Although there are typically no specific rules preventing employees from discussing their salaries with co-workers, conventional wisdom has traditionally discouraged such conversations as they can lead to conflict and resentment.

A new report from Self Financial found that the majority of employees—about 83 percent—believe the salaries of all employees should be transparent, and nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said they have openly talked about pay with their colleagues. This transparency has not necessarily led to positive feelings about pay, the report found. About 66 percent of employees said they felt underpaid after finding out how their salary compared with co-workers, and 63 percent said they were tempted to quit after finding out they were being underpaid. 

However, these feelings of frustration may be unfounded, as 61 percent of respondents to the survey said they have lied to co-workers about how much they earn. Younger workers—those between ages 18 and 26—are the most likely to have been dishonest with co-workers about their salary, the report said. Younger workers also are the most likely to support disclosing salaries to colleagues, while Baby Boomers are the least supportive of this idea.