How Salary Transparency Can Help You (and Your Workplace)

How much money do you make?…

Did that question make you nervous? Uncomfortable? Or, maybe, excited? Historically speaking, talking about your salary (especially at work) was off limits. But things are changing — “salary transparency” is becoming the new norm, and for good reason. When people are aware of how much those around them make, everyone gets paid more fairly, which makes workplaces more equitable. But what does salary transparency actually look like in the workplace? How do you broach the subject with your coworkers, boss, friends, and even strangers?

Ascend editor Kelsey Alpaio talks with David Burkus, an organizational psychologist, to learn more about the pros and cons of salary transparency, how it can play out at the company level, and how to make it work for you. She also speaks with Hannah Williams, a content creator who makes a living off of asking strangers how much money they make, and Carolyn Kopprasch, the Chief of Staff at Buffer, a company who is practicing “radical transparency” by listing all of their employees’ salaries online.

Produced by Andy Robinson, Kelsey Alpaio

Video by Andy Robinson, Elena Lake, Elainy Mata

Editing by Andy Robinson

Animation and Design by Alex Belser and Karen Player