A growing number of Australian workers are demanding full salary transparency inside their workplaces, with new research showing a strong belief that pay secrecy primarily benefits employers — not staff.
The findings, from recruitment firm people2people, reveal that 70 per cent of employees want their company to make all individual salaries visible internally, while nearly half say they would consider resigning if they discovered a less capable colleague was being paid more.
The survey, conducted across multiple industries and age groups, highlights a significant generational shift. Millennials and Gen Zs are leading the call for greater openness, with 80 per cent wanting access to precise salary information and three-in-five already willingly disclosing their own pay to co-workers. In contrast, only 63 per cent of Baby Boomers and 68 per cent of Gen X workers support such transparency, with many older staff reporting discomfort or even offence when discussing personal income.
According to people2people’s head of HR solutions, Suhini Wijayasinghe, salary differences do not automatically indicate unfairness — but she acknowledges that unexplained gaps can quickly create tension. “Ninety-five per cent of the time, there is a reasonable justification,” she said. “It may relate to qualifications, experience, tenure, or broader responsibilities. But workers still deserve context.”
Experts warn that full transparency may also bring conflict. Mick Owar, founder of sports recovery company Primal Recovery, said publishing exact salaries could spark jealousy and create unnecessary workplace disputes. “If you want more money, negotiate. Don’t compare,” he said. “Everyone has different experience and value.”
Employment Hero’s global head of people, Liam D’Ortenzio, encouraged workers who feel underpaid to speak with their managers before resigning. “Don’t jump the gun,” he said. “Most pay discrepancies have valid explanations — but employees should absolutely have open conversations about it.”
The push for transparency is also influenced by rising living costs and increasing frustration around wage stagnation. Many workers say that seeing colleagues with fewer responsibilities or skills earning more is demoralising and fuels distrust.
One such worker, childcare centre director Maddie Moore, said that in a former job in the music industry she discovered she was earning six dollars less per hour than the newest employee — despite handling reception, sales, repairs and customer service. “It was incredibly unfair,” she said. “Transparency empowers people to understand their value.”
Advocates argue that clearer salary structures can improve fairness, support career progression and prevent discriminatory pay practices. However, businesses remain divided on how far transparency should go, with 21 per cent of workers preferring only pay ranges rather than exact numbers.
As Australia faces continued cost-of-living pressures, the debate around salary transparency is expected to intensify, with employees increasingly willing to move on if they believe they are not being paid what they deserve.
