My comment turned into an answer, as it is slightly different from LogicianWithAHat's:

Everybody secretly throws X things into a bag, where X represents their accruate monthly payment and 'things' is something small like a matchstick or the like. Then you just count when all are done.

Why is it different/superior ?

- Does not require that anybody gets to know the payment of anybody else
- Does not require any sequence

Why is in inferior ?

- requires 'things'
- These 'things' must be sufficiently low-value to allow for the precision of everybody's salary.

Is it a valid answer?

I think yes, for the puzzle as stated. But then, I think the puzzle is not really very "puzzling" as stated, but rather a trivial question. You're not allowed to ask financial department soo.... just ask somebody else for the total (or put it togehter.)

My comment turned into an answer:

Everybody secretly throws X things into a bag, where X represents their accurate monthly payment, and 'things' is something small like a matchstick or the like. Then you just count the itmes when all are done.

Why is it different/superior ?

- Does not require that anybody gets to know the payment of anybody else
- Does not require any sequence

Why is in inferior ?

- requires 'things' - although writing numbers (or representive 'dots') on a piece of paper can simplify this
- These 'things' must be sufficiently low-value to allow for the precision of everybody's salary - Can be improved by a) first agreeing that each individual salary is a multiple of X and then use X, b) Using dots & dashes on a piece of paper (not number, as dots & dashes will not identify personal handwriting)

Is it a valid answer?

I think yes, for the puzzle as stated. But then, I think the puzzle is not really very "puzzling" as stated, but rather a trivial question. You're not allowed to ask financial department soo.... just ask somebody else for the total (or put it togehter.)

My comment turned into an answer, as it is slightly different from LogicianWithAHat's:

Everybody secretly throws X things into a bag, where X represents their accruate monthly payment and 'things' is something small like a matchstick or the like. Then you just count when all are done.

Why is it different/superior ?

- Does not require that anybody gets to know the payment of anybody else
- Does not require any sequence

My comment turned into an answer, as it is slightly different from LogicianWithAHat's:

Everybody secretly throws X things into a bag, where X represents their accruate monthly payment and 'things' is something small like a matchstick or the like. Then you just count when all are done.

Why is it different/superior ?

- Does not require that anybody gets to know the payment of anybody else
- Does not require any sequence

Why is in inferior ?

- requires 'things'
- These 'things' must be sufficiently low-value to allow for the precision of everybody's salary.

Is it a valid answer?

I think yes, for the puzzle as stated. But then, I think the puzzle is not really very "puzzling" as stated, but rather a trivial question. You're not allowed to ask financial department soo.... just ask somebody else for the total (or put it togehter.)