The elephant in the room for the entire nation (but RTE tackles it tonight)

An RTÉ documentary will address what is very often the elephant in the room during conversations in Ireland.

Discussing your salary amongst your peers can often be an uncomfortable topic of conversation, not just in Ireland, but further afield too. Of course, some are only too happy to brag about their wealth to anyone who will listen, but for a variety of understandable reasons, others would rather not broach a topic that they have a right to keep private. In fact, we asked you how comfortable you felt talking about your salary with your own employer and we were surprised to learn that 88 percent of you admitted to finding it difficult. While it might not be something people are comfortable talking about in person, there is always interest in what people earn in other walks of life and how it compares, favourably or unfavourably, to your own circumstances. In What Are You Working For? reporter Philip Boucher-Hayes will take a peek inside our pay packets and ask whether our wages are dictating our place in society in Ireland. Not surprisingly, there was a reluctance on behalf of some of the participants to discuss their pay packet in front of a camera... Clip via RTÉ Looking at jobs that are low paid, medium range and well compensated – in both the public and private sector – the documentary will take a look at pay rates across a range of occupations and industries, with Boucher-Hayes examining workplaces that are important pillars of the Irish economy, such as finance, pharma and tech. The documentary will also examine private versus public sector earnings, the gender pay gap, the burgeoning ‘gig economy’, what makes a good job and why some occupations are more respected and valued than others. What Are You Working For? airs on RTÉ One on Monday, September 11 at 9.35pm.