>

Federal jobs are the same way.
Company: don't talk about pay
Me: I guess it is time to start discussing pay with EVERYONE >

Definitely was told this at my last job
Definitely made sure all the millennials knew where each stood so that they could negotiate better for their worth
Got found out, didn't care, but management definitely began to put me on crap assignments after that. Didn't mind too much because we had some dead weight management staff free loading off their "underlings". 
Always know your worth. Don't settle for less. >

Did the same thing at my old job.  Management told us not to talk about pay so the first thing I did was bring up to my team how much I make.  That opened the flood gates and everyone started talking about it.  Found out the new guy was making 10K less than everyone else when they started and I was making 5K more than my supervisor who was a great guy and had been with the company twice as long. >


Management told us not to talk about pay

That's illegal in the US >

I'm aware.  So is wage theft and they did that too.  They also misclassified the entire workforce as management to get around salary exempt laws so they could work us for 80 hours a week without overtime.  My parting gift to the company was a report and documentation submitted to the labor board. >

Not all heroes wear capes. Unless you do wear a cape, I guess >

Company told us not to wear capes. >

I uhh, am partial to that rule. Workplace hazards and all. Don't want to get tangled in a fan, sucked into a turbine, or have it get caught in the elevator. >

THAT KID IS ON THE ESCALATOR AGAIN! I hope his pants get caught and a bloodbath ensues! >

Anyone reading this needs to know that discussing pay is a federally protected action. Yea, if they find out you're ruffling feathers they can fuck with you. However, you can report your employer anonymously and incite SOME change. Don't like these fucks win. >

Make everyone a supervisor of one other…see now no one can discuss pay. >

And hire Bob.
Bob has 40,000 supervisors and somehow gets paid more than all of them. >

And what would you say Bob does there? >

If manager/supervisor roles aren't allowed to talk about salaries, then his only job is to be the reason they aren't allowed to do so. >

So Bob physically takes the specs from the customer? >

Well...no. His secretary does that. >

Well, Bob is very busy and can't be arsed >

I interviewed at Neuralink (one of Musk company, they got some heat recently regarding animal testing) a couple of weeks ago.
When I asked about the worklife balance and what the culture was like, the interviewer told me this story where he was working at the office late at night around 10PM ish. One of the Directors saw him and said he should take the shuttle home. This guy responded that this Director was still here so instead of going home they stayed until 12 AM in the office talking about synapses.
He was really proud of that moment and I don't think he realized that he completely gave me the opposite answer I was looking for. >

An interviewer once asked me if I knew about the 80/20 rule. I said, I know of a rule called that, but I get the sense it's different than what you mean. He explained that a person is awake about 100 hours a week, so I should give 80 of them to the company and keep 20 for my personal life. I didn't end up taking the job. >

The fact that people actually believe in this garbage blows my mind. There are 168 hours a week. My employer gets ~26%. 
Not a second more or less. >

They say "100 awake hours". It's actually 112 if you only alot 8 hours of sleep per day, but 105 if you alot 9.
Giving 80 to your job is still asinine, he was working with a roughly-accurate number. >

For what it’s worth I sleep at my job. Like I’m in bed now. They eve sprang for a memory foam it’s lit. So I did all the hours. But that’s unfair of me I withheld information. 
But I’m with you a 40 hour work week is often unnecessary. >

Oh hah, nice right on. Fire? >

This happened at two former employers. I politely noted that saying so was running afoul of federal legislation. Not to cause trouble but rather because a lot of folks have no idea.
Edit: a word. >

How did it go? >

In one instance my manager was taken aback. I think she initially felt threatened. But, I am a pretty laid back guy and explained that the reason I mentioned it is because it is the law, I liked my company a lot and wanted to protect it. It went well overall. 
In the second instance, I told my manager (who I work for again) and he sort of rolled his eyes. He knew the deal but could not control what others said or did. We just sort of shrugged. Oh well. But he was cool. >

Oh man, I bet Elon Musk is going to be so cheesed off when he hears about this. He’s a free speech absolutist >

I hear he absolutely hates free speech. Hmm. >

He loves it for himself and his favorites.
Anyone else is out of luck.
Dependency on the whim of billionaires is such a sound basis for a principle. >

Considering Elon's been trying to force Twitter employees to live at the office, I assume Tesla's locked workers in the plants as well; that's not the sort of thing you just do out of the blue. >

