“We published it,” Leslie Braksick said, referring to the salaries of the leaders of her company. “We were very open about it.”
Leslie Braksick stands out as one of the most successful entrepreneurs and CEOs I know. Yet, if she were so smart, why would she “publish” information that can become a lightning rod in any organization?
And why is the subject of the boss’ pay generally guarded as a castle secret by most organizations? It literally took an act of Congress (empowering the SEC) to compel public companies to shine a light to the amounts executives get paid. And why did the U.S. congress feel compelled to adopt rules in 2010 that require public companies to disclose the ratio of the highest paid executive compared to the pay of the average employee?
Because, um – well, maybe it’s a little embarrassing? Can you imagine getting on an elevator to go home at the end of the day, finding yourself standing next to a work colleague who casually mentions that he or she makes more in a day than you make in a year? Think of JP Morgan, WallMart or Comcast. Now reverse those roles. How would you feel about making hundreds times more than the person next to you on that elevator? Would you both feel like you share a common Mission? Would you feel like your both “in this together,” fighting for a shared cause? .. [access the HR.com article]