I've been watching the sub for a while. Finally have something to post about, maybe.
So a while back I had a job I actually kind of enjoyed, mostly because of the people. And it was pretty laid back. But I made nothing because I live in a federal minimum wage state. Luckily I live near the NY border and I got a job at a larger warehouse as a case selector. Selectors have to pick at a certain rate to stay employed, I unfortunately could never meet the rate. Turns I like taking my time to do things too much. So they put me in sanitation which still paid okay but was boring. So I went and got yet another job, which is where my issue is.
The first red flag was when they hired me and only told me my wage would be close to 15, more than minimum wage, no specific number. They told me I would be full time, which is what the job was advertised as. The job also entails running a small forklift, which I did for a little while at that job I really liked. I go back to hand in my tax information, still no word on my exact wage. I ask about benefits which I totally forgot about during my interview and am told that there are none. Okay, I still live at home I don't absolutely need health care or anything. His reasoning for me not getting benefits though? “It's just part time with full time hours.”
So I show up my first day, the guy who hired me isn't there and won't be for three days. The guys I'm working with don't even know I'm coming, and the owner of the store has no idea what I'm going to be paid yet. And I'm not scheduled for 40 hours this week. Also, one of the guys I'm working with tells me they offer PTO, strange that wasn't mentioned. Seems like a selling point to me. Then on my third day my immediate boss (the guy who hired me) comes in and tells me he talked to the owner and they are starting me at minimum for “at least a month” and then when they have seen me on the forklift they will jack my rate up. I'm also told that they should be able to get me to 40 hours, and oh by the way, there is insurance for you “part timers.” I'm still not sure how they consider me part time, but want me to work full time. It's also worth mentioning that this guy has no idea what I have to pay for insurance or when I can get it. If I want to know that I have to talk to the manager of the store myself.
I do end up pressing the guy on when exactly I'll be given higher rate. At which time he tells me it's after 30 day probationary period, which they “always” do for the fork guys. I ask him he didn't tell me that when I was hired, he insists he did. Then I ask what my wage will go to? He says he doesn't know, the owner didn't say. Also, after having me do some simple work on a forklift he tells me that I'm not that good (probably true, I only did it for 5 months previously, which was on my application) but that they'll probably get me close to 14. So, to recap, I wasn't told about the probationary period, I wasn't told I'd be considered part-time at first, I wasn't told they offered insurance or PTO, I have still never been given a straight answer on what my exact wage will be, and I was not told it would tied to my experience level, and they have only given me most of the information I have because I pressed. And don't forget I've gone from probably making close to 15 to probably close to 14. The only reason I haven't quit is because of the potential experience for future applications. In addition to getting better on the forklift, I am also supposedly going to be driving several trucks, a loader, and possibly a tractor while there.
I want to say that I probably would have taken the job anyway if they had been up front on everything, and I can see the logic in the probationary period. But the fact that I wasn't told so much just makes me want to leave on principle. I don't like the idea of working for someone who has already proven I can't trust them to tell me the whole truth. I left my previous job on good terms with notice that I worked. I'm actually considering going back to ask for my old job. They would probably take me because they really need sanitation people, they currently have one guy. They also offer full benefits and ample opportunity for overtime. I should also mention that I have plans to move out west in the fall, so I'm thinking it might not matter all that much where I work until then. I'm just curious what anyone else would do in this position.