Keeping employees from discussing their salaries is illegal

A few days ago the UK underwent one of the largest public sector strikes in decades. No one noticed. Schools ran half classes, bins were unemptied but basically, nada.

Either withdrawing labour no longer works, or withdrawing labour needs to be long enough that It hurts the employee more than the employer or, as I suspect, the industries that could have an effect by withdrawing are not unionised (retail being the obvious one)

I am just wondering how the coming "robotisation" and the supposed need for wage-for-breathing will happen in a world where unions have no more power.

I am proud of the UKs labour movement - but it seems to have forgotten.

Re: Keeping employees from discussing their salaries is illegal

#5

Post by grecy » Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 8:43 PM UTC

Does anyone know if there are similar laws in Canada?

Re: Keeping employees from discussing their salaries is illegal

#6

Post by grecy » Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 8:47 PM UTC

I've always thought employers telling employees not to discuss wages is similar to an adult giving candy to a child and saying "Don't tell anyone I gave you this".

In both cases, I'm forced to ask why the giver is actively trying to block others from finding out about the giving, or the amount of giving.

I believe, in both cases, they're trying to conceal something from someone.

Re: Keeping employees from discussing their salaries is illegal

#7

Post by dllthomas » Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 8:49 PM UTC

So, what do we do about the corresponding social norms?

Re: Keeping employees from discussing their salaries is illegal

#8

Post by scott_s » Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 8:50 PM UTC

Planet Money recently did a great episode on open salaries, called "When Salaries Aren't Secret": http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/07/02/327289264/episode-...

Re: Keeping employees from discussing their salaries is illegal

#9

Post by click170 » Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 9:05 PM UTC

dllthomas wrote: post #7

So, what do we do about the corresponding social norms?

We break them.

Take your colleagues out to lunch and explain that in order to determine if there is any on-going wage discrimination that you think that the group should share their salaries with each other, and that you're willing to go first if they agree to share their salaries as well. Follow up by posting your salary to GlassDoor.

My understanding of the law in my country is that discussing salaries for the purpose of preventing wage discrimination is explicitly legal, but this is not legal advise and I likely do not live in your country.

Edit: The group you take our to lunch should not include your supervisor/boss. For some reason my experience tells me that they view this as undermining behaviour no matter how you broach the subject.

Re: Keeping employees from discussing their salaries is illegal

#10

Post by click170 » Fri, Jul 18, 2014, 9:11 PM UTC

grecy wrote: post #5

Does anyone know if there are similar laws in Canada?

This is not legal advice. My understanding of Canadian law is that discussing your pay for the purposes of preventing wage discrimination is explicitly legal. This information is from a senior colleague who helped me stand up for myself (them along side me) to a previous employer regarding a pay dispute.

Edit: Typo