I'll start apologies about the length of this post and some may think this is unbelievable, genuinely I wouldnt believe it if i hadn't experienced it, but it's absolutely my first experience in the working world and warning to those that may go that route
So I thought I'd share a story from a few years ago when I got a call for a contracting role a couple of months after uni
I jumped at the opportunity as the pay was 40 an hour but I had to move across the country to work, it was tough leaving all my friends but I thought it was a good opportunity
After multiple emails confirming the pay, hours when I start etc I move, that's when shit started as the minute they knew I had moved they bait and switched me telling me the employer refused the price and they could only give me 35 then it was 30 so on and so forth until it was 15 an hour, I was unfortunately fresh faced and didn't think they could outright lie to me in writing so thought it must have been true, never mind the fact they claimed to have someone ready to take it I'd I didn't (obviously bullshit looking back)
So I start working on a 3 month contract for 15 an hour and this continues for a while. I have regular meetings with my manager at the contractor firm and kept notes of what he let slip (this is important later) I keep pushing for my wage to go up and the recruitment company/contractors keep telling me they are in negotiations but the company won't budge
I get another 3 month contract and intially refuse to sign until they bump up my pay but they call my bluff knowing I was now trapped in city I knew noone in and bills to pay but atleast works good but I keep getting comments from senior staff about how surprised they are at how young I am compared to the cost
This raised another red flag to me so I start digging and eventually talking with some people who worked admin at my placement company, they let it slip how much they were being charged for me, to say I was shocked would be an understatement so I arrange a one and one with my big boss at the placement company
We sit down and I bring up pay, they were quick to say they can't do anything as I'm an employee of the contractor firm not them but I let them know that's not why I want this meeting but to let them know the break down of the costs they are being charged
Long story short here was the break down:
They were being charged: 80
Told I was being payed: 65
Reality: I was on 15 on 40 hours a week
As you can imagine the boss blew a fucking gasket, I told them what happened my end, I also did some snooping and discovered with the help of my notes that they had essentially given a back hander ('finders fee') to the guy in charge of recruitment at my placement company so they got the contract which turned out to be against the company contract he had signed (or something like that legal got involved from that point) I provided them all the written communication I had and all the notes I had been taking even the social media connections, groups and photos the contractor and the recruitment manager sheared
Shit hits the fan, (thankfully the placement company was already suspicious as the contractor company had never had anyone in my field of work before so my contribution was the confirmation they had been looking for) I actually see the guy being Escorted out the building after from what I've heard through the grape vine he was fired for his involvement but I was at the end of my contract so who gives a damn
Until it's discovered the contractors had forged my signature on a 6 months contract rather than the 3 month I had signed so when I refused to sign the extension they claimed I broke the contract and hence didn't have to pay me from the last month I had worked
I get employed by the placement company direct (not on a great pay rise but I was just happy to get out the grasps of theses slimey bastards)
I takes 4 months to get my money, threats of tribunals, legal battles the works, I harrassed their contact details, both given and found online and elsewhere, day and night everyday just saying both over the phone, email, text whatever with a very simple message of 'fuck you pay me' but they tried calling my bluff again even calling themselves 'wolves that shouldn't be messed with' they offer me 200 as 'a gesture of goodwill' I tell them once again to go fuck themselves, they tell me that I wasn't under contract at the the time so owed me nothing. I submit for an external tribunal under all three company names they used and even their accountant company as they were named on the contract too
Low and behold they have removed my access to the portal (you couldn't even download it when I did have access) where my contract was and claiming it never existed – clearly they had done this shit to people before –
Day of the tribunal, before it starts they again offer me half what they owe me but only over a phone call whilst berating me for the hassle I've caused them and how worthless I am etc and telling me how they will rinse me at the tribunal and I'll have to pay their legal costs
I was still pretty new to this all so still anxious and panicking but realised they wouldn't be offering me more if they had a leg to stand on so I call their bluff
Safe to say they weren't prepared for the screenshots of the contracts, I had the printouts of all emails, emails from the placement company which I shit you not had them not only refering to my contracts but billing for my exact hours they claimed I didn't work for them dated after the email they sent me saying I didn't work for them
They were taken to the cleaners, long story short never believe a word they say even in fucking writing and make sure to document everything because you simply don't know how much people will fuck you over if they can especially recruiters, they swore that I was the first and last time they would work with my particular field of work and from what I can see online that was true