Hello antiwork community!
I’ve been lurking here for a bit and I’m now coming to you for advice on behalf of myself and my partner. Please excuse the long post but we’re kind of at the end of our rope.
I don’t know if anyone has bright ideas on how to hold leadership accountable for creating miserable and chaotic work environments, or if my partner might have a legal leg to stand on for changing compensation and role requirements? Quitting would be ideal, but we need the income at the moment.
For context: My former employer and my partner’s current employer has been a complete circus for the last year and a half. I was terminated without notice or explanation last year after voicing concerns about leadership in an “anonymous” feedback survey. I was in a managerial position at the time and didn’t know that the director would terminate me for providing negative (but constructive!) feedback. My own fault for being so vocal and assuming I had job security.
Since that time, things very rapidly went to hell in a hand basket. My partner, who is still in that department, has been put through absolute chaos. Her leader was demoted, then terminated, without having clear reporting structure to replace them. Teammates became “temporary” leaders with promises of promotions that would never come. Her job description and work requirements have changed multiple times hand in hand with new compensation structures. Things are rarely put in writing and teammates are often confused about what they will be paid. The organization structure has changed maybe three or for times in the last year.
In January, she was given a pay adjustment in compliance with minimum state salaries and has had extra compensation for being bilingual since being hired at the company. A month ago, the director of the department was terminated, which seemed great at first, but hand in hand with that, yet another org structure was launched with more complicated comp models and role changes.
After having just received a pay increase, she was told that she would now be hourly and making significantly less while doing a higher volume of the same scope of work. Initially, she was told that with the new bonus model, she would take home a higher amount than she was making before, but just today she was told that she wouldn’t bring home any bonus whatsoever unless she hit productivity levels that are very unlikely to achieve. She was also told that her added salary for being bilingual was being removed because management didn’t see a need, but my partner has contacts who she works with that cannot speak English.
Nothing has been put into writing. Everything happens via verbal interactions, which makes it all seem especially loose and uncertain.
It’s absolute chaos, and we really never know what to expect when she logs on for ther day. Toxic doesn’t describe it, the environment causes so much anxiety for our family. I have been actively looking for a new job since I was let go last year, but I’ve not had good luck. She is looking for work, but sometimes it feels like we’re stuck depending on this horrible shit show.
Sorry for the dramatics, but ultimately I’m wondering if anyone has advice? We’re in Washington State which seems to have really crappy labor laws. So many people on the team have the HR department on speed dial, but problems continue to get worse and worse.