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I read somewhere there are some companies that have all employee's salary information publicly available.
It's had interesting results. People who are in higher paid positions seem to work harder to validate their compensation, etc
Anyway - the whole income salary thing is really only taboo here in US/Canada - go to other countries in the world and they honestly are pretty open about it.
Personally, I don't care. If you're 24 and you make $80k, it might bother me, but then that 24 year old might also live in San Francisco where the compensation is adjusted for the Cost of Living.
Beyond that, everyone's situation and story is different. My best friend had to swallow a tough pill that he graduated college and got a job in his field that he majored in, versus I'm a drop out, and make more money than him in a similarly related field.
Culturally speaking, people are validated/judged on their place in society based on their income here, as a result, that's why people consider it taboo.
Why do you need to know what other people make?
It really is none of your business.
They are probably shocked that you think it IS your business.
This..........being in sales in So Cal yeah people obsess about money.........these days I am content to make a comfortable life without being so stressed out from working to make the money that I can't even enjoy.
If it's a trusted friend I work with maybe, but a lot of people want to know a lot about others because they are insecure and need to compare/compete to stroke their bruised ego.
I actually don't want to know what my colleagues make. I once found a file on our company's shared drive at a past job that the HR baffoon had mistakenly stored there that contained everyone's salary in the company. While I was one of the highest I was still angered when I found out that a gal who had just been hired at a non-managerial position (I was a manager) had a higher salary than me.
It's no good for anyone other than sheer curiosity.
I'd counter argue that if those salaries were available publicly, or internally, I would harbor a bet that said gal would not have had such a high salary.
I read somewhere there are some companies that have all employee's salary information publicly available.
It's had interesting results. People who are in higher paid positions seem to work harder to validate their compensation, etc
Anyway - the whole income salary thing is really only taboo here in US/Canada - go to other countries in the world and they honestly are pretty open about it.
Personally, I don't care. If you're 24 and you make $80k, it might bother me, but then that 24 year old might also live in San Francisco where the compensation is adjusted for the Cost of Living.
Beyond that, everyone's situation and story is different. My best friend had to swallow a tough pill that he graduated college and got a job in his field that he majored in, versus I'm a drop out, and make more money than him in a similarly related field.
Culturally speaking, people are validated/judged on their place in society based on their income here, as a result, that's why people consider it taboo.
Totally agree. It took me a while to get my head around the many things that are secret and considered rude here. In many other countries, knowing how much your friends make is very common and not seen as rude when it comes up in conversations. Often its like, X says they make $100/yr in company y and friend z says. "wow.. but you are so and so expert, I make $150/yr and i dont have same experience, why dont you apply to my company or these companies because they seem to pay more. Another thing that was weird to me was how even close friends are not given your account # here in the US. For instance, in the UK, it was pretty common to give your account details to a friend who is try to pay back some money and they just transfer it into your account.
Internally within a company and even amongst strangers on an Internet Forum, the main reason is because it creates strife.
People who don't deserve to make more ... make more, in some cases a lot more.
A lot of people do care what you make. Have you ever been on Match.com?
But anyway, you're right. I really don't care as much anymore. I used to get really upset when these kids used to post, "I'm 24 years old and I ONLY make $80,000 a year."
But whatever, money means nothing as long as you have enough for to live your life. And I don't make a lot, but I do.
Honestly, I probably don't even care if somebody in my company's same division who is steps lower than me makes more than me anymore. Happiness and a fulfilling life is not based on salary.
Yep, same here...I have techs making $14 an hour and grumping about it (And other things) and I sit, do my simple job (At a min wage) and smile knowing I have a tuna fish sandwich waiting for me when off work...Not more frustrations...
For the same reason that men have been wearing loincloths since the beginning of time. Some folks got a little more than others, and we all get along better when it's not always clear exactly who has more than who.
Because the more a substance or material has the power to dictate how people live their lives, the less people want to discuss the amounts they have in the company of people they don't strongly trust.
For those people do trust, they are also unlikely to want to discuss such things to avert creating potential issues of mistrust, and or to cause imbalance to the relationships.
Essentially, it is because many people are super stuffy about how much of their life they are wasting on a job they don't really like and or just tolerate in relation to the bucks they get for it. Not trying to say that to be bleak, but because I remember a survey says like 70% of people strongly dislike their job in America. Prior to this, I think it's just because of the above and or because religious sensibilities passed on from generation have made it taboo. American's also like to be very secretive as a rule.
Because the more a substance or material has the power to dictate how people live their lives, the less people want to discuss the amounts they have in the company of people they don't strongly trust.
For those people do trust, they are also unlikely to want to discuss such things to avert creating potential issues of mistrust, and or to cause imbalance to the relationships.
Essentially, it is because many people are super stuffy about how much of their life they are wasting on a job they don't really like and or just tolerate in relation to the bucks they get for it. Not trying to say that to be bleak, but because I remember a survey says like 70% of people strongly dislike their job in America.
It's true. In terms of not only liking their job, but meaningful work too. People tie money to success in life.
If a guy becomes a lawyer who defends drilling companies but makes $150,000 a year and hates his job, Billy is successful.
If Billy teaches in the South Bronx or a poor part of New Orleans as a middle school teacher making $55,000 a year after 8 years, nobody would consider him successful.
If Billy is a tattoo artist who absolutely loves his work, but only makes 30K a year at age 42, not only is he not successful, he's a downright total loser.
Strange, strange society we live in. I tell you...
Successful by definition = having/achieving the desired results and/or having/achieving wealth, fame, respect, etc. whatever each person defined for him/herself.
Like it or not, money/wealth is one measurable aspect of success for many (but not all). I'm not sure what is strange about that ... it's been that way for ages.
Successful by definition = having/achieving the desired results and/or having/achieving wealth, fame, respect, etc. whatever each person defined for him/herself.
Like it or not, money/wealth is one measurable aspect of success for many (but not all). I'm not sure what is strange about that ... it's been that way for ages.
Those are the by-products of success. Success, at least in my humble opinion, is achieving what you set out to achieve. I set a goal and I achieved it, therefore by the very definition I succeeded. There are also lots of historical examples of successful people who never became financially wealthy.
Believe it or not, there are people who are successful at their craft who actually don't appreciate the fame and publicity that is associated with it. Then there are those who worship that aspect of success (i.e. the Kardashians, Hiltons, etc.).
Furthermore, the people in my life who seem to be most infatuated with significant financial gains are usually the least successful and most insecure. It's like on Facebook, all those "optimism" and motivational quotes ironically coming from the person who is in the worst position, relatively speaking.
Last edited by SQL; 06-16-2016 at 02:37 PM..
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