In his leaked (?) Email to all Tesla employees he literally asked everyone to volunteer time and work overtime. >

I'm sure that's completely voluntary and Elon won't even take note of the people who don't do as he says. He's not petty or vindictive or anything like that. /s >

your name has been added to the naughty list >

I've worked at a place that had the "don't discuss your pay" "rule", and one day, a bunch of us all sat around doing just that. I found out the new hire I'd trained got hired on at $6 more an hour than they were currently paying me.
That got fixed REAL fast. >

By Grabthar's Hammer
...
What a shock. >

by the sons of Warvan...what  a blunder >

Tesla runs a sweatshop building poor quality cars and providing awful after sales services. 
How is this company still functioning? >

Carbon credits. It sells lots and lots of carbon credits. It's the majority of the company's profits, or all of their profits, depending on which quarter we're talking about. >

Are they still? I kept reading 2 years ago or so about companies no longer looking to rely on Tesla for regulatory credits (after they almost doubled their sales from it), but that may not have come to fruition I suppose. >

Misleading.
Flatline2962 said profits, not revenue.  There are different profit levels depending on the source of revenue.
If a car is built for $30k and has extraneous costs for $5k, but sells for $45k in revenue, then it generates a $10k profit and 22% profit margin.
If Tesla then gets 4 ZEV credits from the sale of that car for a total of $4k in revenue... then that's $4k in profits and 100% profit margin.
If in a given quarter, Tesla reports a $500 million profit, and has sold $300 million in carbon credits, then without those carbon credits, their profits would have only been $200 million.  40% as much.  That's a pretty huge drop off from the loss of only $300 million in revenue.
While it's true that Tesla's not completely reliant on carbon credits for their profits, they do rely on them heavily for the level of profits they get.  Without them, they certainly wouldn't have gotten into the S&P 500 when they did.They also rely on EV tax credits... which essentially acts as another source of revenue that garners 100% profit margins since it allows them to raise MSRPs by an equivalent amount without affecting demand.  EV credits currently occur in the US (states currently, but also federal again starting on 1/1/23), and more so it happens internationally (especially in Europe where certain countries like Norway have some massive EV tax incentives).
Where Tesla has really seen a large run up in profit margins in the past 3 years is in their cars produced China using cheap labor that are then exported to Europe at higher MSRPs due to the wealthier economies.  Tesla's the first company to export cars from China to the West at large scale.  I find that to be a pretty dirty tactic.
In Tesla's defense, they've also seen a rise in margins from their transition to RWD vehicles with Chinese made LFP battery packs, given that LFP cells are far cheaper to produce than Nickel based cells.
However, a big criticism of Tesla is that they separate their vehicle and energy financials, even though they're highly dependent on one another.  Tesla energy allows Tesla to order far more battery cells than they otherwise would be able to, benefiting from large cell order discounts.  However, they sell most of their energy products at break even or at a loss to ensure they sell out these products, while the lower cell prices help them report a large profit margin in their auto division.... aka they're pumping their auto numbers by using their energy division as a sacrificial lamb.   In no world should these numbers ever be separated out like Tesla is doing on their financial statements. >

Ah yes using cheap labour in china to export and now switching to germany made factory cause its more expensive. >

??? Iv worked for multiple businesses that expressly forbid talk about how much you get paid. You are telling me that's illegal? >

If you live in the United States, it's illegal to punish employees for discussing pay >

Most states are at-will employment. They can just fire you with no cause, even if you've been discussing your pay. >

Very true but if you can prove that’s the reason, it’s still illegal. Save any bit of proof you have if you want to pursue it. >

I've been told this at many jobs... Then ignore it and point out how illegal it is to ask me not to... Don't work at those places anymore lol >

This is not surprising at all, considering the frequency of HR and Safety related job postings. >

Worked @ tesla 7 years. You should have heard the hissy fit my regional director threw when an incredible employee of mine asked for a raise. Basically came down to “How did he hear about how much he should be making?!?” I got him the bump, but she was looking to chop someone’s head over it, clearly. Fuck that bitch. >

How low can you(r stock) go? >

She hit the floor (she hit the floor)
Next thing you know (next thing you know)
Shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low! >

