6 Taboo Topics You Should Discuss At Work

Nothing is off the table anymore.

- Stephanie Taylor Christensen

You’ve been told that certain conversations are never okay in the workplace—even with your work wife and other close co-workers. But some of the rules surrounding taboo workplace topics were made to be broken. In fact, speaking your truth may even strengthen some of your workplace relationships, reduce your stress and frustrations, and make you a more productive and confident employee. Here’s how to speak up about the following topics—smartly.

1 COMPENSATION

Comparing compensation with a coworker was once a faux pas under any circumstances, but NYC-based career coach Roy Cohen says it doesn’t pay to stay silent about the size of your paycheck: “How else can you know where you stand and your value in the food chain?” Just reserve the conversation for colleagues you have a trusting relationship with and choose words that don’t put the other person on the spot. Roy suggests a lead-in like, ‘I was contacted by a recruiter and told I’m grossly underpaid—and now I’m wondering if she’s right’. If the co-worker engages in the conversation, you can broach the topic of what you each make and how it stacks up to market value.

2 PREGNANCY AND MATERNITY LEAVE