Speak Up

Would You tell A Stranger on The Street how much you earn?

That's exactly what plasterer Macaulay Preece, 23, did when approached by TikTok influencer Aydan Al-Saad on The Streets of Cardiff.

HR consultant Aydan travels The World asking people their pay, and says being more open can help with equal pay and motivates people to ask for a raise.

Research shows younger Gen Z workers are more likely to share salary information with a colleague.

" I can earn anything between £5,000 and £20,000 a year, depending on The Job or contracts I get, " Macaulay, from Blackwood in Caerphilly county, said.

He followed His Family into the plastering trade but, despite asking " multiple times" said he had never had a pay rise.

Some of Aydan's most popular videos, with More Than two million views, include him speaking to a nurse and an electrician.

Aydan, 35, said younger generations, particularly those born between 1996 and 2010 - known as Gen Z, are increasingly keen to know what different jobs pay, and also want tips on How To ask for pay rises.

According to a 2022 survey carried out by YouGov for comparison site Bankrate in the US, 42% of Gen Z had shared their salary information with a colleague or other professional contact, compared with only 19% of Baby Boomers , born between 1946 and 1964.

Pay transparency is The Practice of openly sharing salary information with colleagues and friends.

It also involves companies displaying salaries in job adverts and being more open with their staff about how much they can expect to be paid in different roles.

The European Union and some US states have brought in pay transparency legislation aimed at forcing companies to be more open with their staff and recruits.

While companies with More Than 250 employees in the UK do have to report their gender pay gap data, there are currently no UK laws enforcing pay transparency, although a pilot scheme is under way.

Food bank administrator Sara Redwood used to be a youth worker but found it hard to manage her hours with three children.

The 46-year-old from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, then worked in a cafe, but " wanted Something More meaningful" and has been working in a food bank for Six Years .

She Said : " My net pay last month was £1,348. 18.

" I do feel like we as a team make a difference Every Day and I go to bed and sleep peacefully knowing I'm not doing anything that conflicts with my values.

" I know we've all got bills to pay and I know money's really tight at The Moment , but I just want to look back and feel like I've lived My Life to the full, as well as earning money to keep a roof over our heads. "

Paul Davies , 58, who has been a Bus Driver for 22 years, said the average wage for his role was £30,000 a year.

Does he think that is fair for what he does? Not for the responsibility bus drivers take on.

" I'd want £50,000 a year. The Public don't just get on and pay their fare and go from A to B. The abuse you get, sometimes it's unbelievable. "

Audiologist Nasrah Asghar tests and prescribes hearing aids. She has been in The Job for 10 Years and said The Best thing is how rewarding The Job can be, " because it is life-changing for people".

" It's commission-based so annually it can go up to £50,000, " She Said .

Asked if she thinks she is paid fairly, Nasrah said: " Yeah, absolutely. I'm really happy with my pay. "

Aydan said many people he asks are surprisingly willing to be open about their salary.

He Said : " People are actually really happy to stop and have a conversation.

" Money's seen as this taboo. We have been told we shouldn't talk about it, and actually that has given Some People quite an unhealthy relationship with money.

" And I think just having those open conversations around pay transparency gives people The Ability to find out, 'am I being paid fairly?'"

Bridgend tech firm Rock, which has More Than 100 employees, is creating a pay transparency " wall" where every job role and salary band will be added to a virtual wall that employees can look at.

Entrepreneur Rob Dance, 40, said: " It's empowering for employees to know where they stand and what they can aspire to achieve in terms of salary and compensation.

" It's More Than a policy, it's a commitment to fairness and equity in the workplace. "

Mr Dance started his tech support and consultancy firm from his parents' garage with just £1,000, after selling his Renault 5 to get The Cash .

Mr Dance said his company was hoping to publish all of its roles and salary bands internally, after going through a re-banding exercise following the Covid pandemic, and already displays salaries in job adverts.

He Said : " We noticed that being transparent about salaries and even general information helps demystify career progression and earnings potential, which is especially important for younger employees facing uncertain job markets.

" Employees appreciate the transparency, recognising it as a commitment to fairness and a tool for their own career planning. "

According to equal pay campaigners the Fawcett Society , many women and men in similar jobs are still paid at different levels.

Research they carried out to mark Equal Pay Day found that, at the current rate of change, the gender pay gap will not close until 2051.

Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the Fawcett Society , said: " Pay secrecy is part of The Problem and means women cannot know if they are being paid equally and fairly.

" Even if they do suspect A Man is earning more it is almost impossible to do anything about it and this must change.

" Women need an enforceable right to know what their colleagues earn so that they can challenge unequal pay.

" Men can help by simply telling their female colleagues what they earn. "

Aydan said he started making his videos after seeing large gender and race pay gaps during his 13-year HR career, with women on some teams paid £20,000 less than men on the same level.

" I get some really nice messages where people have come to me and gone, 'I didn't realise that role existed' or 'I didn't realise I was being underpaid' and seeing one of my videos has actually given them the motivation to go and Speak Up , take on a new career, or take on something that's more their passion.

" And any Time I get a message like that, it's just it makes it so worth what I'm doing. "

Source of news: bbc.com