Welcome back to the communities (last post)

The line has no real legal effect and is just a suggestion (its an expectation after all not an instruction). Its a judgement call as to if this line will make things worst or better - if you have just moved to this Academy this might not be the issue to challenge the principal on.

Agree with Keith. Try to understand the environment for the moment.
If the principal is suficciently receptive/approachable you may want to ask him to help you understand the rationale behind the request (as opposed to openly challenging it at this stage....)

In reply to Keith:

I'd have to disagree with colleagues here - IMHO it is most unwise especially for a public body to put such as this in, and I'd be inclined to say so, albeit as tactfully and diplomaticallyas I could given the context.

It's unwise because of eg:

Furthermore, for a public body that's supposed to work directly under both the European Human Rights Directive and the U.K. Public Sector Equality Duty it's sailing very close to the wind if not actually risking contravention in this regard. It may only be an 'expectation' as written but  in effect to put any employee to any detriment at all for failing to carry it out would  make it very much more prohibitive. So what's the point of putting it in at all? (And see too below)

Finally, I do think it sends out the (entirely wrong?) message along the lines of 'we don't have a transparent coherent or fair pay policy here, so we have plenty to hide in this regard and don't want individuals finding out about it by comparing individual salaries'

In reply to David:

I agree with this I think. Unless it's something that would end up with a sanction if breached i see little point in adding it in. By saying it doesn't prevent them from speaking to each other. My understanding is the Equality Act says you can't ask employees not to discuss pay with each other, though you can ask them not to discuss it externally

In reply to Andrea Jennings:

"But" you are now operating in the very political atmosphere of a school where Principals tend to have unusual and self important notions about their own views. The wording they propose isn't I believe unlawful (even under the Equalities Act) so as I said its more a judgement call as to if this causes more good than harm and IF this is the battle you want to go up against the Principal on - especially if its his pet peeve (which it often is)

Its an odd one in Schools as well as the vast majority of people are on national grading structures which are pretty well known. I assume he/she has move some senior staff onto Academy based contracts / terms?

I think, on balance, Andrea, most of us would agree that opacity when it comes to pay is more unhelpful than it is helpful. In this, I suspect, Keith and David are of one mind.

Your job is to decide whether to challenge the Principal on this will be worth the trouble.

I've had similar situations - not about pay, but on other matters where I've disagreed with my boss - and my usual approach has been to push gently and then retract as soon as I hit firm resistance. But I usually follow up my capitulation with a request to the discuss the subject in more detail at our next one-to-one "so I can understand their reasoning".

In reply to Robey:

Agree with all that has been said - absence of transparancy is not a "good thing" and in a mature environment staff should be free to exchange openly about their remuneration.
"There lies the rub".... How mature is the environment? What is the potential opportunity cost of raising a challenge and how hard?

And I assume the guilty parties will get disciplined? Even if they are discussing salaries in the pub or at home? What is his objective? If I was a staff member the first thing I'd be wondering is what he is trying to hide. That would soon get me talking!!