've heard of lots of wives who work to put the husband through school and then get dumped when the going is good.  

On the other hand, her husband's lawyer claimed that she was doing good financially and got repaid for her working to help him get his degrees =

{{ Wells portrayed Broderick as a murderer who planned and schemed to kill her ex-husband and argued to the jury that Broderick was not a battered woman. She had, after all, been getting $16,000 a month in alimony in addition to the salary she earned working at an art gallery. She was also living in a $650,000 La Jolla beach-front property that Dan had bought for her, she had two cars, she had a boyfriend who was living with her at the time of the murders, and she currently had her two younger sons living with her.}}

I don't know if that is all true, I got it off Wikipedia = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Broderick


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## win231 (Nov 11, 2019)

911 said:


> Did you read the whole story? IMO, her ex drove her to the crazy house. That doesn’t give her an excuse to blow his and his new wife’s brains out all over the sheets, but he was a very vindictive bastard and then his new wife got her licks in too. There are a lot of people in her corner and would like to see her paroled, which I am split on.
> 
> She worked her butt to the bone, so that he could become a doctor. Shortly after getting his degree, he decided to become an attorney, so Betty had to continue being the wage earner. When he became an attorney, that’s when he and Betty started having marital problems. He had the legal community in his back pocket, so whatever he asked the court for, he got. I would have sworn at that ah myself.
> 
> Betty is going to have to own what she did before she will even be considered for parole, but even still, her chances look slim.


Meredith Baxter played Betty Broderick superbly.  If the movie was accurate, Mrs. Broderick couldn't be pleased with anything.  Any guy would have left her when he couldn't take any more criticism & complaining.  And, after two murders - which she planned, I don't think she should ever see the outside of a prison.
People who are "in her corner" are probably women who have been cheated on.


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## win231 (Nov 11, 2019)

PVC said:


> I did say, "I can understand her pain and disappointment", but like you said,  "That doesn’t give her an excuse to blow his and his new wife’s brains out".  I've heard of lots of wives who work to put the husband through school and then get dumped when the going is good.
> 
> On the other hand, her husband's lawyer claimed that she was doing good financially and got repaid for her working to help him get his degrees =
> 
> ...


You don't have to wonder if it's all true.  CA Divorce laws make it true.  They were married long enough for that kind of alimony & settlement. Whatever assistance she gave her husband putting him through school & supporting him, she was well paid for...and then some.
You may recall Johnny Carson's wife getting $44,000.00/month in alimony, plus half of the properties.  The amount is based on the husband's earnings at the time.
Mrs. Broderick had no reason to commit two murders, other than the fact that she was a psycho "B".  And, the way she also took it out on her own kids is further proof.


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## Catlady (Nov 11, 2019)

win231 said:


> People who are "in her corner" are probably women who have been cheated on.


I was cheated on and I would have never committed murder for revenge and then spend most of my life in prison.  That's like shooting yourself in the foot.  It's just as stupid as people who kill the person their spouse is cheating with.  The spouse will just find another person to cheat with.  After my divorce I was just glad that I no longer had to wonder what he was doing and who he was doing it with.  I had peace of mind at last.


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## win231 (Nov 11, 2019)

PVC said:


> I was cheated on and I would have never committed murder for revenge and then spend most of my life in prison.  That's like shooting yourself in the foot.  It's just as stupid as people who kill the person their spouse is cheating with.  The spouse will just find another person to cheat with.  After my divorce I was just glad that I no longer had to wonder what he was doing and who he was doing it with.  I had peace of mind at last.


Me, too.  I just said "goodbye" & divorced her.  The guy she cheated with was the real estate agent who sold us our house....and who I invited over for dinner several times.  And he's married with 3 young kids.
He actually phoned me later & said he hoped I wouldn't kill him....LOL!  I said, "You really think you're an important enough person for me to spend a few years in prison?  You're not even worth the 50-cent bullet it would cost me."


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## Knight (Nov 12, 2019)

Bad idea. To many variables to this question. This thread I'm guessing is about private industry.

Transparency seems to mean equal wages no matter how long or qualified each employee is. The employer has the right to determine the value of each employees contribution to the success of his or her business. Merit pay increases or bonuses for exceptional work IMO would be jeopardized.


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