Started a job as an associate attorney at the same time two others were hired for the same team doing the same work for the same partners. I had +15 more experience than one and +20 more than the other. They offered a salary and I accepted.
I soon started doing the “heavy lifting” for the team-writing appeals briefs, handling clients with multiple cases with us, even working on personal matters for the partners and their friends/families. Wasn’t paid a lot but after years at “big law” downtown, the work/life balance, atmosphere at the office, and short commute made up for it.
Found out from the horses’ mouths the two guys were paid $15k and $25k more than me. I was a little shocked and when I had a 6 month review a couple weeks later (where I got a raise and literally no criticism of my performance) I told the partners the other associates told me their salaries. I basically put the ball in their court, in good faith, to give them the chance to at least comply with the Equal Pay Act.
My raise didn’t even make my salary equivalent with the lower higher salary (if that makes sense).
For the next few months, the atmosphere in the office became more and more toxic. When my year anniversary approached, I sent an email to them explicitly saying I felt the difference in salary needed to be addressed and rectified and I would like to discuss it. They didn’t even bother to talk to me face to face-just replied saying no.
We had two cases approaching trial and countless others that I’d handled exclusively. The partners responsible for those clients never bothered to check in and, when I’d try to give an update, said they didn’t need one. So I was the only one who had any idea what was going on.
Nevertheless, I packed my office up, sent an email saying “please accept this as notice of my resignation, effective immediately,” and walked the next day.
I’m still looking for another job, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna be taken advantage of.