Let’s be honest: saying “salary” in your office group chat feels like dropping an F-bomb in the middle of a pooja. People freeze. Some change the topic. Others vanish faster than your crush after promising, “Let’s catch up soon.”
Salary talk in India is like Voldemort; it must not be named. It’s considered crass, uncultured, or worse: middle class. As if discussing money makes you less “professional” and more “Monisha beta, we don’t talk about these things in front of guests.”
But let’s unpack why there’s such a collective corporate panic when the money convo starts.
Why Your Employer Doesn’t Want You Discussing Salary
1. Pay Disparities Get Exposed
Picture this: You find out that Rahul-from-sales, who spends half the day gossiping near the coffee machine and watching IPL highlights, earns more than you just because he’s been around longer or goes drinking with the manager on Fridays. Yup. That’s the kind of awkward truth salary transparency reveals, biases based on gender, caste, experience, or office politics. And that truth makes HR sweat.
2. Your Leverage Goes Boom
When you're negotiating blindly, without knowing what your peers earn, you're basically showing up to a knife fight with a spoon. Salary secrecy keeps you uninformed and underpaid. Imagine how different your last appraisal would’ve gone if you knew the market rate or the internal pay band. But that’s exactly what companies want to avoid: an empowered employee with receipts.
3. Confusion = Control
One of the oldest tricks in the corporate playbook.
If you’re confused, you’re compliant.
If you think you're being paid well, you’re less likely to ask for more.
But the moment you find out that someone else with your exact role got a 50% hike for switching companies? Game over. Suddenly, gratitude turns into rage and that’s not the vibe HR is going for.
4. Divide and Rule But Corporate Edition
Why do you think you never see salary charts during onboarding? Or why performance reviews feel like a mystery exam you didn’t prepare for?
Because if employees talk, they’ll unite. If they unite, they’ll challenge.
But silence? Silence is peaceful… for management.
Why This Hits Harder in Indian Office Culture
Let’s not pretend it’s just a workplace issue. This entire “don’t talk about money” thing is deeply desi.
We’re raised to:
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Respect authority blindly
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Avoid money talk (because sharam karo, beta)
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Equate a person’s worth with their income
Sharma ji ka beta earning 30 LPA is a flex.
You asking for a 30% hike? “Arre beta, don’t be greedy. Just be grateful.”
Negotiating your salary as a young Indian employee often feels like breaking generational trauma, one payslip at a time.
Can You Actually Talk About Your Salary in India?
Short answer? Yes, you can.
Long answer? There’s no law that says you can’t.
Some companies try to sneak in non-disclosure clauses or discourage pay talk as “unprofessional,” but unless you’re disclosing confidential information or another person’s salary without consent, you’re legally in the clear.
Know Your Rights:
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Article 39 of the Indian Constitution promotes equal pay for equal work
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Equal Remuneration Act (1976) prohibits pay discrimination based on gender
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The upcoming Wage Code aims for more transparency and standardization
Translation: You’re not a rebel for talking money. You’re just informed.
The Real Cost of Staying Silent
When we don’t talk about money:
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Women stay underpaid and undervalued for years
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Entry-level employees never learn to negotiate
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Internal pay gaps grow silently
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Everyone ends up thanking HR for a 5% hike while the cost of Maggi goes up by 20%
It’s not just about inequality, it’s about lost opportunity.
So What Can You Do?
1. Start Small, Start Safe
Begin with people you trust. Ask something like:
“What’s the typical range for this role in our industry?”
It opens the door without making anyone uncomfortable.
2. Normalize Negotiation
You're not greedy. You're just aware.
Asking for a fair salary doesn’t make you difficult — it makes you sensible.
3. Pay It Forward
Talk to interns, juniors, and freshers.
Help them avoid underquoting themselves just because no one told them what they’re worth.
Manifesting the Dream: A Transparent Workplace
Imagine this:
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Salary bands are public knowledge
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Promotions are based on merit, not manager bias
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HR is open to pay conversations, without guilt-tripping you
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Everyone knows what their work is actually worth
Sound like a utopia? Maybe.
But change starts with one honest conversation.
Final Thoughts: Talk Money, Make Power Moves
Let me leave you with this:
Talking about salary doesn’t make you rude, ungrateful, or entitled.
It makes you aware. It makes you fearless. It makes you the kind of person who won’t be gaslit into thinking a 3% hike is a gift from heaven.
So go ahead and be the Hermione Granger of your workplace. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Speak up. Because silence never fixed a broken system, but conversations can.
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