Pay secrecy was the perfect cover. It allowed gaps to hide in plain sight and kept everyone guessing whether they were the office discount special while someone else was on the premium pay plan.
If you didn’t know, that cover is gone. You can talk about your pay. You can ask others. And no, you won’t get into trouble for it. But here’s the key part: you also don’t have to. Sharing is your choice.
This doesn’t mean pay gaps magically disappear overnight, but it does mean they’re suddenly a whole lot harder to defend.
Because let’s be honest, gaps rarely exist without excuses. The classics?
- “He’s been here longer”
- “She’s part time”
- “He brings energy to the team”
- “We had to pay more to get them on board.”
The problem is, none of those sound convincing when people start comparing notes. Transparency demands logic: skills, performance, responsibility. Not recycled lines delivered with a straight face.
Is it awkward to ask a colleague what they earn? Absolutely. Is it worse to discover years later that you were quietly underpaid? Without a doubt.
So no, talking about pay won’t eliminate every gap but it shines a light where those gaps like to hide. And transparency gives employees confidence while giving employers credibility.
Silence never fixed a pay gap. Talking about it is the first step…