Discussing salary still an office taboo

When it comes to discussing salaries, most employees still follow the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, according to a new global study.

Discussing salary is still an office taboo and a majority of workers globally admit they are not only uncomfortable discussing their salary, but also talking about vacation, sick time and bonuses with their co-workers, the study found.

The research was based on the responses of 3,000 people on an employment website.

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Overall, 35 per cent of workers said that they are never comfortable talking about salary with co-workers.

An additional 20 per cent of workers said they are seldom comfortable talking with fellow employees about their pay.

Only 18 per cent of workers said they are very comfortable talking about salary, while 14 per cent said they are often comfortable when discussing salary, BusinessNewsDaily reported.

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Workers in North America were most uncomfortable when discussing what they earn.

Overall, 63 per cent of workers in the US and 61 per cent of workers in Canada said they are not comfortable talking about salary.

However, workers in Europe were much more comfortable when talking about what they earn.

Forty-nine per cent of workers in the UK said they are comfortable talking about their salary, the study by Monster.com said.

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German workers were the most comfortable workers when talking about salary, with 64 per cent of workers in Germany saying they are comfortable discussing their pay.

"Pay transparency is a hot topic, especially among startups. But it's clear that many workers are just as uncomfortable with the notion as their bosses are," said Mary Ellen Slayter, career advice expert for Monster.com.

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