Throwaway bc trying to remain anonymous as possible.
I live in an at-will state, work for a fortune500 global company. They generally tout good ethics if you work in the US but after 8 years, I am so livid and fed up with the fuck ups in payroll and ashamed I didn’t catch this shit sooner for the second time.
About 4 years ago, I briefly left my company because they messed up my pay. I had signed on to a higher volume location, and signed on for more pay. After about a year and after the store manager got fired, I realized the increase never actually got put in. After reporting this, HR/payroll said they would only retro pay 3 months. I was only 3.5 years in at that time and had enough. My family member offered me an opportunity but it all fell through and I found myself a few months later reapplying back to the company, this time in a corpo position.
This was prepandemic so supply chain was like a dream, 4 years later everyday is hell and I’m beyond burnt out.
A lot has happened over the last 4 years, I had a manager I love quit, no one managing/helping for a year, and then a new manager who was terrible and was fired. My manager was filled by my temporary direct manager. My previous senior manager died last year only 2 weeks after my temporary direct manager filled that role. And then last year, I got a new direct manager. (I like my new manager, and she’s helping me out with this situation, but not the extent I need).
This entire time I’ve been carrying the company with every issue possible whether or not I had a manager. I knew a job needed to be done and I did it, and I am praised a lot which I appreciate.
Like everyone else pay is a huge factor for happiness, and after multiple requests my team of like 5 people who continue to get cut more (used to be 8 but they helped with little tasks that are just as important and take time) , doesn’t see any real pay adjustments or bonuses. And our managers won’t go to bat for us because apparently our pay is tied to our budget which has been blown since the pandemic hit.
Now the issue is that the company offers 5 weeks vacation as a perk for being there over 5 years. This entire time, they’ve considered me within the same time as when I first started except for when my vacation time resets. I should be getting 200 hours each year after 5 years, and have only been getting 160 hours. My manager is helping me retro last years 40, and fix this years.
But I’m worried they will come back saying they won’t retro the previous years – 2021 or 2020 because just like last time, I didn’t catch this mistake soon enough. My manager only mentioned last year and this year.
I’m beyond livid because I put my sweat and tears into fixing every one else’s issues in this company, and I can’t even be compensated like our handbook says.
Any Reddit lawyers online: Do I have a legal case here? Since I’m in an at will state there is no law regarding vacation so this is off of the company policy.
Bonus question: any tips for unionizing for such a small team? How does that process start?
TL;dr company policy says 5+ years at company you get 5 weeks vacation as perk. I’ve been shorted 40 hours for the last 3 years based on company policy. I’ve been through past compensation problems with same company and they didn’t make it better but I came back anyway like an idiot.
Any advice on this is really appreciated. I know I’m an oblivious dumbass and am super frustrated at myself/company. Thanks in advance.