Just 35% of UK staff know what their colleagues earn, but 42% feel comfortable enough to share details of their salaries, according to research by recruitment firm Glassdoor.
Its survey of 1,068 UK adults also found that 60% think organisations should make such information more transparent, and 52% believe it would create more trust between employers and staff.
The research also found:
- 51% of respondents would share their salary with colleagues anonymously.
- Almost a quarter (22%) of respondents said they find out colleagues’ earnings through office gossip, 5% said it was because someone has left sensitive information lying around, and 4% claim they found out through a member of their HR department.
- Almost half (48%) of respondents think creating more transparency around pay in the workplace would force employers to create a more level playing field when it comes to setting earning ranges, and 45% believe it would help to even out the gender pay gap.
Jon Ingham, career and workplace expert at Glassdoor, said: “People don’t generally like talking about how much they earn directly with friends, colleagues or even partners, but there is a growing appetite for more salary transparency in the workplace.
“As well as forcing employers to create a more level playing field, it could help break down the gender pay divide.”
