“I don’t think so, not when every one of these requests goes through our legal people over at human resources.”
Customary practices do not negate illegal monopolistic practices. In fact, all those losses in court concerning monopolies went through legal departments.
Lawyers are not holier than thou, not are they the smartest people, nor the most correct.
I actually know the laws and regulations that govern everything I do. The HR people are very good about sending them. And if I am ever in doubt, the CFR (code of federal regulation) is available on the internet, as well as the OPM (office of personnel management). I absolutely have to know the labor laws, because I have employees who will file legal complaints at the drop of a hat if I do not demonstrate up front that I have the law on my side. And even then, they will file complaints.
I really don't know what you think is going on, or that you are actually aware of all of the regulations? I'm going to guess that you don't supervise people? But what I can tell you is that every new hire, in my experience, asks for a "better" package than the original offer. And, regardless of your feelings about it, they very often trot out their current salary with their current employer as a bargaining point. We need employees, and we need the best we can get--do you seriously think we won't negotiate with them on the basis that you feel their salary is a confidential matter which they should be prohibited from divulging and we should be prohibited from seeing?
Also, I really don't get where you get this "monopolistic practices" stuff from.