Hi everyone, this is really just a therapeutic rant for me. I feel like if I put it “out there” it might make me feel better about the whole situation. Also looking for any advice, encouragement, or wisdom if you have any.
In the summer of 2023, I took a position at a local community college. It works out great for me because of the location (for personal/family medical reasons, I wanted to be close to home). They agreed that with a master's degree the position pays $20, but with a bachelor's the position is only $15. Since I have a master's degree, I confirmed twice that my wage would be the higher amount and twice they agreed (once verbally and another time by email).
When I got my first paycheck however, I noticed I was receiving the lower hourly wage of $15 per hour. I tried to get it fixed and they said it's in the hands of the dean who will need to sign off on it. Almost two weeks have passed since then and my wage increase request has not been signed off on. I'm still receiving the lower wage which I had not agreed to, which was ultimately due to an error by the person who originally hired me. That person got a job somewhere else and no longer works for the school I'm working for. In a few days I will email the dean directly, and likely get the same answer my supervisor gave me: it will get done when it gets done. It might also look bad that I went around my supervisor and straight to the dean.
This is money I use to feed my family, buy diapers and baby wipes, and transportation. I want to be calm because that's the kind of person I am, but I also feel like I'm being ignored. This position was meant to be a transitional one while I'm changing careers, so I want the good references as well. Anyway, as I said before: this is just my rant which I hope is somewhat therapeutic for me personally. Thank you all who took the time to read it. I'll gladly accept any advice, encouragement, or words of wisdom in the comments.