I face a quite uncomfortable situation in my company. Several weeks ago, I was tasked to work with a new coworker. She has been in the same company for a longer time than I, but was assigned to another service, and thus I only met her recently.
During lunches, and breaks, she started talking seamlessly about our different salaries (me and some other coworkers). She, and some others talked quite a lot about it since then, in a way that I feel a bit uneasy with. Indeed, they are quite often ranting about it. Even though it sounds like jokes at first, it isn't.
As of now, I didn't give up and tried to avoid the subject every time. Mostly because I don't want to hear more often bad puns like "Eyh you earn more, you'll pay the bill at the restaurant huh ?". Saying this once a week would be acceptable. The same "joke" three times a lunch sounds like they do not tell it as a joke, and would really want me to do it.
That's really unpleasant, hearing people complaining like that during each break. And I'm sure that giving up and telling them right out of the bat my own salary wouldn't make it easier. I often read that salary is quite a taboo... at first it was not for me, but since some of my coworkers are almost verbally-violent when talking about it, I definitely don't want to talk about this with them.
So, should I avoid the subject and how could I do that ? Or should I give up, tell them in order to make them rant less ? Even though I doubt it would change anything : should I earn less than them they would probably harass me with statements like "Oooooh you should really asks for more", should I earn more... well it could bring jealousy in already unpleasant talks.