Comstock's magazine 1119 - November 2019 | Page 27

Armed with this information, it’s time to talk with your boss. Here’s an opening statement I find quite helpful. “John told me he’s earning $78,000 a year, and I’m earning $73,000. We have the same title and responsibilities, and I’ve been here longer. How do I get my salary up to the same level?” Here’s why I like this method. • There’s no mystery about how you learned the information. • You point out the relevant facts. • You use a “we” statement. This helps your manager feel like you’re on the same team. This is a problem that “we” can solve. There are some pitfalls to this meth- od. If your boss doesn’t know it’s illegal to prohibit salary discussions, she might get mad at John. (She may know and still get mad — some people are jerks.) John may not be pleased that you vi- olated his privacy by talking about this. It’s absolutely your right to talk, and you should use the information unless John said, “I’ll tell you my salary if you promise to never use this information in any way, shape or form.” But even if you didn’t have that discussion, it’s polite to give John a head’s up; remind him fed- eral and state laws protect him too. This method does not guarantee a raise and an apology. You may find out there is an excellent reason for the salary discrepancy. John could have a master’s degree to your bachelor’s degree. John could have more experience (albeit, gained at another organization). John could be a star performer. Those things are fine, although depressing. It’s not OK if it’s because John is male and you’re female, or because John is 30, and you’re 52. Your manager isn’t likely to say that directly, but if you feel that could be a factor, you can add that: “Be- cause I’ve been here longer, and we have similar backgrounds and responsibili- ties, it looks like gender is the main dif- ference. We really need to get this fixed.” Yes, that is a subtle threat, but it gives your boss a way to, again, act like you’re on the same team. As long as you are nonmanagement employees, the National Labor Relations Act protects your right to discuss working conditions with your coworkers, and that includes salaries. Regardless of the result of the con- versation, document it in an email and send it to your boss confirming that you had this discussion. Copy your home email address so that you have a dated record that this discussion took place. In a perfect world, you would walk out of this discussion with a raise. (Of course, in an ideal world, you would have very similar salaries.) In the real world, your boss probably won’t get it fixed until the next salary increase cycle. And if it doesn’t happen by then, it’s time to either escalate the issue or find a new job. Salary discrepancies happen, and some are just bad luck, especially if one of you is an internal transfer. They aren’t all sinister. So be positive, ask for a raise, and good luck! n Suzanne Lucas spent 10 years in corporate human resources, where she hired, fired, managed the numbers and double- checked with the lawyers. On Twitter @RealEvilHRLady. Send questions to [email protected]. Do you and your coworkers discuss your salaries? TWEET US @COMSTOCKSMAG November 2019 | comstocksmag.com 27