Wage against the machine: why you should know what your boss and colleagues earn

You’re at after-work drinks one Friday evening when an inebriated colleague lets slip how much they earn. Some of your workmates’ cheeks flush with embarrassment for making so much more than the poor sod; others bite their tongues to suppress their rage at being so comparatively undervalued. Someone changes the topic.

It’s long been taboo for employees to discuss their salaries frankly. But in my view such discussions shouldn’t be awkward aberrations. We must normalise them.

The silent status quo serves our bosses nicely. It leaves unjustified discrepancies unquestioned — including gender and racial disparities — and leaves workers stabbing in the dark when asking for a raise with no benchmark for what’s possible.