Talking Money at Work

It is important to remember and recognize that you are not going to break down the taboo about talking about money overnight, or single-handedly not even in yourself.

However, you should not ever feel embarrassed about asking your boss for a raise if you feel that you deserve one. It is his or her job to manage their team, and that includes pay issues. They are unlikely to be embarrassed about discussing your pay with you, so why should you feel embarrassed either?

The key is to have evidence for why you feel that you deserve more money. For example, you may have brought in a lot of business to the team or company, or delivered a particularly big project, or taken on extra responsibilities. If possible, show comparisons with others but if you can’t get this data, don’t worry.

Making clear why you need the information, and making sure that you are not intrusive about how much detail you need, can make it easier for colleagues to share sensitive information.