I really like this article, though don't necessarily agree with all its points. I think that talking about salary is a good way to learn about money management and to learn more about others and their situations. The article mentions how Henry Ford used to discuss his employees salaries to let people know that his company pays above market rates. This lets people make more informed decisions about what jobs to take when they know the industry standards. By paying people what they're worth, companies can create happier and more loyal employees, which in turn increases productivity and strengthens the middle class.
In Virginia, all state staff and faculty job salaries are available for anyone to view. I think this has both pros and cons. The biggest con to me of having this information available is it shows the disparity between job titles among staff. Since state jobs do not give raises very often at all, it can be discouraging to see a new hire making the same as someone in a similar position who has been there for five years. This happens because while state employees tend to not get raises, new jobs have to follow inflation-protected hiring ranges. So the hiring range increases each year, without similar current employees getting raises (according to a past supervisor).
All of this leads back to my belief that people should talk about money more often. I think the topic is a little too taboo. Since personal finance is a big hobby of mine, I want to talk about it with people, but I don't know how to broach the topic since so many people seem to shy away from the conversation. While I don't necessarily want to discuss my salary with people, I would love to get the conversation started about budgeting, saving, and investing. These are such fun things to me that I'd really like to share this passion with others, but always feel that I can't bring the topic up.
I know no one reads this blog right now, but maybe one day these questions will be answered. What do you think about discussing financial matters? Do you think it helps build community or do you think it breeds more contempt?
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