Of course I really don’t like conflict so I felt pretty sick after all this, but I woke up refreshed and satisfied and ready to tell this story.
So, I started a job a week ago, my first job and it was in administration. I handled emails, invoices, quotes, payment, data inputting, phone calls etc, and frankly it was an overwhelming thing to be thrust into in the first place, however the next few things were the cherry on the cake.
Apparently the condition of employment was to take out an ABN; something reserved for contractors and businesses which would mark me as my own seperate business. This would mean that my work place wouldn’t have to pay me superannuation, I’d only get two weeks holiday instead of four weeks, only five sick days instead of seven, and I’d take on all the taxation. Not only that, but I was being paid $20 an hour. The minimum wage in Australia for adults is $20.33, which is barely a living wage in itself, but apparently as I was in a ‘trial period’ it was okay to exploit me as a worker. With tax, that goes down to $18 an hour.
On this Saturday, the beginning of the second week of work mind you, as my boss would later label it my first week, I was late. It was pouring down rain, my car had broken down the day before so I was having to use my grandmother’s, and the GPS thought that I was going somewhere else with a letter of difference in the name, so I missed my turn off. I was stuck on the highway and tried my best to get back as soon as possible, and of course as soon as I arrived at work I was full of apologies and explained exactly what had happened. My boss laughed, thinking this was amusing, and said “next time, call me or Jon when you’re going to be late.” Keep that in mind for later, he said next time.
Later that day, I got the courage to point out the difference in payment to what was legal, the 33c of difference which very much adds up overtime. He told me that everyone else in the entire work place started out at $20 an hour, and that they weren’t allowed to cheat because they were often checked by the government.
I left it at that, until later that day when I was trying to take a nap and my boss rang. He said that because I was late for work that day which is very unprofessional in a new person, they’re going to have to let me go. I said yes of course, okay, and he said that he’d pay me the leftover wages from the week. Later he texted me that he’d pay me on Tuesday, which is the official pay day for a place I no longer worked at. I’d have to wait three days for what was due.
Of course, my grandmother had been paying very close attention and had been very eager to get him on the phone, and I said okay. She let loose on him, telling him that what he was doing was illegal in multiple counts and that if I wasn’t paid what I was owed (the extra 33c per hour plus 10% superannuation), she’d write to the local member. She also mentioned that he should pay all his employees the legal wages and he screamed at her not to tell him how to run his business. Of course, he paid. I got $111 dollars more than I would’ve if my grandma hadn’t told him off, and I was happy to leave it at that until he sent me this text message. And this is what I replied.
Him:
Hi Caitlin,
I would like to make it clear that the reason for us making the decision of terminating your employment is due to you being 40min late on your 1 week of employment and not calling anyone to advise that you were running late, the rain factor is just a poorexcuse as everyone else was on time and a phone call would not have been hard.
Your employment was on trial basis and this lack of responsibility on your first week is unacceptable and a good reson for terminating your trial employment as it was on trial basis meaning you can be terminated at anytime if not suitable for the role also can walk out anytime if you did not like anything about the job or task that were giving to you.
We have paid you minimum legal wage for training week including your lunch time and also have paid the difference for last Saturday.
Don't really appreciate your grandma calling me making threats.
All the best in your future endeavors.
Me:
Hi Kevin, I didn't make any excuses and I told you exactly what happened when you asked earlier today. If my grandma told you it was rain, that was her interpretation however I never made it a secret that my GPS made me take a wrong turn and I was stuck on the highway.
I was on time every single day this week, even turning up an hour early on the Tuesday because you FORGOT to tell me that weekdays run 8am til 4. I don't blame you for firing me, in fact I was looking for a reason to quit, as your payment BELOW MINIMUM WAGE even on a trial basis, and having me take out an ABN even though I was an employee with set hours and not a contractor, so you could avoid paying me superannuation and giving me due holidays that I would have working under a TFN, which is frankly against the law and an abuse of all your employees regardless of how they accept it.
If you perceive my grandmother's statement of fact as threats, it's only because there's truth behind it that would legitimately get your business into trouble, otherwise you wouldn't perceive them that way. Additionally she didn't call you at any behest from me, in fact I discouraged it due to the fact that I was pleased to be released from your business, however I do appreciate being paid what's due.
I already have another job lined up that will treat me with respect and not insult my intelligence by paying me a respectable amount for the work I put in. All your employees should be paid minimum wage starting out, even on a trial basis, because we're people, not streaming platforms that you can try out and get rid of as soon as they don't meet your grandiose standards.
I appreciate your kindness while you were working there, and your wife was lovely. Aaron and Caroline were wonderful and deserve better, and I certainly hope you find someone else fast so they can support Aaron since he's doing the brunt of the work by himself.
I really hope for the best for you and your family, but I won't be made ashamed for drawing boundaries. Thank you so much for firing me, because I'm really looking forward to working somewhere honestly respectable.
Additionally, if you're going to hold forty minutes against me, I'll bring up the weeks you left me waiting about information for the dog sitting job you asked me to take on, including during the period the job was meant to have started, in addition to the information as to when this actual job was to begin, saying you'd call me when you wanted me to come in with the expectation I'd put all my plans on hold, which I did. I've done nothing but wait for you, and honestly I think that you believe that everyone should bend to you, while you take on absolutely no responsibility for yourself. I'll ask you politely to grow a pair.