How will this work with VC-backed startup where a large chunk of compensation is options of unknown value?
Have to say so in the job ad.
Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
61–70 of 99 posts
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Having a range at all greatly reduces individual bargaining power. My understanding is that the EU has had a terrible time recently attracting and retaining both businesses and talent. I don't see how this will help solve their issue.
How does more information reduce the bargaining power for potential employees? In my mind its the opposite, but maybe I miss something obvious?
Other companies know easily what their competitors are paying... you can't leverage labor market competition to bump your salary. You can't start a bidding war between employers.
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#63At least in Norway it's already public what everyone makes. I can look up the taxable salary information about anyone (so salary after deductions but it's probably ok close). Also, even without that, salary of public employees is part of the information you can request to view. I feel discussing salaries is quite common here. At work someone made a spreadsheet everyone fills their salary into if they want, experience…
Everyone? I may misunderstand but it looks to me like a serious invasion of privacy and with a high potential for abuse. The lesser form of abuse would be for a shop to loop up how wealthy a customer is for targeted advertising. But it can also be used to see whose kid is worth kidnapping, and everything in between, like refusing tenants with low salaries.
Everyone. Just search their name and select the correct personality from the list (based on zip code and age). People can, since a few years ago, see who has viewed them, which deters it a bit. But easy to just have a friend or something look up your coworker or boss if so.
Also, media gets everything and make lists. "This is what the soccer players make", "top 50 influencers" etc.
I don't think it's abused much. For wealthy kidnappings and so it's easier ways than to brute force names of potentials. Instead just look for CXOs or owners of companies that are doing ok (also public data). Refusing tenants with low salary is already done through credit agencies all over the world, this doesn't change anything in that regard either.
As for privacy: I guess you could say so. But as I said, it's part of the culture so I don't feel most people mind, and it helps us to get paid fairly.
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
why would you try to do that?
To avoid the social consequences amongst your peers? Perhaps that's not an issue in Norway, but it's an issue in the US. I don't want my coworkers to know how much I make because if I'm making substantially more or less than them, it will affect how they perceive and interact with me.
Why do you not want for everyone to be treated fairly? If I earn more without good reason, why should I be more loyal to some rich owner than to my colleague that I am interacting with on a daily basis. Do people in the US think like this?
(Note though: I don't think many people acyually check each others tax returns, as that kind of already implies enviousness.)
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does the salary info include investment income or income from other sources, or only salaries from corporations? If you work as a barista would your taxable information be available as well?
No it's just gross tax paid from which you can kinda-sorta guess the income but not always. Also the information is outdated by two or three years.
No, it's not two or three years old. It's published in December the following year.
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#66So question for HN on this topic: I've always considered salaries not being public to be better for me because historically I've been able to negotiate well when we get to that stage, but I know that this isn't the case for everyone. I am also aware that employers can pay for previous w2 salary info (assuming the company used a major payroll provider)... and there are other strategies that companies use that gives th…
You're assuming you're negotiating well, but what if more info just raises the floor for everyone? How do you even know you're negotiating well, if you don't know the baseline? I'm curious if most people just think they're above average in competency, and also think they're above average in pay.
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#67How will this work with VC-backed startup where a large chunk of compensation is options of unknown value?
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Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
No it's just gross tax paid from which you can kinda-sorta guess the income but not always. Also the information is outdated by two or three years.
No, it's not two or three years old. It's published in December the following year.
You file your taxes however in April for the previous year.
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
To avoid the social consequences amongst your peers? Perhaps that's not an issue in Norway, but it's an issue in the US. I don't want my coworkers to know how much I make because if I'm making substantially more or less than them, it will affect how they perceive and interact with me.
Why do you not want for everyone to be treated fairly? If I earn more without good reason, why should I be more loyal to some rich owner than to my colleague that I am interacting with on a daily basis. Do people in the US think like this? (Note though: I don't think many people acyually check each others tax returns, as that kind of already implies enviousness.)
> Why do you not want for everyone to be treated fairly?
That's a strange assumption to make. Of course I want everyone to be treated fairly.
> why should I be more loyal to some rich owner
It's not a matter of loyalty to some rich owner (particularly if I'm making much less than my coworkers[1]). It's a matter of getting along in the workplace.
[1] I have, and probably will again, taken positions where I was overtly underpaid because I was getting something else out of the job that I valued more than the money. But (at least in the US), people tend to equate your pay level with your skill level and value, so I certainly wouldn't want my coworkers to know.
Re: Europe to End "Salary Secrecy": Employee Salaries to Become Public by 2026
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
How does more information reduce the bargaining power for potential employees? In my mind its the opposite, but maybe I miss something obvious?
Other companies know easily what their competitors are paying... you can't leverage labor market competition to bump your salary. You can't start a bidding war between employers.
Let's pretend companies don't collude to suppress salaries.
Of course, this would never happen. In capitalism, fair competition is a given.