Advice on Discussing Salary Inequity After Leaving My Job
January 11, 2023 12:56 PM Subscribe
I am leaving my job at a non-profit where there is a lot of resentment about a rather opaque set of perceived salary inequities. Due to my position at the organization, I have both (1) knowledge of all salaries and (2) ongoing relationships with several staff. I'm looking for advice on navigating this.
People know there are disparities in salary, but they don't know the specific numbers or extent. Management salaries are raised somewhat inconsistently without grounding in a set pay scale. Basically here are the details:
1. I am not an HR staff person but because of my role, I know all of the salaries.
2. The white director has dramatically increased her own salary while dramatically reducing the salary of the lowest-earning position for new employees. (She makes 70% more than the next-highest paid employee, for what it's worth.)
3. A favored white manager with tenure at the organization but comparatively minimal work experience overall has recently had her salary raised substantially. She also moved halfway across the country, an arrangement that is explicitly not available to anyone else at the organization despite her job title being the same as three other managers. She is the highest-paid staff member by about $10,000.
4. A few Black and Latinx managers with somewhat less tenure at the organization but many years more of work experience and several more direct reports make less than the person mention in #3. Their jobs are more central to core work of the organization, compared to person #3 above.
5. People know there are substantial pay differentials here, but they don't know how much. It is a set of details that has caused a lot of concern among managers, but also among non-management staff. (Almost all staff are Black and Latinx except the director, the favored manager, and me.) For reasons both personal and organizational, no one has discussed their feelings with the director, other than me.
Obviously the salary decisions are the director's decisions to make, and obviously at the same time the inequity concerns are meaningful. (I find the situation totally distressing--it's a big part of why I'm leaving--and will again communicate this to my boss before I leave.) My question is not so much about the justice or injustice of that staffing arrangement but rather about how I should manage future communication with staff, who will essentially just be friends or former mentees at that point. I feel confident they will start asking about salary comparisons at some point.
I guess my basic question is this: The salary information is just . . . in my head; is there any reason why I shouldn't share it with people who ask about it? My general view is that all salaries should be a matter of public record, and that people who are on the short end of what they perceive an income inequity should have as much info as possible about it, so that's where I'm coming from. I am curious how others would approach it, though.
Assume I'm only a little bit concerned about angering my old boss, after I've left.
People know there are disparities in salary, but they don't know the specific numbers or extent. Management salaries are raised somewhat inconsistently without grounding in a set pay scale. Basically here are the details:
1. I am not an HR staff person but because of my role, I know all of the salaries.
2. The white director has dramatically increased her own salary while dramatically reducing the salary of the lowest-earning position for new employees. (She makes 70% more than the next-highest paid employee, for what it's worth.)
3. A favored white manager with tenure at the organization but comparatively minimal work experience overall has recently had her salary raised substantially. She also moved halfway across the country, an arrangement that is explicitly not available to anyone else at the organization despite her job title being the same as three other managers. She is the highest-paid staff member by about $10,000.
4. A few Black and Latinx managers with somewhat less tenure at the organization but many years more of work experience and several more direct reports make less than the person mention in #3. Their jobs are more central to core work of the organization, compared to person #3 above.
5. People know there are substantial pay differentials here, but they don't know how much. It is a set of details that has caused a lot of concern among managers, but also among non-management staff. (Almost all staff are Black and Latinx except the director, the favored manager, and me.) For reasons both personal and organizational, no one has discussed their feelings with the director, other than me.
Obviously the salary decisions are the director's decisions to make, and obviously at the same time the inequity concerns are meaningful. (I find the situation totally distressing--it's a big part of why I'm leaving--and will again communicate this to my boss before I leave.) My question is not so much about the justice or injustice of that staffing arrangement but rather about how I should manage future communication with staff, who will essentially just be friends or former mentees at that point. I feel confident they will start asking about salary comparisons at some point.
I guess my basic question is this: The salary information is just . . . in my head; is there any reason why I shouldn't share it with people who ask about it? My general view is that all salaries should be a matter of public record, and that people who are on the short end of what they perceive an income inequity should have as much info as possible about it, so that's where I'm coming from. I am curious how others would approach it, though.
Assume I'm only a little bit concerned about angering my old boss, after I've left.
If you want to help the situation, make sure there is some kind of positive outcome possible if you give people this ammunition. Can they reasonably hope to replace the director? Is there some backing on the board -- or could it be created -- to make a fairer pay scheme, or a more objective way to decide on salaries? Bring in a consultant?
Who needs to have this information for it to have the most impact?
And: can you get the information out to the right people in a way that protects you enough?
posted by amtho at 1:13 PM on January 11, 2023
Who needs to have this information for it to have the most impact?
