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Latest NewsPay & benefitsSalary surveys

Salaries are a secretive and sensitive subject for UK employees

by Jo Faragher 16 Jul 2008
by Jo Faragher 16 Jul 2008

British workers are shy about revealing their salaries to their families, and a small proportion would rather leave their jobs than ask for a pay rise, a survey has found.

The research conducted by HR services provider Ceridian found that 53% of respondents would never share their salary details with their families, while one in six would never ask for a salary increase. One in 33 would rather leave than ask for more money.

Older respondents are more prepared to ask for a pay increase. Just 19% of under-34s felt comfortable asking for a pay rise, while 81% of over-35s were fine with the idea. Attitudes also depended on gender â€“ of the 8% of respondents who claimed they would negotiate hard for a salary increase, three-quarters were men.

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The survey of more than 1,000 full-time employees also suggested the UK is a nosey nation, with 46% expressing an interest in what colleagues earned. However, 73% wouldn’t tolerate having their salary details disclosed to their colleagues.

Karan Paige, chief people officer at Ceridian UK, said: “Our research demonstrates that pay is an important personal issue and one that employers need to think carefully about.”

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

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