Obligatory using a throwaway account disclaimer. And long rant incoming so TLDR at the bottom.
I have been at this company for 5 years now. It's my first “big boy” job, with full time hours, benefits, etc. When I first started, I actually had hopes that by working hard enough and proving myself, I would be rewarded. But over those 5 years, I have been constantly fucked over by this place.
Now to give some background my job is not particularly the most difficult. If you can read, write, know basic computer skills and have common sense, within 3 months anyone can do it. However, each person has a specific job function, which leads to an issue where only that person knows how to 100% and seamlessly perform those duties. In my case, I work in shipping, and I am the only one that knows the shipping requirements for every single customer, including how to fill out certain forms as well as how to navigate websites that these customers require us to use. And I know this is the case because it's constantly brought up whenever I take off on vacation and management complains about stuff not getting done right or not getting done at all. I have even had co-workers tell me they flat out refuse to cover for me because they don't want to deal with the office as well as the customers (which is done through email.) I'm not going to say I'm the most valuable guy in the company, because I'm not, but dammit, I think I'm more valuable than $17.92/hour. Especially when I was told that 2 of the managers were worried I was quitting just because I randomly used PTO for 2 days. 5 years of BS has led me to just giving up. I do the bare minimum I need to get the office off my ass and I'll stretch a job longer than it needs to be just so I can get an hour of overtime on some days.
So what has this company done to make me feel like I'm being fucked over?
- I was asked to cancel or shorten my vacation 3 times over the course of 2 years since no one could cover for me. I agreed and was told it would be heavily noted in my review. I later found out it was never mentioned. In fact, I got the same $0.50 raise everyone got those 2 years.
- They tried writing me up for breaking my foot while on the job.
- They refused to pay me unemployment for 2 weeks while I was out with COVID because I could not prove I got infected while at work. We had a breakout where over half of the shop caught it and we even had one guy die from it.
- 2021 and 2022 were record breaking years for profits. I got a total of 45 cents for a raise. No one at the shop got more than $1 raise over those 2 years.
- They took away our monthly and quarterly bonuses. I'm making less money now despite making more hourly.
- In November of 2022, they hired a “Team Lead” for $22/hour. The guy is a fucking idiot and I don't say that lightly. Almost a year later, and he is still asking us what size bag or box to use to ship orders, he refuses to learn the other job duties despite being the “Lead” and he has admitted to us on multiple occasions that he doesn't know what he's doing. Why is this guy that knows fuck all about this job and asking me for help to do his job while being my “Lead” getting paid almost $4 more than me?
- I found out recently I'm the second lowest paid employee from our department (6 people) despite being here longer than any of them except one.
- We were all told we would get a Cost of Living raise in addition to our typical yearly raise. It was never given nor was it ever mentioned again
So am I justified in my anger or does this come off as just incessant bitching?
TLDR; Been at my job for 5 years, get shitty raises over those 5 years, company takes away bonuses, and I recently learned I'm one of the lowest paid employees in my department and does a bunch of other stuff that has me not trying my best anymore