This revealed 55.6% of Canadians inflate or deflate their salaries for leverage, privacy, and more
Lying about one's salary is a common practice among Canadians, with a recent survey by BonusFinder Canada revealing that more than half of the respondents have misrepresented their earnings.
The findings show that 55.6 percent of Canadians have lied about their salary at some point. Among them, 37.7 percent claimed their salary was lower than it actually is, whereas 28 percent reported a higher figure than their real income.
Calgary emerged as the city with the highest percentage of people inflating their salary, with 33.4 percent of respondents admitting to doing so. Conversely, Quebec topped the list for salary deflation, with 41.8 percent of its residents understating their earnings.
The most cited reason for inflating salary figures was to gain negotiating leverage, with 37.8 percent of respondents seeking an advantage in salary discussions. This tactic is often used in interviews, where prospective employers may inquire about current salary levels.
However, such dishonesty carries risks and is successful less than half the time.
On the other hand, the primary motivation for deflating salary figures is to avoid jealousy or resentment within the workplace, as noted by 28.4 percent of participants. This reflects a concern over salary disparity and its impact on workplace dynamics.
The survey, conducted among 3,000 Canadians, further highlighted the sectors and cities where salary dishonesty is most prevalent. The hospitality industry leads, with 66.3 percent of its workers admitting to lying about their salary. Ottawa, with 63.4 percent of its residents engaging in salary dishonesty, ranks as the top city for salary lies in Canada.
Other reasons for inflating salary include enhancing social status and image (22.2 percent), meeting family and social expectations (12.5 percent), and for business or networking purposes (11.2 percent). As for deflating salary, maintaining privacy (25.4 percent) and equalizing relationships (19.9 percent) were also significant factors, alongside surprising motives such as reducing tax liabilities (9.6 percent).
