Sorry this post is a little long. But i'm still very upset. I also am a bit of a rambler and talker as it is.
Now I've been already upset at work because I have worked there for several years. It's a manufacturing company, so every position has levels, like Manufacturer level 1, 2, 3. Each level has pretty big pay jumps. I've been at a level 1 position for over 2 years, and have trained most people in my department, and know my job better than most others. This isn't an entry level position, and requires specific knowledge and skills. They keep saying I'm going to be made a level 2, I fully qualify, and I 100% deserve it. But they continue to promote people past me. The space between level 1 and level 2 is about $4 more an hour.
Well, The other day my work held a meeting with our whole shift. The director stood in front of all of us and said that the company had decided to increase everyone's pay, by a pretty significant margin. I've felt so burned lately, so I wasn't expecting much but was hopeful. The director tells us that our supervisor will take us one at a time and tell us what our increase is.
One by one everyone from my department is pulled and comes back after a couple minutes pretty happy. It finally comes to my turn and my boss takes me into the conference room and tells me I will be receiving NOTHING! No pay raise, no promotion. Nothing. At that point I was baffled, he apologized and said it was corporate payroll that made the decision. He tells me at my position I already am at the top of the pay cap, but then also says they raised my level's pay cap, and now I'm in the middle.
I was so devastated, like I had been stabbed in the heart. My boss said that I will 100% get the promotion at the end of the year. But I don't believe him. I talked to my team. We are all pretty close and good friends. I told them what happened and they were all also shocked and angry. I spoke to others on the shift, and what I found is that it sounds like I was the only one that didn't get anything. I now make less than most of the general manufacturing workers.
This job I once saw as my dream job. It's in an industry I've always wanted to be in, I've gotten to do things I've always wanted to do. But over the last year, I've felt that it's become more of a nightmare.
The worst part is they do pay me just enough to make me feel trapped. They pay more than 90% of the other companies in my area. And the companies that pay more are well outside a viable driving distance. I live basically paycheck to paycheck, and I am the only support structure of my disabled mother.
I feel trapped and crushed, I don't know what to do. This incident happened on Tuesday, and I was so upset I took the rest of the week off. But I have to return on Monday, and I don't know if I can even be in that building. Just thinking about what happened I start shaking. I want to quit, but I can't, I need the income. So I'm trapped, I don't know what to do.
Sorry again for the long post.