Comments on: Comment roundup on secret salaries vs. open http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/ Make Yourself and Your Business Happy At Work Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:48:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lee http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-152769 Lee Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:14:21 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-152769 A gentlemen disclosed a while back that his company suddenly revealed the salary of all its workers and he was displeased with the decision. Why? Because he was making a ton of money and admitted that he was probably being overpaid and he didn't want other employees to know that. A gentlemen disclosed a while back that his company suddenly revealed the salary of all its workers and he was displeased with the decision.

Why? Because he was making a ton of money and admitted that he was probably being overpaid and he didn’t want other employees to know that.

]]> By: Bulmafox http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-119890 Bulmafox Tue, 26 Jun 2007 23:58:17 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-119890 I absolutely agree with open salaries. I think companies keep salaries secret to keep people in their place. After all, if you don't know you're being paid an unfair salary, it makes it hard complain to management or the CEO or--God forbid!--look for another job. I absolutely agree with open salaries. I think companies keep salaries secret to keep people in their place. After all, if you don’t know you’re being paid an unfair salary, it makes it hard complain to management or the CEO or–God forbid!–look for another job.

]]> By: Secret salaries revisited http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-102543 Secret salaries revisited Wed, 30 May 2007 07:40:57 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-102543 [...] A while back I wrote about keeping salaries secret in the workplace and why I think it’s just a darned silly idea. It’s easily the most controversial post I’ve ever written, with 70% of the (many) commenters disagreeing vehemently. I posted a comment round-up as well. [...] [...] A while back I wrote about keeping salaries secret in the workplace and why I think it’s just a darned silly idea. It’s easily the most controversial post I’ve ever written, with 70% of the (many) commenters disagreeing vehemently. I posted a comment round-up as well. [...]

]]> By: snowleo http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-4434 snowleo Mon, 25 Sep 2006 20:31:37 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-4434 Interesting... I read Semler's stuff some time ago and now in founding a company find myself thinking about it more. Has anyone had experience with this in employees spread out across a global workforce? I recall Semler's guys were all in one place with the same locational economics (though perhaps no longer in his later work). I realize we could say "Make location a factor!!!".... Somehow it seems harder to explain why a developing work employee makes 10% of a first world employee than explaining a 10% difference in salary between two colocated employees... Interesting… I read Semler’s stuff some time ago and now in founding a company find myself thinking about it more. Has anyone had experience with this in employees spread out across a global workforce? I recall Semler’s guys were all in one place with the same locational economics (though perhaps no longer in his later work). I realize we could say “Make location a factor!!!”…. Somehow it seems harder to explain why a developing work employee makes 10% of a first world employee than explaining a 10% difference in salary between two colocated employees…

]]> By: Meriblog: Meri Williams’ Weblog » links for 2006-08-17 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-2732 Meriblog: Meri Williams’ Weblog » links for 2006-08-17 Sat, 19 Aug 2006 21:27:52 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-2732 [...] business management people happiness) Posted by delicious @ 7:19 PM on August 17, 2006 Permalink Make money fast Xoftspy Make money on ebay T-mac-5 Ways to make money fast make money at homeEarn money Andis Hair Clippers Coffee Table Found money Hair Clippers Making Money Online Mens Shavers Motorola pink razor Pink Razor Phone Razor Phone Transfer money overseas Wahl Hair Clippers Wintasks Detecting spyware Adware Alert [...] [...] business management people happiness) Posted by delicious @ 7:19 PM on August 17, 2006 Permalink Make money fast Xoftspy Make money on ebay T-mac-5 Ways to make money fast make money at homeEarn money Andis Hair Clippers Coffee Table Found money Hair Clippers Making Money Online Mens Shavers Motorola pink razor Pink Razor Phone Razor Phone Transfer money overseas Wahl Hair Clippers Wintasks Detecting spyware Adware Alert [...]

