For most people, talking about salary is about as appealing as a visit to the dentist. We resent having to reveal our annual income and what we’re making in comparison to peers at other companies or our personal industry. It’s such a taboo that even the mere thought of inquiring about someone else’s income makes most people uncomfortable or a little bit nauseous. Along with this awkwardness though, many people have wondered if discussing salary with coworkers is legal.
It’s illegal to discuss salary with coworkers.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that governs how employees are paid and treated in the workplace. Under the FLSA, it’s illegal for employers to share salary information with other employees and for employees to discuss their own or another employee’s salary with other employees.
This is true even if you’re discussing your own salary with coworkers over lunch or during breaks, or if you’re discussing the salaries of other employees while at work. The only exception is when the employer has explicitly invited open discussion of salaries as part of their normal compensation system.
The reason for this rule is that it’s meant to protect workers’ privacy and prevent employees from being coerced into accepting lower wages than they deserve by their coworkers. It also helps ensure that employers don’t discriminate based on gender or other protected characteristics when setting pay scales for different jobs or departments within their company.
Is it legal to discuss salary with coworkers
Introduction
This is a question we get a lot at the HR department, and the answer is simple but worth repeating: no. In fact, asking your coworkers how much they make could put you in legal jeopardy. So please, don’t talk about money with your coworkers!
The National Labor Relations Act called the NLRA guarantees that employees can freely discuss wages and other working conditions.
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) guarantees that employees can freely discuss wages and other working conditions. The NLRA applies to both unionized and non-unionized employees, as well as employers. The NLRA does not prohibit an employer from prohibiting certain conversations between employees, but the employer cannot punish or retaliate against an employee for discussing wages or working conditions with co-workers and others not under contract with the company.
For example: If you work for a union shop and your union contract has expired and you are engaging in “protected concerted activity” under the NLRA when discussing working conditions with coworkers who aren’t part of your bargaining unit or covered by any collective bargaining agreement in place at your workplace, then you will be protected from retaliation by your employer if they fire or discipline you because they don’t like what’s being said.
Illegal retaliation as a result of discussing wages can include discharge demotion suspension or any other kind of discrimination.
It is illegal for employers to use wage discussions as an excuse for retaliation.
Examples of illegal retaliation include discharge, demotion, suspension or any other kind of discrimination.
Federal law prohibits employers from firing or discriminating against workers who discuss their salary or compensation with coworkers or union representatives.
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects workers’ right to discuss wages and working conditions with coworkers, who may act as a union to form a union or collectively bargain. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of race, color, sex, religion and national origin. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing Title VII in the workplace, and it has stated that federal law also prohibits employers from firing or discriminating against workers who discuss their salary or compensation with coworkers or union representatives.
Federal law further protects employees’ rights by prohibiting employers from using background checks to determine whether an applicant has ever been arrested or convicted of a crime without first obtaining written consent from the applicant; however, state laws vary widely on this issue and some states may require you to provide certain information before applying for a job. Federal law also requires employers who receive federal financial assistance through grants provided by any agency that falls under Department of Labor jurisdiction (such as WIA programs) cannot discriminate against any employee based upon pregnancy or related conditions—including childbirth leave—under Title VII’s protection against discrimination based upon sex; this same rule applies when applying for jobs at these companies as well! Additionally:
- The Family Medical Leave Act allows eligible employees up to 12 weeks per year under certain circumstances; this includes birth mothers who need time off during pregnancy itself since FMLA regulations apply during this period too! -You must be paid at least minimum wage while working overtime hours if your employer does not meet specific requirements outlined below;;
Employers cannot ban employees from talking about pay inequality and mistreatment based on race gender or other protected characteristics.
- You can discuss the salary of other employees with your coworkers. There is no law that prohibits workers from sharing their own salary information with each other.
- Your employer may not ban you from discussing pay inequality and mistreatment based on race, gender or any other protected characteristics in the workplace.
- Employers cannot discipline or fire employees for discussing salary. They also cannot threaten to do so if you talk about wages with your coworkers or post information on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
If an employer requires workers to keep their salary private this is clearly an attempt to stop workers from discussing their pay and is illegal.
The Fair Payment Act also prohibits employers from asking workers to keep their salaries secret. If an employer requires workers to keep their salary private this is clearly an attempt to stop workers from discussing their pay and is illegal. An employer cannot prevent employees from discussing salary among themselves or with other people who have a legitimate interest in the information, such as HR professionals or lawyers representing them.
Employers may not retaliate against employees for discussing wages with each other or for joining forces in an effort to address pay inequality.
Employers may not retaliate against employees for discussing wages with each other or for joining forces in an effort to address pay inequality. This includes:
- Giving negative evaluations
- Withholding bonuses, raises, or other benefits
- Discharging the employee (firing them)
Workers must be free to talk about salary in order to uncover potential discrimination and inform their choices about how much to ask for when seeking employment.
Employees need to be free to discuss salary in order to uncover potential discrimination, and inform their choices about how much to ask for when seeking employment. The ability to discuss pay is also important for workers who are considering whether or not they should seek a raise.
Under the federal Equal Pay Act and most state laws, it’s illegal for employers to pay men and women different amounts based on their gender. However, wages may still differ between genders if this occurs because of factors other than sex (such as education level). While there are no formal protections against bias in salaries at an individual level, having more information about what other workers earn can help you determine if you’re being treated fairly by your employer.
It is legal for employees to discuss salary with coworkers
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects employees from retaliation by their employers for discussing issues like wages, benefits and workplace conditions with other employees.
The NLRA makes it illegal for an employer to take any action against an employee who engages in protected activities, including discussing pay with coworkers. The law also prohibits employers from having a policy that restricts employees’ ability to discuss compensation or working conditions among themselves.
Many states have similar laws protecting employees’ rights to talk about salary information with co-workers and others they work with on a regular basis.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering whether you can talk to your coworkers about salary, the answer is yes. But it’s important to approach the conversation in a respectful manner and avoid making personal attacks against your employer. Your company may also have a policy against discussing compensation with other employees. At the end of the day, if you feel like talking to other workers about salary is going to help you get a raise or land another opportunity at work, then go for it!
