So, until recently, I worked a job where you would be sent to different job sites, and it wouldn’t be unusual to work alongside other people from other companies doing the same work (just with a different client).
I’d often make “friends” with these people and ask how much their company was paying them.
At my exit interview with my company before I moved onto a different one, in response to the manager complaining about how they can’t seem to retain or recruit new employees, I told her that lately other companies in the area have been paying way better, and I know this because I’ve been asking.
She became quite irate and told me I can’t do that. I literally laughed at her (what are they gonna do, fire me?) and said discussing wages is federally protected. She responded that discussing it with your coworkers is, but discussing it with others while on the job violates “professionalism guidelines”. I shrugged it off because I was literally in the process of quitting.
However, it got me thinking about whether or not that is true? It seems to me like it can’t be. By that logic you can’t discuss your wages with union reps on the job either.
Someone who knows the law better than me want to chime in?