I have worked at a company for over 5 years. This company is a conglomerate, so I worked at one branch a few years ago then started at another (with a different sub name) over 3 years ago. Granted it was above minimum wage, but still less than my coworkers.
After a while starting with the most labor intensive tasks, I moved up to the more technical tasks. I was promoted from B tech to C tech (or vice versa) while doing shop duties, I am a people person and learned the front of house duties. Basically there wasn't a thing I couldn't do besides open and close the store. When I started it was almost and sometimes over 50 hours a week, to now 40 and a hair over or under (I also suspect my times may be getting messed with)
Starting when I did standard wages were 10 an hour minimum to more, I started at 11. Coming from an 80's household we were lower middle class to working poor so I didn't have a single thing to assist me in school or after as some other people who may have been born into get. Over the last 2 years starting pay jumped to 13.50 an hour. As you can guess new people get more for less experience and ability. Over the last year I have been asking for a raise seeing as how I barely make more than the new people starting out with the majority of my coworkers making considerably more than me.
A position opened earlier this year, I applied and it came down to me and one other person, who does have history with the store manager, and guess who got the job. He was also an outside transfer with no knowledge of this location and its issues and inner workings. My boss tells me (just the other day) he didn't make the decision. He also tried telling me that no one in the shop barely makes more than I do now. I know this to be a flat out lie as I helped one of the new hires 2 years ago log into the business pages to see payroll and scheduling, hr and the rest. I didn't peek he told me what he got which started this entire farce over a year ago. I also have been told by the others that they make dollars more than the number my boss quoted me.
I am completely fed up. I like the location, which provides benefits I couldn't get working elsewhere, and I do actually like most of my coworkers say for management and the entirety of the front of the house people. They make more (starting 15 an hour) to talk with the customers and play with the computers. They are supposed to talk with them about suggestions and recommendations we make but 99 percent of the time they don't even put it in the computer unless it's something they can sell and get commission off of.
I was sent home today for refusal to do the basest tasks, as my position is way above them. I had a conversation with my main boss Monday who sympathizes with my situation. And at this point I don't care about his sympathies after being fed this and that and all of them inaccurate or just flat out lies. A lower member of management who tried to get me to do these bottom tasks I replied with “Me and boss had our talk. I didn't get what I wanted and haven't for the longest time and he didn't get what he wanted because of this” told me to do it or go home and doesn't care about my situation. I replied with, well per company policy if I'm told to go home due to lack of business etc. that I still get paid for the day which he replied I won't because I'm choosing to go home if I don't do what he wants me to. I had a snapshot of a ticket I did earlier, ALREADY cashed out in the newest guys name while I did my work on it needs to be changed into my name. Yes we get commission also which is a sad percentage already but still . . . And if he didn't I would notify HR and the labor board about wage theft. Which wouldn't be the first time work someone does gets checked out in someone else's name.
So there's my story and why I'm disgruntled enough to do the bare minimum than the 110 percent I used to do just a few months ago due to the lack of action by my higher ups