Public Postings of Public Employees Salaries

ntk104

I was just reading an article in the 'Boston Herald' that gave the salaries of public employees in the State of Massachusetts.  I was interested in comparing the salaries of employees in the public sector to those of the private sector.  The names of the employees were given as well as the job title and rate of pay or salary.  Although I should be able to find out what a job pays (as this is a matter of public record), I don't need to know the name of the person holding the job title.  This almost seems like an invasion of privacy.  What are some of your thoughts on this?

SFbay

The public interest probably outweighs privacy concerns.  The names are probably important for spotting nepotism. My friend told me that one media outlet printed the addresses of public officials.  That is definitely going too far.

IrisD

As a former public employee (school system), I think the job title is sufficient; there is no necessity to print the name of the person(s) in the job unless it is an elected official.

BarbieW

I think the release of this type of information is governed by the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state equivalent. Generally, information such as home addresses, phone numbers, SS numbers, medical information, and some other information is protected from disclosure as confidential. However, I think salaries paid to public employees are subject to disclosure. I know you can find the names and salaries of federal employees online.

Richard3

I agree that publishing people's names is too much information. It's enough to know what the job position is.