Economics & Finance / Economic Theory / Labor Economics

Explores the impact of peer salary transparency on employee job satisfaction and turnover intention

The Impact of Peer Salary Transparency on Job Satisfaction 同僚薪资透明度对工作满意度的影响Science of Salary Secrecy This research report explores the impact of peer salary transparency on employee job satisfaction and turnover intention. The authors conducted a randomized experiment with University of California employees, informing some of them of a publicly available website allowing them to view the entire university's salaries. The study found that the impact of salary information on employees was asymmetrical: employees earning below the departmental median experienced a significant decrease in job satisfaction and an increase in turnover intention. In contrast, employees earning above the median did not experience increased satisfaction due to the information being made public. This result strongly demonstrates the negative impact of relative salary comparison on workplace psychology and provides an economic explanation for companies adopting salary secrecy policies.