Why Pay Transparency Matters More Than Ever
One of the most surprising things I learned while researching the income gap is how much of it continues because people simply do not know what their coworkers earn. Pay secrecy makes it almost impossible to spot unfair differences in salaries. Without open conversations and clear pay ranges, workers often assume they are being treated fairly, even when they are not. Once I understood how powerful transparency can be, it became a major focus of the #LevelThePayField campaign.
Pay transparency means sharing information about salary ranges, posting pay scales in job listings, and allowing employees to talk openly about what they earn. When this type of openness happens, gaps that were once hidden quickly become visible. The Society for Human Resource Management explains that companies that adopt pay transparency typically see improvements in employee trust and reductions in wage inequality. Their guide to transparency can be found at https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/all-things-work/pay-transparency-equity.
The United States Department of Labor also notes that employers cannot punish workers for discussing their pay with others. This is an important protection because many people still believe that talking about salaries is not allowed, even though federal law says otherwise. You can read more about these protections at https://beta.dol.gov/policy-governance/protections-rights/nondiscrimination/asking-about-discussing-or-disclosing-pay.
When salaries are openly shared, patterns become clearer. Women and workers of color often discover that they are earning less than others in similar roles. This truth can be uncomfortable, but it is the only way real change begins. It is difficult to fix a problem no one can see, and transparency is the light that exposes inequality.
I also learned how much transparency benefits companies. The Harvard Business Review published research showing that companies with open pay structures experience higher morale, stronger retention, and more interest from qualified job seekers. Employees want to work where fairness is valued and where salaries reflect skill, experience, and responsibility rather than bias or guesswork. The HBR article is available at https://hbr.org/2016/09/the-case-against-pay-transparency.
For me, transparency represents honesty and accountability. It gives people the confidence to negotiate, to question unfair practices, and to advocate for themselves. It also creates workplaces where discrimination has less room to grow. When information is shared, power is shared, and that is one of the most important steps in closing the income gap.
Through the #LevelThePayField campaign, I hope to encourage more people to start these conversations. Talking about pay should not feel uncomfortable. It should feel normal, responsible, and empowering. Transparency is more than a policy. It is a step toward fairness.