Students serve as an advice columnist for The College Times Newspaper. The Newspaper reports on all employment issues that occur in Newspaperland and the surrounding area. However, the newspaper has a section entitled Dear Student where employees, employers, friends, defendants, and other members of the public write in to the newspaper with various employment issues and they expect answers-accurate answers. As the advice columnist, students must read, analyze and accurately respond to the public inquiries. Please provide a detailed explanation for your response based on your textbook, relevant Maryland statutes and/or case law, if applicable. Students must cite relevant Maryland statutes and/or case law when applicable. Please note that paralegal students must provide legal advice in Newspaperland.

Dear Student:

My co-workers and I were reprimanded at work for discussing our salaries at lunch. Jake, Judith and I work at a Fortune 500 company and we often have lunch together. We happened to be discussing our retirement plans and Judith mentioned that she makes $70,000.00 per year. Jake informed us that he makes $95,000.00 per year. I, also, make $70,000.00. All three of us are Level IV Executives and we all started at the company around the same time.

Equipped with this information, Judith and I approached our supervisors. They were outraged that we were discussing salaries at lunch. They advised us that we are not allowed to do that, per our contracts. Our supervisor gave us a written reprimand and put it in our personnel file.

Is this legal? Can we challenge our reprimand and the clear pay disparity? I