Almost half of the 2,074 employees surveyed (49%) are not prepared to discuss their salary with the people they work with, followed by friends (27%) and family (15%).
People's reluctance to talk about this extends to asking employers for a salary increase. Even though only 43% are happy with their salary, less than one quarter (24%) of people indicated they had ever asked for a pay rise.
Men prove to be more confident than women when asking for more money, with over one quarter (28%) having approached their employer for a salary increase compared to just 18% of females. Men are also more comfortable when it comes to asking for a larger percentage increase (4.6% of their salary compared to 4.1% for female counterparts).
Further to this, over one quarter (27%) of those that haven't asked for a pay rise say they have never needed to as they have always been given fair salary increases, with far more men saying their worth has been recognised compared to women (32% vs. 24%). Over one in ten (11%) people who haven't had the courage to ask for a salary increase admit they felt too embarrassed to ask for an increase, and less than one in ten (8%) were worried that their employer would say no.
Catherine Stewart, savings expert at Scottish Widows said: "The nation is split when it comes to talking about their salary, as it's a sensitive topic. If people don't feel comfortable talking to their nearest and dearest about their salary it makes it even more important to seek expert advice to keep on top of their finances.
"However, people are looking for alternative ways to make money, and it turns out that young people (those aged 18 - 34 years old) are the most open to asking advice on how to earn more, and are twice as likely as the national average to ask friends, family and work colleagues for help in this area.
"By carefully planning their finances for the future, people can start to reduce any financial fears they may have and help to avoid a lot of worry and heartache for themselves and their families in the long-term. As a nation we should be taking the lead from the younger generation and seek advice to make our money go further. An option for people is to speak to a financial adviser who can help explain the range of products and services most suitable to their financial needs."
Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,074 UK adults aged 18+ from 21 to 23 of June.
