Money makes the world go round they say, and round it goes. Money sets people apart, brings them closer together, causes wars and drama and scandals. It changes people’s lives for both the greater good and bad. We work our whole lives to make a better world for ourselves, constantly striving to do more and be more. If you’re anything like me, my ambition goes hand in hand with wanting to make a proper salary that can sustain my living needs. Yes, my Father does a grade A job for providing me with everything I could ever want and more but there’s a big part of me that just wants to prove any type of point. Hence why I said living “needs” and not wants. Que cry laughing emojis, all I can really afford to do with my salary is go to fancy dinners with my friends, period. But again, that’s not the point. The point is I work my butt off because that little salary I get put into my bank account every month makes me feel like a five percent strong independent woman who don’t need no boy but for sure needs my Dad, 100 percent.
All the above got me thinking. How do people provide for themselves? How do people with big families and children and the whole shebang earn enough money to provide for all these other people in their lives, beside themselves? I can’t even afford to sustain myself. How much are these people actually making?
Then I remembered that ever since I was a tiny curious and investigative little twat, I would constantly beg to know how much my father earned and his answer never changed. In his perfectly eloquent English with a subtle Arab undertone, he would say: “Until I’m in my grave, I’m never telling you the answer to this question, so just stop asking me!” I have’t stopped asking to this day. I’m 26.
I was recently asked this question on two separate occasions and on both occasions I realized I answered differently. I was once asked by someone at work and I instantly found myself very embarrassed and awkward because I knew that I was four years of work experience, ahead of them. I started shrugging and mumbling and saying things that made absolutely no sense. I wasn’t embarrassed of my salary. I was somehow embarrassed because I knew I earned at least triple the amount of the person asking. The second occasion was with one of my best friends, while we were out having dinner. I was blurting out numbers and making jokes about how much I earned saying things like “La2 ya benty another round of food eh, ehna f Lemontree, foo2y. Howa ana la2ya akol! Da kolohom 3ala ba3d 16 million geneh beyakhlaso f nafas.” Jokes on jokes on jokes and it was fine. I wasn’t even half embarrassed. I was proud of the meek little salary that I was earning, through my own hard work.
The question still triggered me, so, I decided to head to the world wide web and ask my internet friends what they thought. I set out on a mini Facebook mission and pondered the simple question: Why do people not openly discuss their salaries? What’s your personal reason for not doing so. If you are open about it, why? Here are some of the responses I managed to scoop up, word for word.
Yasmine, Deputy General Manager: “We live in a societal culture that fears sharing the good things in our lives. This is mainly because most of the time, people are not satisfied with what they have. I am open to it for sure and in a fair world, salary schemes should be known and variations according to performance should be respected.”
Osama, CFO: “I’m open about it and the reason is to know the different market ranges.”
Karim: “Whats your salary Mariam?”
Bassem, Digital Director: “Personally I’m open about it out of my workplace but not within it (for obvious reasons). I believe that people usually don’t share for one of two reasons: 1. “7asad” 2. Some people like to be perceived within a specific financial segment or salary bracket that is not consistent with what they are actually getting paid, so they don’t disclose it.”
Shaimaa, Deputy General Manager: “I do when asked other than that I don’t because it is nobody’s business. I disclose it when it is an important piece of information that will add to the person asking (interview,a friend who is about to conduct a business interview, when surveyed or asked in a store or company’s application for the salary bracket.)”
Nada, Managing Director: “I also share but only when asked or if it will be of benefit to the person asking- not just for people to know. I think a lot of people don’t share because they feel its either too little or much more than other people that may have the same title or work experience.”
Youmna, Senior Content Consultant: “I feel like there are two scenarios on this matter. Sometimes, perhaps, the person isn’t making enough money or feels like others might be making more and thus wouldn’t want to say. In other cases, maybe they’re worried others are making less and don’t want to be jinxed or something? Not sure, I personally share my salary depending on how close the person is to me. Maybe because I feel like one’s financial life is a personal thing.”
As it turns out, a lot of people actually do openly discuss their salaries. So, I feel like its time you and I sit down for a little chat, Dad.
