Real Life Example of How Pay Transparency Helps

A recent tweet is going viral telling the tale of an employee who saw that her company was hiring a UX writer—the same job that she was doing for the company. Because of pay transparency laws, the employer was required to post the salary range in the new job posting. The employee saw it and learned that her current company intended to pay the new potential hire between $32,000 and $90,000 more than what she was currently making. In what we believe was a very creative and strong move, she applied for that role seeking more money!

While it isn’t clear if she intended to really take the new job or simply make a statement, there is no
doubt that a statement was made—not only to her employer about the clear disparity in pay, but also to employees and job-seekers who hear this tale. Pay transparency helps. It allows you to know what is being offered and given to employees in similar roles so that you can not only better negotiate and advocate for yourself, but you can also decide if it is worth staying at an employer who is not valuing your contribution appropriately in monetary terms.

Here’s to more stories showing the benefits of pay transparency!