And: can you get the information out to the right people in a way that protects you enough?
posted by amtho at 1:13 PM on January 11, 2023
It sounds like you're considering just telling everyone all the information and letting the chips fall where they may. I don't think that's the best way to proceed, if you want a positive outcome.
Do you know any of the members of the board of this non-profit? Could you speak with one or two of them about your concerns? It could be under the purview of the board to put a compensation policy in place that would address these problems without blowing everything up. The board could also decide, by policy, to have all salaries public. (The salary of the highest paid employee(s) are already published in the non-profits 990.)
There may be ways to use your knowledge to create the change you want without causing a lot of collateral damage, to the current employees, the organization, and yourself.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 1:13 PM on January 11, 2023 [8 favorites]
Do you know any of the members of the board of this non-profit? Could you speak with one or two of them about your concerns? It could be under the purview of the board to put a compensation policy in place that would address these problems without blowing everything up. The board could also decide, by policy, to have all salaries public. (The salary of the highest paid employee(s) are already published in the non-profits 990.)
There may be ways to use your knowledge to create the change you want without causing a lot of collateral damage, to the current employees, the organization, and yourself.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 1:13 PM on January 11, 2023 [8 favorites]
Response by poster: equipoise, I thought 990s only had exec figures, that's helpful. I actually haven't signed a confidentiality agreement of any kind! We're just a small non-profit without thorough human resources procedures.
posted by kensington314 at 1:14 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by kensington314 at 1:14 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Winnie the Proust, thanks for that. The Board is very much a disconnected entity that has lost membership recently and defers to the director without interest in the day-to-day of the organization. There is one person I have thought about talking to, but I have assumed that this would be the most exposed way to proceed--he'll just tell her that I brought this concern and info to him. But maybe this is the best path anyway?
posted by kensington314 at 1:16 PM on January 11, 2023
posted by kensington314 at 1:16 PM on January 11, 2023
Yes, I think the board should know about your concerns. You probably don't need to go into details, and make clear that you won't share details that aren't publicly available (or, if you do have some sort of NDA, that you won't share details that would be contrary to that document), but telling a board member who you know and have some relationship with that you're concerned about salary inequity in the organization, and that it's part of the reason you're leaving, seems very appropriate to me.
But yeah, if you do have some sort of NDA, I'd look at that VERY carefully before doing anything.
posted by nosila at 1:33 PM on January 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
But yeah, if you do have some sort of NDA, I'd look at that VERY carefully before doing anything.
posted by nosila at 1:33 PM on January 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'd suggest asking for an exit interview with the board member, and raising your concerns there. As long as any info you pass on is already available to the board and/or the public, and you are not violating any specific confidentiality agreement or NDA, you should be okay. If this is part of the reason you're leaving, it's relevant information to them.
However, you do need to be prepared for the fact that whatever you share will definitely get back to the ED, if not now, as part of any general discussion on staff retention etc.. As long as you are professional and are acting in good faith, she should take it in stride. I'd be extra-careful about mentioning specific co-workers, though, and instead focus on different levels of position etc.. You never know when you might need a reference from this organization, so it's worth managing this closely.
posted by rpfields at 1:53 PM on January 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
However, you do need to be prepared for the fact that whatever you share will definitely get back to the ED, if not now, as part of any general discussion on staff retention etc.. As long as you are professional and are acting in good faith, she should take it in stride. I'd be extra-careful about mentioning specific co-workers, though, and instead focus on different levels of position etc.. You never know when you might need a reference from this organization, so it's worth managing this closely.
posted by rpfields at 1:53 PM on January 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Salaries should be public record, in my opinion, but they are not (except insofar as they're required to be disclosed on a Form 990, as discussed above). You should be very careful that in your desire to prod the organization towards equity you don't end up violating the privacy of less senior people who may think keeping their salary to themselves is more important than a theoretical push towards improving it. Frankly, if not set in the context of some kind of formalized effort to improve equity, you telling your friends about other people's (non-990-disclosed) salaries may well be taken as gossiping about them rather than anything positive.
My org is currently in the process of a pay overhaul designed to minimize, if not eliminate, these kinds of disparities. It's almost certainly bigger than yours, but it's still taken well over a year and will probably take another several months before the new comp packages are in place. It's a worthwhile endeavor, but a difficult one.
posted by praemunire at 2:04 PM on January 11, 2023 [7 favorites]
My org is currently in the process of a pay overhaul designed to minimize, if not eliminate, these kinds of disparities. It's almost certainly bigger than yours, but it's still taken well over a year and will probably take another several months before the new comp packages are in place. It's a worthwhile endeavor, but a difficult one.
posted by praemunire at 2:04 PM on January 11, 2023 [7 favorites]
990 is only exec figures
posted by sandmanwv at 2:30 PM on January 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by sandmanwv at 2:30 PM on January 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
You should be very careful that in your desire to prod the organization towards equity you don't end up violating the privacy of less senior people who may think keeping their salary to themselves is more important than a theoretical push towards improving it
I agree with praemunire. I would not tell someone what another colleague earns without their explicit consent. Just because you know does not mean the info is yours to share freely without consent.
