It can be hard to know all your rights as an employee and whether or not your employer is infringing them. There are many things that employees should know about their protections in the workforce and it can be hard to know what is and isn’t allowed.
One area that used to be taboo to bring up between coworkers is pay. Fortunately, it’s much more common today for employees to bring up their paycheck, but is it legal for your employer to stop you from talking about their wages?
Your right to speak
Thanks to the National Labor Relations Act, employees have a right to discuss the conditions of their work situation. Even if your employer has a company policy that restricts these conversations, the policy does not take precedence over the law.
Employers will often try and convince you not to talk about wages without specifically ordering you not to, as a way to get around the law. They may try and convince you that it is in everyone’s best interest to avoid discussing wages, but this is rarely the case. If your employer does not want you to talk about your pay, there is a good chance it is because they are not paying everyone the same amount.
What can you do?
If your employer prevents you from talking about your pay or other factors of your employment, such as how much time off you have, it violates your rights as an employee. You can combat these violations by contacting a skilled employment law attorney.
With the guidance of an experienced lawyer, you can hold your employer accountable for violating your rights by filing a claim against them. If you suspect that your employer is infringing your employee rights, consult with an attorney right away to confirm what you can do to stop them.