This is according to Glassdoor’s Global Salary Transparency Survey, seen exclusively by HR magazine.
Only 45% of employees in the UK said that their company discloses salary information internally. This is higher, however, than in France (33%), Germany (28%) and Switzerland (25%), although not as high as in the Netherlands (50%).
The survey of 4,300 full-time or part-time employees found that 69% of workers in the UK wish they had a better understanding of what fair pay is for their position and skillset.
Older employees aged 55-plus (43%) were less likely than their younger colleagues (65% of those aged 18 to 24, and 62% aged 25 to 34) to believe they must switch jobs for meaningful compensation changes.
The majority of UK staff (74%) said salary transparency was good for employee satisfaction, and a similar number (76%) agreed that it could be good for business. Around two-thirds (64%) of men and around half (55%) of women stated that they had a good understanding of how people are compensated at all levels in their company, showing a divide along gender lines.
Dawn Lyon, Glassdoor vice president of corporate affairs and chief equal pay advocate, said that most people – especially women – remain in the dark about what fair pay is for their particular role. “The majority of employees report their companies do not share pay data internally, even though most believe salary transparency is good for business and employee satisfaction,” she said.
“Employers need to understand that perpetuating salary sharing taboos can ultimately affect retention. More than half of employees around the world feel that in order to get a significant raise they need to jump to a new company.
“Our data shows by helping staff understand fair pay and providing clear pathways for advancement, employers can increase employee satisfaction, engagement and retention."