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Antiwork

The casual contempt is killing me

A few months ago, I encouraged a coworker who has been with the company nearly 20 years to ask to be moved to salaried. Hourly employees at my company don't get PTO or paid holidays, just three days sick time. Salaried workers get 10 paid holidays, 10 days PTO per year and 3 sick days. It seemed bizarre that the owners thought it was acceptable to have such a long time loyal employee, and basically restrict him from vacationing unless he could budget the unpaid time off. Well he talked with the bosses, got himself an exception of 5 days PTO yearly, and threw me under the bus. I had a meeting with the two owners and the 2 most senior people in the company. They told me I was poisoning the well, that I wasn't allowed to discuss pay (almost got that in writing, but they thought better of…


A few months ago, I encouraged a coworker who has been with the company nearly 20 years to ask to be moved to salaried. Hourly employees at my company don't get PTO or paid holidays, just three days sick time. Salaried workers get 10 paid holidays, 10 days PTO per year and 3 sick days. It seemed bizarre that the owners thought it was acceptable to have such a long time loyal employee, and basically restrict him from vacationing unless he could budget the unpaid time off. Well he talked with the bosses, got himself an exception of 5 days PTO yearly, and threw me under the bus.

I had a meeting with the two owners and the 2 most senior people in the company. They told me I was poisoning the well, that I wasn't allowed to discuss pay (almost got that in writing, but they thought better of it), and that salaried work is only reserved for people that they take a professional interest in, likely because my state mandates that salaried workers are paid double minimum wage.

Since then, one of the owners has taken pretty much every chance to act rudely to me. Just yesterday, I was talking with my supervisor about my approved time off for my wedding and honeymoon in two months. I was talking about how we are making all the final touches and things are moving fast, when my boss walked up and said “I wouldn't be so sure” and goes on to explain that he went to a wedding where the groom left the bride at the alter.

I know it seems so small, but I keep mulling that conversation over in my head and getting angrier and angrier at how inappropriate it was. Was he questioning my character? Or my soon-to-be wife's character? Or just being mean trying to wish evil on me?

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