Posted six years ago on r/ProRevenge, but I think it's still relevant today.
I used to work as Medic in the Canadian oil patch, good job for the most part as it pays more and is less stressful than ground ambulance. I did a few years responding to 911 calls then took some time off to live in New Zealand. When I came back to Canada I was strapped for cash and looking to get back to work quickly so I took a job with the first company that called me back.
Interview goes well, I get a start date, a daily wage rate and for the time couldn't be happier.
Doing this job was apiece of cake, basically it involves sitting in a truck with a MTC ( mobile treatment center) stuffed in the box, think pick up truck with camper. Mostly the reason medical staff is required has to do with OHS legislation. If you are x amount of time from hospital and doing “high risk” work you need dedicated EMS.
I spent 20 days away from home at this remote work site where they were fracking gas wells and by the 20th day couldn't wait to get home, I was excited to get my first real pay check in nearly a year and planning on first paying off some bills and then getting blackout drunk.
This is where shit went sideways on me – I tore open the mail box like a child on Christmas morning, grabbing my check I headed down to the bank. Opening the letter I froze, wtf? I'm missing over 1,000 $ – a cursory glance at my attached paystub revealed I was getting paid 75$ per day less than I expected. “Okay” I think to myself “must be a mistake, i'm sure they'll rectify it for me”.
The next day I went down to the office and met with Asshat manager and a few other office people. We sat down and talked it over and I asked if it was a mistake and when could I be expecting the rest of my pay. AM looked at me squarely and said ” you won't be getting that extra money, I HAVE discussed it with the rest of management and WE have agreed no one told you that you would be getting 400 $ / day. We only pay 325$ to start” “Well i'm not saying you all told me I would start at 400$. You AM told me I would get 400 the day you hired me”
He always had this creepy little smirk on his face and I began to understand the underlying reason( kinda looked like the ” Pedo smile”)
Smirking at me he began ” why would I start you at the top wage? We'd have no where to go, you wouldn't ever be able to get a raise and that wouldn't be fair now would it? ” I replied ” that doesn't bother me, besides YOU told me I would get 400$” With that smirk still plastered across his face he said ” I don't remember that, did you get it in writing? ” At this point I knew he got one over on me and while internally livid I tried not to betray any emotion. ” No I guess I didn't ” AM- ” well there you go, so let's get this settled while you are here, you'll get 325$ as a day rate and we're all in agreement. Is that okay? Can you live on that? ” I agreed without too much fanfare and left wordlessley cursing him and his progeny down the generations.
I start looking for jobs immediately as i'm not about to continue working for that asshole if I don't have to but remembering at the same time i'm not suited for unemployment. 3 days into my scheduled 10 off I get a call from AM ” Hi AstaKask, can you work tomorrow? I've got a job and our medic is sick, it's really important, they're doing a large gas frac in the morning” “Sure” I says. “Great, you'll have to come by tonight and grab a truck, I won't be there so i'l give you the gate code to the yard and leave the keys in the gas cap”. ” you need to drive out to site tonight and be there for the 6am start” “You bet boss” I said barely keeping my voice even. At this point I decided to say “fuck it unemployment isn't all that bad”
Fast forward to 7am the next day. The phone call I was expecting from AM arrives ” WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!??” ” what do you mean? ” “You NEEDED to be at the jobsite for 6am! I just got a call from the oil company! WHERE the fuck are you!!? ” ” i'm at home ” ” WHAT!? You were going on this Job, we talked last night!! ” ” Hmmm, I don't remember this…. did you get it in writing? ” I promptly hung up and then turned my phone off.
Now they couldn't start that job and it was my company's fault. If you know anything about fracking it's Hella expensive and they ended up having to pay for all the labor costs during the delay. I got threats of legal action and such so I know it cost them THOUSANDS. I hope it was worth it. I don't burn my bridges, I take off and nuke them from orbit… it's the only way to make sure.
It's been almost 8 years, that company eventually folded and nothing ever came of their saber rattling. I still get a good chuckle when I imagine that asshole going red in the face.
TLDR ; company didn't pay me what I deserved and it ended costing them thousands more.