According to a new survey by Indeed, the Brits are too polite when it comes to discussing their salaries. It seems a bit rude…
I was unaware that you were drinking tea. I apologize for my ignorance. Perhaps another time …”
According to new data, the British are too polite to discuss salary. Dear reader, I hope this revelation does not shock you. Please sit comfortably and don’t be shocked if this is the case. If I’m being honest, I find this whole topic terribly uncomfortable. If you don’t mind, I will continue for a little while.
Data shows that despite the UK leading Europe in salary disclosure, with 71% job ads including pay information, we only discuss our salaries amongst colleagues, and only 16% would do so with close friends.
According to Indeed, the survey of 7,000 European workers highlights a cultural gap between professional openness (or social comfort) and professional closeness.
Nearly half of all workers and job seekers believe that salary ranges are a topic they should not discuss.
The poll found that younger workers are more likely to ask colleagues about their salaries. Only 7% of respondents said they were uncomfortable doing so, as opposed to 36% among those over 55.
Of course, there were regional differences. We are all aware that people in different parts of Britain can be more direct than others.
Belfast residents are the least willing to talk about salaries. Well over a third of them (37%) refuse to ask other people their salary, and only 16% will tell.
Bristol, Norwich and Glasgow were the next cities to be very discrete and polite about salaries. Someone in the PT office said “oh pur-leese!” at this point. When we turned around to face her, all she said was “please.”
The workers in Leeds and Sheffield, on the other hand, were the least guarded when it came to salaries. Tut-tut.
Only 58% of respondents said they felt comfortable discussing their salary with their partners.
Danny Stacy is the head of Talent Intelligence for Indeed. He took a deep breath, adjusted his tie, and bravely overcame British stiff upper lips to boldly express an opinion on all of this. He said, “Reluctance about openly discussing pay can have real world consequences.” By avoiding salary discussions, individuals are less able to negotiate fair wages, benchmark their earnings and know their value in the workplace. Salary discussions aren’t just for curiosity. They’re also a vital step in achieving pay equity and a fairer workplace.
Our research shows that social norms still make salary discussions difficult. Although the UK is leading Europe in transparency of pay in job ads, a reluctance to discuss earnings with colleagues and friends could hinder progress towards workplace pay equality.
We murmured “Quite so, quite well,” in the Personnel Today offices, hoping desperately that nobody would take these revelations seriously and ask rudely about someone’s income.
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