I think your intention of promoting pay equality is laudable but nevertheless the info is private. And, as mentioned above, it is ammunition, in the sense of potential for strive among colleagues rather than improvement.
Even assuming you have every person's consent, i am sceptical what can be achieved by sharing it after leaving. Are all the people with low salaries interested in a collective action? I work at a non-profit and know all salaries, and am friends with many of my colleagues, and know some would be extremly upset if i shared their salary with anyone.
I think the best strategy is the suggestion above to request an exit interview with a board member, or writing to the board perhaps better, to create a record.
posted by 15L06 at 2:49 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
I agree with praemunire. I would not tell someone what another colleague earns without their explicit consent. Just because you know does not mean the info is yours to share freely without consent.
I think your intention of promoting pay equality is laudable but nevertheless the info is private. And, as mentioned above, it is ammunition, in the sense of potential for strive among colleagues rather than improvement.
Even assuming you have every person's consent, i am sceptical what can be achieved by sharing it after leaving. Are all the people with low salaries interested in a collective action? I work at a non-profit and know all salaries, and am friends with many of my colleagues, and know some would be extremly upset if i shared their salary with anyone.
I think the best strategy is the suggestion above to request an exit interview with a board member, or writing to the board perhaps better, to create a record.
posted by 15L06 at 2:49 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
(If you want to improve conditions at this org for all, by the way, probably the best thing to do would be to encourage and support the non-management employees to form a union. I know that my org's pay overhaul process, and its legitimacy, has been largely a result of union efforts, and people tend to feel more comfortable with salary information being restricted to, e.g., a union negotiating committee rather than spread far and wide.)
posted by praemunire at 2:58 PM on January 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 2:58 PM on January 11, 2023 [4 favorites]
I don't want to be the only one to say this, but: you're out of there. You don't work there anymore. It's not your problem or your territory. Don't try to stay involved, don't reach back to stir things up. You're out, be happy and stay out.
There are two rules I was told by a co-worker on the verge of retirement, years back: when you quit, no matter what they offer, leave; and when you're gone, be gone.
I've broken both rules. The best case is people think you're an idiot, and the other is word gets around that you're a troublemaker who thinks they can run things.
You don't know what your desired outcome is, what could possibly be accomplished, and what's really going to happen, but chances are it won't be good.
I wouldn't do this.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 3:03 PM on January 11, 2023 [15 favorites]
There are two rules I was told by a co-worker on the verge of retirement, years back: when you quit, no matter what they offer, leave; and when you're gone, be gone.
I've broken both rules. The best case is people think you're an idiot, and the other is word gets around that you're a troublemaker who thinks they can run things.
You don't know what your desired outcome is, what could possibly be accomplished, and what's really going to happen, but chances are it won't be good.
I wouldn't do this.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 3:03 PM on January 11, 2023 [15 favorites]
Personally, I was very interested to hear when I was being underpaid compared to a male colleague doing essentially the same job*. It let me know how much I was truly valued by the organization (which, apparently was "not very"), and led me to quitting. I wasn't friends with the employee who told me (as she was leaving for similar reasons), but I do appreciate her honesty (even if she did it in order to torpedo or upset me, which is a possibility).
*We held the same title and the same type of duties but I was doing it for the flagship, profitable division and he was doing it for the smaller, money-losing division.
I say fire in the hole and let the chips fall where they may.
posted by sardonyx at 4:57 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
*We held the same title and the same type of duties but I was doing it for the flagship, profitable division and he was doing it for the smaller, money-losing division.
I say fire in the hole and let the chips fall where they may.
posted by sardonyx at 4:57 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
My only regret in hearing the news was that it wasn't delivered two weeks earlier, as I had turned down a potentially career-changing opportunity for a new job because I felt I owed my organization "loyalty." As if!
posted by sardonyx at 5:21 PM on January 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by sardonyx at 5:21 PM on January 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: A relevant detail, I suppose, is that all non-management positions are governed by a union contract and so everyone knows all those salaries. It is on management where one charmed person essentially got leave the state, get what seems to be heavily scaled back day-to-day responsibilities, and a raise. Which is the subject of considerable gossip, chatter, and resentment across the staff, which makes sense to me. It's been a morale killer and the feeling that there is a racial pay inequity here seems justified.
