Buzz
Certain jobs may push you to warn others. Maybe you dealt with a micromanaging boss or endured a low salary despite putting in consistent effort. Whether for various reasons, you might feel the urge to share your experience and salary details on platforms like Glassdoor, Indeed, InHerSight, or Comparably.
However, if you've ever read a review of your workplace and wondered who wrote it, you might hesitate to leave your own feedback, fearing you could be recognized. Before you voice your concerns, make sure to take the necessary precautions to keep your identity safe if you want to maintain anonymity.
How to Post Your Salary Without Revealing Your Identity
If you're sharing a review with salary details for a past position, this may not concern you. But what if you're looking to reveal some juicy details about your current employer?
Larger companies make it easier to stay anonymous in your review. However, if you're at a smaller company or hold a unique job title, you might need to disguise a few details. Consider rounding your salary to the nearest thousand (for example, $45,000 instead of $44,280) or listing a broader job title like 'Marketing' instead of something specific like 'Senior Marketing Operations Manager II.'
“People aren’t necessarily going to be sleuthing around to figure out how much money you are (or were) making,” said Courtney C.W. Guerra, author of Is This Working? The Businesslady’s Guide to Getting What You Want from Your Career. “Unless you know you have nosy enemies out there, the odds of someone using that info against you are probably pretty low.”
How to Share Your Workplace Experience Privately
Writing reviews can add stress, as not only your views but your writing style could potentially give you away. To avoid being pinpointed, focus on the facts and refrain from letting any personal grudges influence your words.
Guerra advises against saving your grievances for online review platforms. “Speak up while you’re still employed...or when you’re leaving, and you might actually prompt changes that benefit your current or former colleagues,” she said, recognizing that some workplaces are more receptive to feedback and employee suggestions than others.
“Resist the urge to turn it into a roast,” Guerra recommended. “Write a review that simply echoes your thoughts in a diplomatic, clear manner—free from sarcastic remarks—and you won’t have to worry much about being identified with it.”
And if your workplace feels like a nightmare, throw off the scent of that intrusive HR boss by including a few red herrings. For example, if the review site asks how long you’ve worked there, feel free to alter your response. “Just add a few misleading details in your sharp critique,” Guerra advised. Since platforms like Glassdoor mainly serve potential employees, most readers won’t catch such discrepancies.
Don’t overlook the legal jargon
If you're still anxious about your review being traced back to you, try to pinpoint what exactly is making you uneasy and remove that part from the review.
The goal here isn’t about showing courtesy, but rather about protecting yourself from potential legal consequences. Your employment contract may specify certain job duties or company details that must remain confidential, both during your tenure and possibly even afterward.
You could also be bound by a non-disparagement clause, meaning you could face legal action for making negative comments about the company. Some agreements specifically mention anonymous review sites, so it's a good idea to review your employment documents if you're uncertain.
Glassdoor suggests reviewers take precautions to avoid legal issues by getting a second opinion: “If you’re unsure, and you want to make your point, have a friend read your review before posting it on Glassdoor.”
However, sharing your salary alone is generally protected by the National Labor Relations Act, which, according to the Society for Human Resource Management blog, also applies to social media posts.