Just remember people, there is a very good reason companies HATE their workers discussing their pay, their treatment and potentially joining a union. Because these things legitimately do procure good outcomes for the workers and smaller profit margins for the owners. 
Exploitative companies rely on workers being divided and uninformed. Employers and employees have diametrically opposite goals, don’t let them convince you that you’re all apart of a ‘family’. >

Remember folks, it is your given right to discuss your pay with anyone you want. Don't let companies lie to you. >

That's every single corporation operating in America. They ALL tell you not to discuss pay. >

I work for the US federal government for a couple of decades now and have been told every year, if not multiple times a year, not to discuss my salary, awards, and annual adjustments with any of my coworkers, peers, and subordinates. I still do...like all the time, but my "employer" tells me not to all the time. I figure its becomes a thing if they try to stop or reprimand me if i do. >

Weird, typically with federal jobs the salaries of various positions are publicly posted. You can go look up exactly how much every one of your bosses makes. >

Not wrong, I worked a gov job and my pay was literally visible to anybody. They got to see my sad little paycheck. >

Man I've always thought Tesla sounded like a terrible work environment. >

Wasn’t it Elongated Muskrat who said that billionaires can do what they want, and that everyone should just deal with it?
That’s what will happen with this, too. >

I prefer lonE skuM >

Elon’s Muck. >

I feel like all companies do this, I haven’t worked at a company that hasn’t said “don’t discuss pay” >

Every single HR rep that says that is a criminal, and they all need to be charged with the crime.
Talk to ALL your coworkers about pay. Buy a bullhorn and SCREAM IT AT YOUR COWORKERS. >

Throw another California law that Elon Muskox violated onto the pile with the others. >

It’s been the law nationwide since the 1930s actually. Biden also signed another law reaffirming the right to discuss wages. >

What was that kevin spacey movie where he was a quiet genius in a mental hospital that came to earth then left on a black woman's body? >

K-Pax >

So does almost every other corporation in the US. >

Amen to that. It's almost like this isn't rampant across a large majority of major corporations.
I was flat out told in my orientation today that discussing pay is a punishable offense. At a university, no doubt. I've been told this multiple times throughout the years at many positions I've taken.
I thought it was a known fact these large money orgs and institutions are allowed to break the law.
Edit: before anyone suggests to report it. I NEED this job. And, before you say something like they can't fire you... Well, they can make your work environment very unpleasant. It's reality. >

Tell a local public records nonprofit about that and watch how fast the policy changes. Won't work for private employees who don't get Title 4 loans, but works for every accredited university in the US. >

It's technically a 'private company' that has agreements with many, many universities. Although the students and faculty think we are just part of the university. That's how it was explained to me. Specifically their dining options. So, I'm not sure if that will work. But, I'll look into it. Thanks! >

Sounds like Sodexo or something,that industry is full of rule breaking exploiters of human misery, and it sucks. >

My tesla contract literally says I am encouraged to talk about my salary with my colleagues. Might be because of the country though >

Elon is worse as being a billionaire than his fanboys are at buying stonks. >

They are going to go bankrupt due to all the miscellaneous lawsuits that have / will be filed. SMH >

My company pays every level of a specific job the exact same salary. Every IC5 software engineer makes the exact same. So you know exactly what your coworker is making. Removes this kind of animosity between coworkers completely. Oh and you can also see your wage targets for every level in your job title. This should be the norm imo >

I can’t believe that people put their lives and fortunes into the hands of a company that makes amateurish decisions like that.
I sincerely hope that the slimy, rebooted 1980s Gordon Gekko/disruptive/gig working/“vaporware+shitting on the little people and their labor protections” business culture goes away for a while when Musk gets his due. >

Every employer I've had says that shit, nobody listens >


Every employer I've had says that shit, nobody listens

You've had some bad employers, my friend.  Everywhere I've worked - and I'm very choosy about my employers - encourages open conversations around salary; the company I'm with now posts all salaries by job position. >

This is a bigger problem (in my experience) with lower paying employers. What incentive do they have to follow the law when their employees can’t afford to sue? >

Tesla has been blatantly breaking union labor laws for years. It's not a question of IF, it's a question of if they can beat Tesla's legal team. 
Same reason why the IRS often doesn't go against billionaires and fortune 100 companies, it's going to cost millions of dollars to fight that fight, and the IRS can prey on easier targets like the middle class who won't put up a fight. >

Elon Musk is a total piece of shit >

Every job should be like the public sector.  In California you can look up any employee and see what they're making.  All salaries should be public.