I took a job recently at a hot springs resort in Alaska. I'm from Illinois. They offer free room and board in what are essentially dorm rooms, and free meals to employees. That combined with a number of other bills being unnecessary (electricity, water, garbage pickup, car insurance, and so on) made me think this would be a great job to take to save a lot of money for a year or two, come back home and buy a house.
I spent a lot more money than i anticipated, both on the airfair and baggage, as well as on things like boots, a minifridge, a coat, basic necessities, on this move. Over 4 grand in total, money that would never have been spent under other circumstances.
I was fired just over 2 weeks in because my boss didn't like my attitude about the place. Accused me of calling the place “a shithole” which are words i never said, and that the work i did was lazy or incorrect.
I was hired for a job in a 3d-printing department, making items for the gift shop and as display pieces around the resort. I told them I could be there by the 15th at the earliest, so I could give my current job proper notice. I was told they would love to have me by the 4th of May, if possible. I spoke with my boss and he was fine with me leaving early. I was there on the 6th.
When I got there, the building that was supposed to contain the printlab had not even been constructed. work on it wasn't even started until I had been there for about a week. The job I was hired for did not exist, and still doesn't. Instead, I was tasked with a lot of manual labor, some of which was related to preparing the space the building was to be built in, and some of which was not. I have back injuries. this is work I cannot do. that is why I was taking a job in an ART DEPARTMENT. I was told by my boss that the owner has specifically told him that he and I were supposed to help with the construction, and that there was no way around it. Once the place had been built, we could move in and set up, open the department and start running the equipment. That I just had to stick it out for a couple weeks.
I was fired after I was accused of ruining 18,000 worth of laser engravers (not correct for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that the frames I assembled were completely undamaged and perfectly assembled) that I was tasked with assembling, on my own, and storing in my own room because we didn't have a lab to build them in like we were supposed to. The only reason I was building them alone is because we HAD to be working, and it was either that or more manual labor.
I spent 2 weeks doing manual labor for compensation of $12 an hour, a bad dorm room with a shared bathroom (not good for a person with IBS) and food twice a day (if I made it on time). Then got fired over a lie and “a bad attitude.”
I am now attempting to receive reimbursement for the money i spent on this complete life upheaval. I have contacted the Alaska Department of Labor to this end, citing being hired under false pretenses, and they dismissed me immediately, saying businesses can direct their employees to do whatever work the business chooses. They suggested Small Claims. I have already spent so much money, I don't want to get lawyers involved, I cannot afford it.
What are my options here? If I do have to go to court over this, what is that likely to cost and *how* do I even start? Am I likely to spend more on the process than I'd receive back? Is there anything I can do to avoid small claims court?
TL;DR I moved 2,800 miles for a job that turned out not to exist, got fired for a “bad attitude” after 2 weeks of manual labor that was not part of the job I was hired for, and am seeking to be reimbursed for my expenditures and lost wages.