Talk about how much money you make (with anyone who will listen)

You probably think it's in bad taste (or forbidden) to share how much you make with co-workers.

It's not.

Sharing salary information gives every employee more power

In a world of "information asymmetry," those who hold the data hold the power. It's impossible to know if you're fairly or unfairly compensated if you don't know how much your co-workers make. It's the same reason that CarFax and Edmunds make it so much easier to know whether you're paying a fair price for a used car.

Companies rarely compensate perfectly

This isn't because companies are evil. It's just that some employees are better negotiators, some managers are faster at advocating for adjustments, some functions get out of whack when the market for a specific role heats up. Unless you know where you stand, you'll never know what you're missing.

Let go of old-school thinking

It's no longer taboo to share salaries. Glassdoor lets you do it anonymously, but in today's information symmetry world, you and your fellow co-workers should unabashedly and unashamedly talk with one another. De-stigmatize the conversation.

It's definitely not forbidden

Not only is it perfectly OK to share your salary with co-workers, it's actually illegal (in the USA, at least) for your employer to tell you not do so or to punish you for sharing. It's your proprietary information, not theirs.

Salary transparency is the way of the future

Some forward-thinking companies are already making salaries public because they know it prevents unintended bias and forces simpler compensation. But until everyone catches up, you and your co-workers should create your own transparency.

Knowledge is power—exchange salary information with your co-workers.