Salary transparency creates Fairness, but unhappy

With the satisfaction of Heidi Secretly, it was to the end, as the wage statement of Peter Poser fell into the hands. He earned more than you have to! Now she could suffer the types even less. You found, you bar more than he, and suspected of discrimination on grounds of sex. They revolted so that they could not concentrate properly on their work. Their Motivation and work performance declined in the basement. She quit, and her Boss was happy about that.

although This example is fictional, but realistic. It shows what can happen when all of a sudden the transparency of Pay is made. In Switzerland you are allowed to talk about everything. About Sports, Politics, Religion. Even about Sex. But not about the wage.

This has consequences, for example, for the wage negotiation. This would be a game, so the wage would be taboo an invitation to Cheating. The company knows all the wages, I but only my own. If I don't know what the other earns, what can I request then? The entrepreneurs sitting here on the longer lever. It is not surprising that the organisations of the employer against the compensation of this asymmetry of information to hear.

employee representatives to require that the cards be laid on the table. Wage transparency is considered to be the need of the hour. But wage justice and job satisfaction really depend on the disclosure of the wages? Entrepreneurs and trade unionists to attach here, different theories, it is clear. However, in practice, the experiences diverge.

Although many euphoric reports about companies, in which, after disclosure of the Salaries of the productivity, the working environment and the employees had improved satisfaction to be found in the less critical media. Many of these reports originate in addition to daring Start-ups in the IT and technology sector. But what is there as a Burner, may elsewhere lead to overheated minds.

Unfortunately, the research has no clear answer, because the scientific publications on this issue seem to be rather the basic attitude of the respective research community to reproduce the results of rigorous studies. The remuneration of researcher Elena Belogolovsky says that under paid does not feel, who knows the reward of the other.

The behavioral economist Bruno S. Frey, however, refers to the human tendency to compare yourself always with other. Will now be introduced in a company, pay transparency, so focus is on the employees focused on want to earn more than the other. Then a scramble to the highest salary is emerging – with a negative impact on the happiness of those Affected feel. This impression can be resisted with a view to some typical Swiss industry.

the transparency of Pay has positive effects and negative. Probably you cancel. Can not say whether or not we should disclose the wages? However, out of ethical Considerations. Because of the suspicion of Heidi to be unfairly because of their gender paid, must be examined. If you get the same performance, a different wage than Peter Poser, this must be corrected.

of Course, the company may pay different wages. But you need to keep to the principle of Fairness: equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, origin or color of the socks. An economy, their remuneration system invites Cheating, makes the ditch between the economy and society deeper. Maybe pay transparency makes us a little unfortunate. But justice is more important than happiness.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 06.05.2019, 06:11 PM