TL;DR: I began work about 2 and a half weeks ago with a company at a cut from my previous job (down $5k annually, but needed a job). Yesterday I was terminated because I asked too many questions about pay.
I lost my original job 3 months ago after having covid and my company not paying me sick time (previous company had been bought and had cashed out the sick time I accrued during the year). Through the help of friends and family, I survived 2 months until I landed this job. Great benefits, good vibe, but at a loss of $5k annually. It’s the first real job offer I got, so I accepted while still looking for better.
Training is 4 weeks long, 55 hours each week (5 11 hr shifts). 2 weeks into training, I find out another person in training for the same position I’m in is receiving $5k more than I am. This person had less experience than me, but because they were working in a different region, the pay cap was higher. One of the things this new company made sure to mention was that if I had questions, I needed to ask.
Naturally, I did as instructed. I emailed the HR rep who did my onboarding, and their reply was exactly what the other trainee had mentioned, that because it was a different region, the pay scale was different. They also CC’d my regional manager (the one who interviewed me and told me the salary), to be able to respond further with more information. My RM was radio silent until yesterday.
I go in for my training shift and was asked by the GM training me if everything was going well and if there were any questions I had. I don’t remember the exact thing they asked me, but the subject of pay came up and I expressed my disappointment with how my email was basically ignored. GM sounds empathetic, but roughly an hour passes, and the RM walks through the door. 30 min after our rush, the RM asks me to sit down with them and the GM.
RM then begins grilling me about what I spoke about with the GM, saying that the pays others in the same position less than what they pay me. “Should I pay you less too?” My response? “No, you should be paying them more.”
I guess that didn’t sit well because the follow up question was, “If you got a better offer, would you take it?” I was honest and said that I’d consider it, depending on the situation. The RM then said we appreciate your time, but this is where we part ways. Not wanting to cause a scene, I gathered my things and left.
I have no record of the email asking HR my pay question because they deactivated my work email before I made it home. I asked for an official notice of termination, but I doubt I’ll hear from them ever again. I feel so defeated, but I’ve sent out new applications and will keep trying.