Transparency at work not always a good thing

If you’re like most people, hearing words like “transparent” and “open” and “honest” stirs a positive response. Who doesn’t think those are good values to have and good practices to maintain?

Um, me. Granted, I set this up so I could make my point. Of course I’d prefer to deal with someone who’s honest rather than dishonest. But I reserve judgment on transparent and open. In my experience, those are qualities that people like best when they have more power in a situation.

As an easy example, think about interviewers who insist on knowing a candidate’s current salary or desired salary while not sharing how much is being offered in a position. That’s a power-imbalance scenario, with the candidate feeling pressure to disclose in hopes of moving forward in the hiring process.

Luckily, some states have banned this candidate question, on the basis of “historical pay bias.” This describes the practice of making a low offer based on the fact that it still represents an increase over whatever pay the candidate receives now. Not surprisingly, lowballed candidates tend to be women or minorities, who can be stuck with a perpetual pay gap, no matter how far they move up the ladder.

These issues are gaining attention as new generations enter the workforce, bringing a culture of openness from a lifetime of living “out loud” on social media. Websites such as glassdoor.com contribute to the trend by offering a platform where individuals can describe their pay or other details of a job.

So on the one hand, we have laws that prohibit employers from requesting certain information from candidates. And on the other hand, we have the workers themselves voluntarily disclosing the same information on the web.

These aren’t actually opposite scenarios, since one involves voluntary sharing, and the other describes a certain coercion. Coercive practices will nearly always be the wrong thing to do. But that doesn’t mean voluntary transparency is the right course either. As it turns out, the best answer might be nuanced, not black and white.

Although there may be more, the following four areas are good places to go slow when it comes to disclosing information, especially at work.

■ Salary. Besides your boss, your spouse and the HR department, who else should know how much you’re paid? In the old days, the answer would be “no one.” Even union positions and public sector jobs have generally presented this data as a range, without pinning the exact salary to a particular worker. These days, the answer is murkier, as already discussed above. It may be my generational bias showing, but I lean toward the old-fashioned concept of keeping this information close.

■ Health conditions.

Is it finally safe to disclose that you live with depression or diabetes or ADHD?

That’s a tough call. On the one hand, sharing a diagnosis with your boss or HR representative can help you gain protection and accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. On the other hand, it may also trigger adverse actions, such as leaving you out of key projects.

■ Family issues. It used to be common for men with kids to be perceived as stable while women with kids were presumed to be distracted at work. Has this really gone away? Assuming (sadly) the answer is no, one lesson I glean from this parent bias is the employer’s concern about family duties negatively impacting work responsibilities. This is not a defensible stand, but that doesn’t make it less real. In that light, quashing a tendency to overshare might be safest.

■ Job search. Well, duh, right? Who thinks it’s smart to share their job search with their current employer? In truth, I sometimes do. When there’s nothing to lose and those involved will benefit from knowing, transparency can be the right call. But if those conditions aren’t met, a confidential search is still the best plan of action.

With all of these caution lights going off, how do you know when to disclose something and when to keep quiet? Like everything else, weighing pros and cons can help. if disclosing something makes you uncomfortable, you probably don’t need to do it.