Can my boss fire me or write me up for talking to other employees about my pay?

No, although many employers continue to present this as a written or unspoken rule. Employers generally do not want you to share your salary, hourly wage, or bonus numbers with your colleagues. They fear those who make less will demand more pay. The National Labor Relations Act protects your right to discuss conditions of your employment, such as pay, with co-workers. Your employer cannot discipline you for discussing it. Your employer cannot even make a rule or threaten to discipline you for it. If you experience this problem in Texas then you should contact an employment attorney to protect your job.

Texas and federal law protects the right to discuss pay with other employees

If you are discussing your pay with co-workers in a way that violates some other legitimate disciplinary rule at work you may be disciplined for that other reason even though you were invoking your rights under the National Labor Relations Act. For example, if you have the conversation during working hours, you likely could suffer discipline for insubordination or poor work performance for not doing your work. On the other hand, if employees commonly stand around talking while they are on the clock an employer cannot chose to discipline for pay-related conversations but not conversations on other topics. Similarly, if the employer disciplines for standing around talking during work it cannot discipline pay-related conversations more harshly. The employer must act evenly to avoid discriminating against employees for exercising their rights under the NLRA.

Texas employment attorneys for wrongful termination

An employer’s discrimination and retaliation against employees who act to improve workplace conditions or pay can have broad effects on employees. It directly affects the worker suffering the discrimination or retaliation. It also has a chilling effect on other employees working together or individually to protect their jobs and pay. Employees in this situation should contact lawyers near you right away to get to work fighting the employer’s bad acts. Employment attorneys help clients in labor law situations to protect jobs and pay.

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