

Ask HN: Should I start a salary sharing spreadsheet at work? - kelukelugames

Is this going to be a total career limiting move? Would it impact me even after I have left the company?
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huac
if you care more about your career than about pay equality, don't bother

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DaveWalk
This is such good advice; and say it out loud when you're asked about it, too.
"I want to focus on making this company successful. Compensation is everyone's
private business, but the success of this company is what we share."

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paulhauggis
As soon as management finds out, you will be fired. This is a bad idea all
around.

In fact, it's really not going to help the employee in the long run. If
everything were public, it will allow every company to pay the same rate for
the same job.

It will only take away any negotiating power you had and wages will converge
to the middle (which means less money ). People are also generally jealous
about things like this. Even if you are a better employee, your co-worker will
never understand why you deserve $X amount of more money.

Privacy is one of the only things that an employee has over a large company.
Why are we trying so hard to give them more power?

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Nadya
_> As soon as management finds out, you will be fired. This is a bad idea all
around._

And, at least in California, that's against the law.

[0]
[http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection...](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=232)

~~~
greenyoda
Management can come up with any number of legal excuses to fire an employee
even if they're actually firing them for illegal reasons. A favorite ploy is
reassigning "problem" employees to a failing project (or a project that's
deliberately made to fail by denying it resources) and laying them off when
the project is cancelled. Companies can also make an employee's life miserable
in many ways to "encourage" them to leave (no raises, move their desk next to
the toilets, deny their vacation requests due to "emergencies", etc.). And
after the employee is gone, they can give them a lousy reference if they're
feeling vindictive. For lots of details on how companies do their dirty work,
see the book "Corporate Confidential".[1]

Also, some laws that protect collective employee activities like union
organizing or discussing salaries may not apply to people who have managerial
titles.

[1] [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312337361](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312337361)