]]> By: Robert Winter http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-2671 Robert Winter Fri, 18 Aug 2006 12:14:13 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-2671 "..in today’s society salary is quite a taboo. It’s not up there with sexual practices, but close. But why is that?" I think, that (almost) every pepole is trying to find a place in the hierarchy of the society. So we are measuring each other, and the easiest way to measure - in this material world -, are the wages. If we can keep our income level a top secret, we can aviod measuring, thus we can't loose. Everybody hates to be a looser - but it's a stupid philosophy. “..in today’s society salary is quite a taboo. It’s not up there with sexual practices, but close. But why is that?”
I think, that (almost) every pepole is trying to find a place in the hierarchy of the society. So we are measuring each other, and the easiest way to measure – in this material world -, are the wages. If we can keep our income level a top secret, we can aviod measuring, thus we can’t loose. Everybody hates to be a looser – but it’s a stupid philosophy.

]]> By: Kevin Carson http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-2605 Kevin Carson Thu, 17 Aug 2006 06:31:09 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-2605 Or to paraphrase scripture, it may be needful for life to be unfair; but woe to him by whom it IS unfair. Or to paraphrase scripture, it may be needful for life to be unfair; but woe to him by whom it IS unfair.

]]> By: Kevin Carson http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-2604 Kevin Carson Thu, 17 Aug 2006 06:29:26 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-2604 I've seen good arguments that free market competition in health care require the free flow of information on pricing; but the health care system is deliberately set up to restrict the flow of such information. Likewise, the internal structure of the corporation is set up to prevent the free flow of information necessary for an efficient labor market. The commenter who said "employees would demand too much," unfortunately, is channelling the same values that led to the situation. As for those who said that "life isn't fair" and the like, maybe not. But anyone at the bottom who finds himself apologizing for the injustices committed by those at the top, should do some reading on Adorno's F-Scale and the authoritarian personality. Or on a less abstruse level, get his nose out of the bosses' posteriors--they're plenty good at looking out for their own interests without some apple-polisher lamenting that "them pore ole bosses need all the help they can get." I’ve seen good arguments that free market competition in health care require the free flow of information on pricing; but the health care system is deliberately set up to restrict the flow of such information. Likewise, the internal structure of the corporation is set up to prevent the free flow of information necessary for an efficient labor market. The commenter who said “employees would demand too much,” unfortunately, is channelling the same values that led to the situation.

As for those who said that “life isn’t fair” and the like, maybe not. But anyone at the bottom who finds himself apologizing for the injustices committed by those at the top, should do some reading on Adorno’s F-Scale and the authoritarian personality. Or on a less abstruse level, get his nose out of the bosses’ posteriors–they’re plenty good at looking out for their own interests without some apple-polisher lamenting that “them pore ole bosses need all the help they can get.”

]]> By: PJ http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-2587 PJ Thu, 17 Aug 2006 00:39:35 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-2587 >Employees hired during a drought >What do you do if there’s a sudden drought of qualified employees in the job market and you need to hire employees at signifcantly higher wages than existing similar employees? You give existing similar employees a raise before they decide to go looking elsewhere to get more pay. >Employees hired during a drought
>What do you do if there’s a sudden drought of qualified employees in the job market and you need to hire employees at signifcantly higher wages than existing similar employees?

You give existing similar employees a raise before they decide to go looking elsewhere to get more pay.

]]> By: Alexander Kjerulf http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/comment-page-1/#comment-2580 Alexander Kjerulf Wed, 16 Aug 2006 20:33:54 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/the-case-against-open-salaries/#comment-2580 Yes! Alfie Kohn's great work on why salaries don't motivate people made him give companies this advice: Pay people as fairly as possible then do everything in your power to de-emphasize salaries. I actually think that open salaries over time serve this purpose. They certainly did for us and though they were open in our company, they were still only renegotiated once a year. And there's always the middle ground suggested by one commenter on the original post: If an employee has a suspicion that he's not being paid fairly, he can go to the CEO and request to know what others are getting and argue his case. Yes! Alfie Kohn’s great work on why salaries don’t motivate people made him give companies this advice:
Pay people as fairly as possible then do everything in your power to de-emphasize salaries.

I actually think that open salaries over time serve this purpose. They certainly did for us and though they were open in our company, they were still only renegotiated once a year.

And there’s always the middle ground suggested by one commenter on the original post: If an employee has a suspicion that he’s not being paid fairly, he can go to the CEO and request to know what others are getting and argue his case.

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