Got promised a raise at my performance review two months ago, told it was going to kick in a month ago. Company knows they don't pay me enough to live, I'm in the midst of only eating two meals a day, if that some days. I've been applying to other jobs and asking for any chance for a raise or promotion for 8 months. Sent email after email asking about it after it didn't happen, got almost no response except finally was told a week and a half ago that we would be having a meeting to discuss it at the end of the week.
Red flag I should've picked up on: My hours were already in my punch in/out app on Thursday and Friday. Thought it was weird, but my director (who had told me many times he was sticking up for me and that he was my friend) reassured me that he was trying to put it in the schedule section but messed up.
Cut to Friday, I come in expecting to just get the base $2 raise that the company gives everyone after a year. There's a bit of work to be done so I take care of it and then go wait in the office. Director is in there, another red flag I should've noticed, he can't seem to make eye contact with me. Eventually his supervisor gets there and we all go outside to talk. Seems weird we're not even gonna use a meeting room but again I guess that's on me for being trusting.
Supervisor wastes no time. “Today is your last day with us, here's a copy of your last paystub,” etc. Genuinely so stunned I asked him if he forgot that April fool's was a month ago. He speaks as emotionlessly as possible, and says “I know the dates.” My stomach begins to boil as I attempt to get the coward who pretended to be my friend to look me in the eye. Supervisor says something about an “attitude problem” and starts making up some things that I know didn't happen. None of this has ever been brought up before. Neither of them can even pretend to feel any semblance of emotion as I fall on the ground and start crying there in the gravel. I tell them they've condemned me to homelessness, again, they can't pretend to care.
As I force myself to stand up and leave, I take off my uniform and throw it on the ground, scatter my business cards around the dirt, then toss the assorted keys across the parking lot. If they're gonna pretend I had an attitude problem, I can at least act the part. What are they gonna do, fire me?