Can You Talk About Pay With Your Coworkers?

There's no ignoring the ever-rising cost of living. From increased prices at the grocery store and gas station to skyrocketing rent and mortgages, it's becoming more and more expensive for the average person to survive ... even with a full-time job. According to a 2023 survey by LendingTree, 49% of those surveyed hadn't received a raise in the past year to offset the impact of inflation. In fact, 15% of workers actually experienced a decrease in income (here's what to do if your employer doesn't pay you at all). However, even if one employee is struggling to make ends meet, that doesn't mean their colleague in a similar or identical role is as well.

Although many companies now include a salary range on job postings, this wasn't always the case. For people who were hired before the rise of pay transparency, there could be major discrepancies in their earnings. Brian Bloom, vice president of global benefits at management consulting firm Korn Ferry, told CBS News, "Someone who has been at their job for a while may be getting a 3%-4% raise every year, and someone just coming in could be making double."

Considering this, rather than sit and wonder whether or not they're earning an equitable wage, employees can gauge where they actually stand by doing something that was once — and sometimes continues to be — viewed as off-limits: simply asking a coworker what they make.

Discussing salary, even a general salary range, with a colleague can feel uncomfortable. After all, finances are typically a personal topic, one not many believe they're allowed to pry into unless it's a significant other or family member. In addition to potentially making their coworker feel awkward, there's also the fear of repercussions from the employer.

However, U.S. employees have the legal right to discuss their wages with each other thanks to the National Labor Relations Act, which states, "... employees have the right to communicate with their coworkers about their wages, as well as with labor organizations, worker centers, the media and the public. Wages are a vital term and condition of employment, and discussions of wages are often preliminary to organizing or other actions for mutual aid or protection."

This means, if a company gets wind that its workers are having conversations about their wages, whether it's during working hours or not, that employer can't punish those employees. If a company were to retaliate against them for discussing their salary, it would be violating the National Labor Relations Act and could be subject to investigation by the National Labor Relations Board.

Of course, just because something is legal doesn't mean it's always the right thing to do. But in the case of having candid conversations with your colleagues about salary (check out the states with the highest average salary), there are wide-reaching benefits that can come from this, the main one being discovering — and addressing — pay inequities in the workplace. In 2023, the National Women's Law Center reported that 26.6% of American workers live in a state with pay transparency laws in place, allowing job applicants and current employees alike to see firsthand what the salary range is for an open position. Still, for the rest of the country's workforce, knowing whether or not their pay is comparable to their colleagues is a complete mystery ... unless they ask.

Speaking to CBS News, Jeff Moriarty, a professor of business ethics at Massachusetts' Bentley University, explained how these conversations can help everyone. "If employers know employees can, and will, talk among themselves about what they're getting paid, that employer will take steps to ensure they won't discover any pay inequities," he said. Therefore, if you're being underpaid, rather than trying to figure out the best time of year to look for a new job, this proof of inequity can be presented to your employer and, hopefully, result in positive change.

This being said, one has to be tactful if they plan to ask a colleague about their pay. Rather than corner a random member of your team in the break room, any wage inquiry should be limited to a coworker(s) with whom you already have a friendship or strong working relationship.