Little background. I am a single Mom of three who has been going through severe depression. I was in a horrible job and left it for the first thing I could find to try to save my sanity. I ended up having basically a breakdown. I literally ran out of the new job one day in a bout of panic. I just could not handle it.
That brings me to now. I have next month’s rent paid and just enough for next month’s bills…I really need a job. I only have a GED and my experience is in customer service positions and different jobs in healthcare, last one being a surgery coordinator. I was making $22 an hour at the job I ran from like a nutcase and the same at the horribly toxic job from hell.
I have been out of work for a week and interviewing everywhere I can. I got two offers, one for $17 and one for $18. The one for $17 is a customer service role for a company that is two minutes from my apartment. It starts with three months through a temp service and then they hire you on. They sound like a great company that trains well, and has great customer service.
They offer monthly profit sharing checks after a year with them. They have a high deductible insurance plan that costs about $15 every two weeks. She said they never have turnover and have never laid a person off in the 40 years they have been in business.
So I was super stoked. Then she tells me it is $17 an hour. Wtf??? She says that is to “be fair to start everyone out at the same place.” Then she says it may not start the highest but if I was there for two years she knows I would be up at the $22 or $23 mark. Then on a phone call today I asked if there was a raise after you finished your 90 days with the temp service and were hired on and she said no. They just do yearly merit increases and cost of living as well.
She kept assuring me of what a great company they were and that if they really see someone go above and beyond they might get a little pay bump in between. And I was told numerous times that they really take care of their staff.
My question is, how can this be a company who “takes care of their people” when they start at $17 an hour?? Walmart in the next town over is paying $16! The profit sharing would bring my pay up to around $20 if she used a conservative number she said. But, I am not eligible for a year. Only two weeks of PTO which also isn’t fantastic.
The other job is customer service/reception and offered $18. I counter offered and they went up to a whopping 18.50. They also went up to 120 hours pto to start instead of the normal 96. This job is across town and although not far distance wise, it is a horrible commute because of traffic. They offer a high deductible plan at 50 something a paycheck and a PPO at 70 something per paycheck.
I have a paid off car that isn’t the greatest. It is really comforting to know if my car takes a shit I could walk to the closer job. The reality is how the fuck am I going to live off of 17 or 18 an hour as an adult with kids? I had some other interviews and am hoping they turn up with a better offer
It’s like shit vs diarrhea out there. I realize I only have a GED, but I have a lot of great experience. I feel so god damn hopeless. I cannot believe this is reality.
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