Can You Discuss Your Salary with Your Colleagues in South Africa?

The truth of the matter is yes, you can tell your colleagues your salary. However, discussing salary is somewhat a taboo and employees in South Africa would rather not rock the boat trying to find out if their salary matches with their fellow employees. In this article we will discuss the benefits of discussing your salary with your colleagues and the steps to take after finding out your salary is less than your co-worker in a South African company. What do you do when your company forbids salary discussion? Find out on the discussion.

Is It Legal to Discuss Your Salary in South Africa?

There is no law in South Africa preventing employees from talking about their salary amongst each other. Employees have the legal right to discuss their salary with other employees, their employer or any other person, a legal entitlement given to the employee by the Employment Equity Act(EEA). According to EEA if salary discussion contributes towards fair pay treatment and bringing unfairness to light then it is legally allowed.

There are some companies that discourage salary discussion in the name of a peaceful working environment. The internal policies may not be legally binding but it brings some sense of discomfort when you are not allowed to voice your opinions when it comes to your salary.

Why You Might Want to Discuss Salary with Colleagues

Discussing your salary with your coworkers and even your employer or being informed on pay scales  can help bring fairness in the workplace. Here is how discussing your salary with colleagues in South Africa can benefit you:

• Discussing your salary with your colleagues can open your eyes on whether you are being fairly paid the same as other people in the same role as you. This will help you on whether to reach out and file a complaint or move to other companies that may value your input.
• Being allowed to discuss salaries promotes transparency and helps fight gender and racial pay gaps. This also brings trust amongst employees and a more harmonious working environment.
• Salary discussion promotes financial awareness that gives you clarity on certain job market value in South Africa helping you make the right career decisions.

What to Do If You Discover a Pay Discrepancy

As much as we encourage salary discussions, finding out your fellow employee with a similar role as you gets paid more than you can be devastating. The best way to approach this is being calm and professional when addressing the issue. Here is a few tips:

• After finding out you are being paid less than others and you want to request for a raise then you better be prepared to come with physical evidence that you are an asset to the company when arguing your case. This includes evidence of your contributions, times where you went an extra mile to solve an issue, meeting deadlines and even doing more than is required of you. Mention projects you have been part of that turned out successful because of you and  the new clients you have brought in.
• Research your role’s market value in South Africa and learn more about the payscale in your industry to strengthen your reasoning when asking for a raise. Use online salary tools like Glassdoor where you will find out more about the average pay for the role you are in.
• Schedule a formal meeting with your manager and make sure you approach the matter in a professional manner. Before arguing your case, tell them how much you appreciate the opportunity given to work with them then calmly address the situation at hand followed by reasons why you believe your salary should be evaluated. Mention your valuable contributions to the company and emphasize the indifference between your salary and the market rate.
•  Avoid comparing yourself with other employees when arguing your case, just focus on your achievements and contributions to the company and your job market value. Make sure you articulate yourself calmly and professionally.

What If Your Company Discourages Salary Discussions?

If you have been reprimanded for discussing salary with your colleagues in South Africa then you should:

• Be informed and know your rights, as long as  a salary discussion is in connection to fair and equal pay then it is legal. As long as you abide by the EEA laws then you should stand your ground and fight for fair pay.
• If you have been reprimanded in any way after initiating the salary discussion issue, document all the actions taken and how they communicated. You might need to present this incase an issue arises.
• Talk to your HR or manager or super that you trust to seek advice on how to address the issue after being dismissed when you tried to discuss your salary. Hear them out and explain your main reason why you had to discuss this, they may act as the mediator. 
• If nothing changes after going through all these steps then consider getting help from the Department of Labor in South Africa to guide you through the right process.

The Benefits of Pay Transparency

A company that promotes pay transparency can create motivation amongst their employees and a harmonious work environment. Here are the benefits of pay transparency in South Africa companies:

• When employees feel valued and fairly paid, they bound to work successfully and enjoy what they are doing
• Pay  transparency in the company reduces discrimination amongst gender, race and other pay gaps creating a peaceful working environment
• When a company encourages open communication and transparency in salary discussion, trust and mutual respect comes naturally between employees and management.

In Conclusion

Employees are entitled to openly discuss their salaries with their colleagues and employers according to the EEA. Use this right to encourage fair payment and equity instead of doing it as a form of competition amongst other employees. If you discover that you are paid lower than employees in the same role, approach this in a calm and professional manner to address your concerns with reasons and proof of your contribution to the company. In cases where companies discourage employees from discussing their salary then consider talking to HR or your trusted supervisor to act as the mediator between you and the boss. Salary discussions may be a sensitive topic in South African companies but it is essential for fair pay and equity providing a transparent workplace for all employees.