It's not my style or intention to be a bomb-thrower, but it is my style to keep contact with and be friendly with people I used to work with, and so I do think this will come up from time-to-time, and people know that I know all the staffing details of the org. I could say, "It's not my business to discuss everyone's salaries" and leave it there! But if folks are chafing against a DEI problem, there's a big old part of me that feels like I should not sit on info I have.
posted by kensington314 at 5:39 PM on January 11, 2023
It's not my style or intention to be a bomb-thrower, but it is my style to keep contact with and be friendly with people I used to work with, and so I do think this will come up from time-to-time, and people know that I know all the staffing details of the org. I could say, "It's not my business to discuss everyone's salaries" and leave it there! But if folks are chafing against a DEI problem, there's a big old part of me that feels like I should not sit on info I have.
posted by kensington314 at 5:39 PM on January 11, 2023
I believe strongly in salary bands that are published so people can see the range and understand where they are, especially when it's tied to clear metrics.
If this is related to the non-union people (for union stuff, I would have an informal chat with the head of the union) take them out individually for a coffee and say listen, you are underpaid about X% what the range is for our organisation. Don't go into specific numbers or perks - you don't know personal situations like the one who got to move might have a sick relative she's caregiving for - but give them a head's up.
I got a significant pay bump because one person did this for me. I have had this underpaid conversation with two other people I had salary info on, and plan to continue to do so.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:16 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
If this is related to the non-union people (for union stuff, I would have an informal chat with the head of the union) take them out individually for a coffee and say listen, you are underpaid about X% what the range is for our organisation. Don't go into specific numbers or perks - you don't know personal situations like the one who got to move might have a sick relative she's caregiving for - but give them a head's up.
I got a significant pay bump because one person did this for me. I have had this underpaid conversation with two other people I had salary info on, and plan to continue to do so.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:16 PM on January 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Are you ever going to need a reference from anyone there? It's not the biggest concern here by any means but I'll throw it into the mix for consideration. If word gets back to the nonprofit that you left and immediately started sharing sensitive pay information you had access to in the course of your work, that's your reference blown for any future job where anyone has any concern about your ability to handle information appropriately.
More generally, I'd be more concerned in your shoes about giving people a heads up if everyone were oblivious - but it sounds like people are already well aware of the actual issue, if not the the specific numbers. In your place I think I'd focus on leaving a strong message on my way out the door for the board and any other relevant parties with power to change things. But after that in social situations I'd stick to some variant of "I agree, inequity is a long-standing issue there, I tried to fix it while I was there and again on my way out, I hope someone does fix it eventually." And I'd probably decline to get into the details beyond that. Certainly not the details of any one person's specific salary, accommodations, etc.
posted by Stacey at 6:20 PM on January 11, 2023 [7 favorites]
More generally, I'd be more concerned in your shoes about giving people a heads up if everyone were oblivious - but it sounds like people are already well aware of the actual issue, if not the the specific numbers. In your place I think I'd focus on leaving a strong message on my way out the door for the board and any other relevant parties with power to change things. But after that in social situations I'd stick to some variant of "I agree, inequity is a long-standing issue there, I tried to fix it while I was there and again on my way out, I hope someone does fix it eventually." And I'd probably decline to get into the details beyond that. Certainly not the details of any one person's specific salary, accommodations, etc.
posted by Stacey at 6:20 PM on January 11, 2023 [7 favorites]
There is nothing wrong with pointing people to publicly available information. They may not be aware it exists or not know how to find it.
Other than that, highlight your concerns about unequal pay and other benefits during exit interviews.
Beyond that, this is no longer your concern once you are a former employee.
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:04 PM on January 11, 2023
Other than that, highlight your concerns about unequal pay and other benefits during exit interviews.
Beyond that, this is no longer your concern once you are a former employee.
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:04 PM on January 11, 2023
Equity is more important than privacy, and moving toward equity often involves strife. Concerns about making people uncomfortable perpetuates inequalities.
I'd tell people who are being underpaid that they're being underpaid.
posted by Mavri at 3:32 PM on January 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'd tell people who are being underpaid that they're being underpaid.
posted by Mavri at 3:32 PM on January 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
You don't have the right to share private salary information. You don't know who it could inadvertently harm, including those you want to "help". You will be throwing this bomb and leaving. And leaving an underpaid, it sounds like primarily minority staff to deal with the consequences. Do not do this. Just note your concerns in broad terms in the exit interview and move on.
posted by fies at 6:12 PM on January 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by fies at 6:12 PM on January 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by equipoise at 1:12 PM on January 11, 2023 [21 favorites]