Apologies for length. I'm super pissed off about this still.
TLDR: I was catfished into a job where I was taken advantage of and made to do the work of 3 people while everyone (including management) went on vacation and then fired when everyone came back. They tried to lie about the reason, but when I called them out on their BS they admitted it was for talking about my pay.
I left a toxic job that wasn't paying me a fair wage back in August for a new job that paid more. I didn't get the top end of the salary range and I was ok with that because the hiring manager said she had to give all of her current people market adjustments to compensate.
Initially that really won me over. Sounds like a fair and equal workplace right? Wrong.
As soon as I started the team was generally cold, dismissive and unapproachable. Most of them made it pretty clear they didn't want me there. I tried to discuss this with my boss after my 2nd week and at first she said that they were just on “change overload” but then went on to admit it's also because they all saw the internal posting for my position with the pay scale and it was more than them. When I asked about their market adjustments she told me about, she said it was still coming down the line.
Last week I guess they did give 2 employees on my team the market adjustment, but not the others. Of course, one employee found out about it. Rightfully she was pissed. I listened to her vent and cosigned her frustrations because I know what its like to be in her position. I can't remember stating specifically what I made, but maybe I did. Not that it matters anyway. And again, they supposedly already knew what I was making anyway.
Cut to Monday. I am called to a surprise meeting at 4:30. I know what this usually means, but I was second guessing my gut instincts because in the 9 weeks I've been at this job I've gotten zero constructive feedback from management. I assumed I was doing fine because my boss had no problem taking a week vacation when 2 of my coworkers were also out (1 on vacation and 1 on medical leave) and leaving me to do the work of 3 people. I had only heard I was doing great. I am really kicking myself now for not recording it, but I was just taken so off guard and I'm sure that was an intention tactic.
My department manager and the director are in the conference room (No HR) and they start going into their tangent about fitting in and the culture. They tell me that they've heard from everyone in the department that I'm a problem. I question how that can be when 1) one person hasn't been in the office the past 2 weeks. 2) another person has been out on medical leave for 4+ weeks 3) ANOTHER person has been WFH for the past 6 weeks and the other 2 team members I've only been in the office with 3 days a week, one of which I don't speak to because she works different hours than me and is antisocial. So that just leaves 1 other employee… who was the one mad about not getting her market adjustment. Not to mention I had just had a conversation with the director 2 weeks ago where she said “Everyone loved me” so how does that even make sense?
When I call them out on their obvious bullshit, they then state (their clearly real reason) that I've been talking about my pay to other employees. When I point out that my manager had already told me that they knew because of the job posting, she again backtracked and said that they only knew the range and not the specifics. When I asked if this was an official policy because its illegal to retaliate against an employee for discussing their wages, they say “Well that's not what we're saying”.
They went on about some other bullshit about how my performance is excellent and it pains them to do this (fucking gag – no shit it was excellent when I'm doing the work of 3 people so everyone else can take their PTO) but they have decided to part ways.
They confiscated my badge, informed me that HR would contact me with next steps and had another manager waiting outside the door with my purse because I wasn't allowed to go back to my desk. So I just left.
I don't know why, but I'm just flabbergasted and so totally blindsided. I know to expect this kind of garbage by now, but at worst I was fired illegally and at best I'm fired based on rumors and hearsay. I know that I'm better off not working for a place like that, but at what cost? Now I'm out of a job and out of insurance (that I literally just got back after 6 weeks of waiting to be eligible) and I already know they're going to lie for the reason of termination or be vague. At will state, blah blah blah. Plus I'm super anxious about starting over again somewhere new just to be taken advantage of and stabbed in the back.
The first thing I did was file a charge with the NLRB. I have an appointment next week to submit my affidavit, so we'll see what the investigator has to say. I don't have anything in writing, but I sent detailed notes with dates and names of all the nonsense that went on in those short 9 weeks. Any tips or advice on what to discuss specifically with the representative in person is greatly appreciated.
I received the decision on my unemployment claim, but Badger isn't on the hook for it. They are making my previous employer pay. I am hoping that means it won't be disputed (I believe I have read that on here somewhere before) but I suppose we'll see.
Also I was never contacted by HR, which is not at all surprising. I called then yesterday and got the run around that someone else was supposed to submit it, but didn't and they're gonna get a termination letter to me ASAP but of course they haven't.
Fuck these corporations man. Badger Infrastructure is the absolute WORST place to work. Ive also submitted a scathing review for them on Glassdoor letting all future employees know to AVOID at all costs no matter the money. They clearly just pay people well so they can abuse then without recourse.