Just one in four people in Ireland believe there is full pay transparency in their workplace and more than half think discussing salaries is taboo, according to a new Indeed survey.

The job site’s research shows that 83% believe job postings should include salary ranges as standard, and 82% would be more likely to apply for a job if employers listed a salary range when recruiting.

More than four in ten respondents (42%) also said that they had discovered that a colleague working in the same position was earning more than them on at least one occasion during their career. 

The Indeed survey was carried out by Censuswide and included over 1,000 workers in Ireland. When asked what type of salary transparency exists in their workplace only 25% said “full” transparency, 36% said “partial” and 36% said there was “no” transparency.

Despite more than two-thirds (69%) agreeing that salary transparency is positive for both men and women, many either felt they couldn’t discuss the issue or were coy when it comes to volunteering the information to others.

Over half (51%) said discussing salaries feels taboo. Just 16% said they would share their salary openly and without hesitation if a coworker asked.

More than one in four (26%) said they would politely decline to share the information while 17% would be unsure how to respond, 6% would feel offended and avoid the conversation and 26% would share a “ballpark” figure.

When asked who they would feel comfortable sharing their salary information with, only 12% said their work colleagues and only 6% said their broader circle of friends. A significant proportion were also reluctant to share this information with partners or family. 

A total of 59% said they would be happy to share their salary with a partner or spouse and 46% said the same about their immediate family. However, almost 1 in 5 (19%) said their partner doesn’t know how much money they really earn.

Interestingly, those surveyed indicated a greater willingness to share salary information if there was full salary transparency in their workplace. Almost half (49%) said they would feel less intimidated discussing their pay if they were able to know what their colleagues were paid.

A total of 74% also said they would be more interested in switching career paths if they knew more about the expected pay of a new career before having to apply. 

Indeed also examined the rate of salary transparency in job postings on their sites across Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands in 2024.

The UK had the highest rates of transparency in job postings, with 71% listing salary details, while Germany had the lowest, with just 16% listing these details. Meanwhile, 41% of job postings in Ireland listed salary details.

The findings come as the EU Pay Transparency Directive is due to introduce a range of requirements for employers and new rights for employees from next year on. Organisations will be required to provide information on pay ranges as part of the recruitment process and will no longer be able to ask candidates about the pay they receive in their existing job.

Employers will also be required to provide staff with information on what criteria are used to determine pay and pay progression while employees will have the right to receive information on the pay of those performing similar work or work of equal value. There will also be a ban on pay secrecy clauses.

Indeed’s survey showed 51% said they had been asked about their previous pay rate when interviewing. Over half of this cohort (56%) said they answered the question truthfully while 34% said they gave a higher amount. 

Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, said: “Pay transparency is becoming an increasingly important issue for both employers and employees.

"New requirements are on the way that will ultimately allow employees to access more information about pay rates in their workforce and to get a better idea of whether they are being paid the same as others who do similar work.

“Our survey shows that employers who already embrace a level of pay transparency and who include compensation details in job postings are likely to appeal to more jobseekers.

"While the findings show people in Ireland might be reluctant to share their pay details with others, especially colleagues, there is a consensus that pay transparency is positive and should be embraced by employers.

“A significant proportion of respondents felt pay was something they couldn’t discuss in their workforce, but they also believe this would change in a situation where pay rates or average pay rates were openly shared.

"This suggests that many employees will favour the new EU requirements and the legislation, when implemented in Ireland, could result in a new era of pay transparency and openness that will ultimately allow people to know if they are being paid fairly for the work they are doing.

"Currently 41% of job postings on Indeed Ireland list salary details, but for those that don’t, we also have a range of tools and resources available for jobseekers to help them navigate the salary conversation.”

(Pic: Getty Images)