Dear People Leaders,
I hope this message finds you well.
I would like to take a moment to clarify a point I made during our recent Staff Town Hall regarding the sharing of salary information. During the discussion, I mentioned that individuals are permitted to know another person’s salary. However, I want to emphasize that this does not mean it is a new work requirement for people leaders or HR partners to automatically disclose salary information upon request.
The recommended approach is to direct individuals to the UC Annual Wage website where everyone’s salary information is already available. If someone is seeking more specific information that is not found on the website, they should provide a rationale for their request. This rationale will then be evaluated to determine if the information can be appropriately shared, and/or if a different discussion is necessary regarding factors affecting pay, like the market, scope and complexity of the role, years of experience, budget, etc.
I want to emphasize - employees can always share with others what their own salary is and discuss it amongst colleagues. We cannot and should not deter that in any way, as that would be a violation of the California Equal Pay Act.
I would also strongly encourage you to be transparent and support your teams in being transparent around the salary-setting decision-making process. I also recommend you explore the UC Annual Wage website so that you can see the information available. You can look up an individual’s pay as well as anyone in a particular Career Tracks title.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I appreciate your continued efforts in supporting our teams. If you have any questions, you can address them to me or hr@ucsd.edu.
Lead with grace and courage,
Terri S. Winbush
Campus Chief Human Resources Officer
