Some background, I used to work for this company for about 4 years and left on good terms during covid due to mental health reasons.
When I left I was making $14.72/hr with full benefits.
I ended up coming back to the company after a year or so of working on myself and because the flexibility of the hours works well with returning to school and finishing off my degree.
When I came back, they told me that my pay would be $14.50 an hour with no benefits and that I'd be starting off as a temp and on a 'fast track' to be hired back as a full employee with benefits.
After a few days, I saw on the temp agency website that anyone hired for this position would be paid $17/hr without benefits.
I brought it up to my manager who told me this happened because allegedly full time employees with benefits receive only $14.50 an hour, and that they didn't want me to freak out at the pay rate drop when I was to be hired on full time. And that since I was on this 'fast track' it shouldn't really make much of a difference by the time any change was made to rectify that rate.
Well I told them to go fix it, and instead of giving me the $17/hr, they gave me $16, still no benefits.
No explanation as to why, despite me having years of experience and having more output than the other employees.
I talked to someone who was recently hired on full time after being a temp. Turns out, the pay is actually $16/hr an hour with benefits, not $14.50/hr.
So I sent an email to HR demanding an answer as to what's going on as I no longer trust my manager. They told me that there is too much going on for an email snd that we can have a call.
I have forwarded all pertinent emails and correspondence etc to my personal email so that nothing gets 'lost'. Since I am in TX I will be recording the phone call since only one consenting party is needed in order to legally record the call.
I know HR is only there to protect the company and not myself.
Is this an example of wage discrimination? Do I have any options to get the proper pay rate? (Outside of leaving this job for another)