Prohibiting employees from discussing pay. Legal?

[army judge]

I agree that's a great approach. If those posting on internet forums applied this approach, many of those forums would be a lot less toxic than they are now. Sadly, internet forum providers like Facebook, Twitter, etc., have found that division, controversy, and hate drive more eyeballs to their sites than kindness does, and their algorithms for deciding which posts to display take that into account, reinforcing that attitude and making it worse. I'd like to think society can do better, but the cynic in me is very pessimistic of that happening anytime soon.

Everyone can do better, be better.

If we think about it, we might one day do it.

I acknowledge my pessimism, too.

None of us will ever be perfect.

All of us can try to improve.

 

[GoodWorker32]

Anytime someone tells you he/she/it "won't blab, as sure as the sun is hot, whatever you say will be spread like a deadly communicable disease".

You don't have to tolerate rude inquisitors.

Mate, be an adult, smile pleasantly, wave goodbye, and RELOCATE your CARCASS immediately, without further response.

Silent messages are also communicative.

By the way, mate, God gave you a spine.

Your spine allows you to stand tall and proud.

Don't humble yourself to anyone.

One final thought, LISA (or others of her ilk) might be working for your superiors.

The police, FBI, CIA, etc... have snitches.

Another reason to shut yer yapper, relative to anything, you never know WHY the inquisitor is asking.

You also don't know for whom the inquisitor is asking.

Gossip is bad for business. In fact, here are 5 good reasons you must not engage in gossip.

Gossip Destroys Your Trustworthiness
People do business with people they know, like and trust. If you gossip, people assume you talk about them too when they're not around. So they don't trust you. Gossip drags a relationship through the mud, soiling it and debasing it. Gossip destroys trust and kills relationships.

Gossip Ruins Reputations
You may think your "juicy tidbits" are harmless. But remember you are planting seeds of opinion about someone in another's heart. Those seeds take root in a subtle and powerful way. Their roots spread out to others. Before you know it, these weeds of gossip choke out all that is good, ruining reputations.

Gossip Makes You Look Worse
The person you're speaking with may seem delighted to hear the "news." But you can be certain their opinion of you is diminished. They're thinking, "If this is how he talks about his friends, then I don't want to associate with him." The nature of gossip means that you're breaking confidences. That, or you're spreading lies. Either way, it tarnishes your character.

Gossip can Get You Into Legal Trouble
Your gossip may find its way to the wrong ears (it always does). When this happens, it can damage your career and business relationships. And it's not uncommon to be sued for slander. You can never retrieve a careless word spoken. "What goes around, comes around." And, "We reap what we sow."

The Bible Teaches Against It
Now you may think, "Okay, here we go, the Bible is such a killjoy!" But God, in His wisdom, gave us these instructions for our own good and protection. He knows how destructive and damaging gossip is. He urges us, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up." — Ephesians [4:29]

And, "Be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone." — Titus 3:2 Now that's the kind of behavior that builds trust and cultivates relationships!
Remember those ads with Smokey the Bear that said, "Only you can prevent forest fires?" It's the same with gossip. Only you and I can prevent it. Only we can stop it spreading.

Let's agree to a pact. If what we're saying isn't building people up, let's recognize it's tearing them down. Let's agree not to do that. Instead, let's treat each other with respect and dignity. Let's pull the weeds of gossip out of our lives and sow seeds of kindness and grace instead. This is good for us, our relationships, and our business.


5 Reasons Why You Must Not Gossip | Ray Edwards
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I am coming back to share an update. The coworker I mentioned who's extremely focused on the topic of pay/raises?

She got reprimanded by her boss for her inappropriate questions (she asks a ton of employees about pay).

I think this was the wake up call she needed to finally put an end to her behavior.

 

[Tax Counsel]

I am coming back to share an update. The coworker I mentioned who's extremely focused on the topic of pay/raises?

While the employee has a right to ask others what pay they are getting if the action is meant to address pay inequities or seek collective action to raise pay (most often done through unions though a union is not needed for the activity to be protected) the employee is not protected when the activity becomes disruptive to the operations of the business. Indeed, it is usually best to ask colleagues about their pay outside of work. The colleague will likely be more relaxed about talking about that sort of thing when the boss isn't likely to pop up and overhear some of it and you avoid ticking off your boss by taking up company time for it.

She got reprimanded by her boss for her inappropriate questions (she asks a ton of employees about pay).

It should go without saying that if you're going to gather that kind of data that you keep it short, simple and do not antagonize other employees in the process. I'm guessing she was clueless about when, where, and how it is appropriate to engage in this activity. Anyone trying to gather that kind of information has to have good people skills and know how to approach the subject in a nonthreatening way. Nobody likes "busybodies" who stick their noses into everyone else's business. Such people quickly become pariahs in the workplace and no one will want to work with them.