Why are salaries confidential?

Because no rating method can withstand the simplest test of justification.

And because they are confidential, salaries end up varying wildly for the same job and responsibilities. And because they vary wildly, all the more they must now be protected even more strongly than ever.

We often hear beautiful corporate motherhood statements about compensating everyone fairly. When it comes to the crunch, when a post has to be filled urgently, or a great negotiator comes along, such claims are thrown out of the window. So the disparities compound with time, and it's now a total jungle.

Would totally transparent salaries work in a free marketplace? No, unless there are objective ways to measure a job and performance. There are none now, not even for a factory line worker churning out iPhone parts.

Do not be surprised if one day you discover you are paid twice your colleague sitting next to you.

In the inequality fair? Try Matthew 20.

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