"How much am I worth?"
It's one of the biggest questions on employees' minds, especially as the harsh economic climate leads more workers to accept consulting gigs instead of full-time, salaried jobs.
But when some techies visit their favorite Web sites to ask how much to charge for their services, they may find themselves in for a surprise.
Popular electronic mailing lists sponsored by groups such as the HTML Writers Guild and the DC Web Women bar their members from exchanging information about salaries or pricing for contract jobs. The groups worry that condoning the activity will put them on the hook legally, if employers or federal regulators claim they are helping members violate antitrust laws by fixing prices for technical work.
The HTML Writers Guild, a seven-year-old group that counts more than 120,000 Web designers, graphic artists, and other professionals in its ranks, strongly condemns salary talk in its written policy.
"Discussion of rates, what to charge, etc. on the list will be sufficient grounds for immediate unsubscription," the policy states. "Such discussions can lead to criminal charges; just one list member can put us all at risk."
Janiré Hopkins, a member of the DC Web Women steering committee, said the subject is a touchy one. For one thing, some people charge more for their work based on skills and experience they possess -- a fact that too easily can be lost in the quick back-and-forth of an e-mail exchange. Concern about being on the wrong end of the law also plays a part in her group's ban.
"In an effort to avoid the appearance of impropriety, we steer clear from it," Hopkins said.
Legal experts said it can be difficult to draw the line between acceptable talk about wages and discussions that raise red flags.
Exchanging a little information "is probably okay," said William Baer, an antitrust lawyer at Arnold & Porter. But people who compete over price and salary are not allowed to come to an agreement over what to charge or related issues, Baer said.
