Why you shouldn't talk salary at work

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - You may have wondered how much money your co-workers make, but would you ever ask?

Experts say it's a conversation you may want to avoid.

Janelle Goodnight teaches business etiquette at Western New England University.  She says your salary is supposed to remain private between you and Human Resources and leaking the information can impact your future.

"It can affect raises and the way that you're viewed in the future because it's a matter of trust now, its not the more broad issue of just the salary itself," Goodnight said.

From decreasing your chance of getting a raise to impacting morale in the office, payscale.com reports there are a number of ways talking salary can come back to haunt you.

Some people say landing a job nowadays is hard enough that when they get one, they're not willing to gamble with it.

"I would not discuss my salary. I don't think it's the kind of information that would produce positive work results," said James Carpentier.

Janelle Goodnight says it's hard to draw a conclusion just by learning someone's salary because there are a number of factors that go into determining it but some people say it's a curiosity that simply doesn't go away.

"Everyone wants to know because everyone is like how can I get to that? If this person is making this much, I'm doing the same thing, why am I not making that much? It's a very competitive nature especially in the workforce now," said Wyatt Hogan, a Western New England University senior.

Some salaries like government or state jobs are a matter of public record and can be found without having a conversation.