A year before the pandemic, I was looking for work in Banking. There was a job listed online for “minimum of $13/hr” and I was excited because I had never made more than $12/hr. At the time, it was considered impressive to make $12, even though you’d be scraping by. Minimum is $7.25 here.
I drove two cities away for that interview. I had to pay $20 for parking.
I walk in five minutes early and the interviewer (the head manager), was 15 minutes late.
We get through the whole 30 minute interview, including the whole “were a family here” spiel, and I finally muster the courage to talk about the pay because she hadn’t mentioned it yet. That’s when she tells me it’s $10/hr. I stared, shocked. I told her that isn’t what was posted online. She had the NERVE to tell me “We put $13 because the benefits bring it to around there.” I asked her to explain and she seriously just spits BAD insurance info at me. $6,000 deductible. No mental health coverage.
I told her “I’m 24. I’m paying for insurance through my parents’ plan until the state kicks me off at 26.” We awkwardly stared at each other and I said thank you for your time (?????) and left to drive the almost two hour drive home.
I had been brainwashed to feel like I couldn’t even ask her for parking reimbursement. And ofc, my mom got upset with me, calling me lazy for not taking the job.
This was in AUSTIN TX! Who could afford to live in that city alone on $10/hr..??!! I would have had to MOVE for that job. I’m still in shock, three years later.