#WorkplaceWoes #WageTransparency #AdvocateForYourself
Hey everyone, I need some advice on a sticky situation at work 🤔 So, I casually mentioned my wage to a coworker, encouraging them to ask for more if they felt they weren’t being compensated fairly. Next thing I know, my boss calls me in for a “difficult conversation” because my coworker brought it up with him. 😬
Now I’m wondering if I overstepped by trying to empower my coworker to negotiate for better pay. Was I in the wrong here? The business is going through a rough patch, but fair pay is still important, right? 🤷♂️
One thing’s for sure, I definitely didn’t appreciate my coworker throwing me under the bus by mentioning my name 🙄 Anyways, any tips on how to handle this situation moving forward? Here are some ideas I came up with:
– Talk to my boss and apologize for any unintended consequences
– Keep wage discussions more discreet in the future
– Encourage my coworker to address any concerns directly with our boss
What do you guys think? Any other suggestions? Let’s help each other navigate through these workplace challenges! 💼 #WorkplaceEtiquette #EmployeeRelations
Not my fault you weren’t paying them enough, dude.
You did good!
Coworker shouldn’t have snitched. Boss shouldn’t have guilted you. You did the right thing and they both reacted the exact wrong way. SMDH
Boss’s problem. He created the wage imbalance. He needs to explain it.
This is a red flag that you’re working for BAD MANAGEMENT.
“I do not appreciate the suggestion that discussing my wage with my coworkers is something I should avoid doing, as it is protected by law for me to do so. Sometimes as a manager you have to have difficult conversations with under-performers or individuals unhappy with their compensation; unfortunately, it comes with the territory.”
Not at all. The freedom to discuss your pay is federally protected. And as others have pointed out, it’s not your fault they don’t pay their employees well enough.
I go out of my way to let management know I don’t get paid enough at my job…… I love doing it
I worked for a car dealership in the warehouse. Everyone came to my desk at some point in the day. The mechanics walked past it on the way to the toilet and the office folk went past it on the way to the lunch area. Each week we got a printout of our payment on a little A6 sheet. I stuck mine on the bulletin board behind me. It went unnoticed for a few months until my manager came by and asked me to take them down as it was confidential information. I agreed. It was confidential whilst travelling from him to me, but once I had it, its confidentiality was now in my purview. At this point it was moot as anyone who wanted to know knew already. Apparently the cleaner was getting shorted and wasn’t happy he was getting whatever he was getting. How that was my issue I have no idea.
Yikes. Keep talking about your wages. It’s a federally protected action to discuss wages in the US. If your boss doesn’t want to have those difficult conversations, he needs to pay everyone fairly
So? Fuck him.
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/your-rights/your-rights-to-discuss-wages
“If you think this conversation is difficult, just imagine what a pain a wrongful termination lawsuit would be. Lordy, I wouldn’t like to be in court because of perceived retaliation, even if I had the most innocent of motives!”
And/or
“Why, beloved boss? Why was that a difficult conversation?” “But why, exactly? Tell me more, I really want to understand.” Repeat ad nauseam.
You’re not wrong, workers should openly discuss wages! I wouldn’t talk to that coworker any more about personal information. You never know the resentment he might feel towards you, and anything you do he’ll probably use against you, especially if he was that comfortable go to your boss and naming you…
The conversation itself was an unfair labor practice if you live in the United States. If so feel free to look up your closest NLRB office and file a charge.
No. Nothing you did was wrong and your boss is just mad that now everyone knows he pays his employees shit. I’m actually about to do the same thing you’re doing.
You did nothing wrong talking about your wage with your coworker. This is a regular conversation that coworkers have, nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. It is no different than talking about the weather, sports, or rules and policies at work.
If you’re in the US, your boss has broken the law. Nonsupervisory workers have the right to discuss their wages with each other, free from retaliation. Your boss’ “difficult conversation” is so not your problem, it’s not even funny.
Coworker shouldn’t have given your name, but you’re not an asshole at all. And if you’re in the US, discussing wages is a federally protected right.
Employers cannot forbid it, in writing or even verbally. Even attempting to stop these discussions is often viewed as an illegal action, as it can be seen as an attempt to prevent organizing/unionizing.
>He wasn’t reprimanding me
He definitely was, even if he didn’t seem angry. He wants you to believe it wasn’t a reprimand, because his actions are illegal, but he absolutely intended for this conversation to serve as a deterrent to you having wage discussions with anyone else in the future.
Always discuss wages, benefits, everything. Solidarity is how we win.
Do an e-mail follow up with your boss and ask him if he can send you a summary of your conversation, them report him to the DoL.
No.
“I’m very sorry it was a difficult conversation for you to have, but if it’s any consolation the conversation you’d have had with the board of labour if you’d asked me not to share my wage info would’ve been even more difficult.”
“Isn’t it your job to have difficult conversations?”
Got nothing to do with you, you can share your wage with anyone you want, its your money, your info.
Too fucking bad
Wage discussion is federally protected speech.
“How about instead you just pay people a fair wage and these conversations won’t come up.”