Really TL… TLDR; I began conversations about salaries at our company, people chimed in, I got an offer from another company, gave my notice, was asked not to return from a vacation before my end date – to be clear, was not fired, they merely “extended” my PTO and terminated my email and other work accounts.
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I worked (technically still work, more on that below) as a programmer for a small startup that build software to support self-directed care (care outside of hospitals). They had a very do-goodery vibe – the founders were passionate about and respected in their field, they were very down to earth, had several good polices – complete salary transparency for everyone – there was a spreadsheet everyone had access to. They matched charitable donations you made, paid you your salary for volunteer work etc etc. They sold the company during the pandemic, partly so they wouldn't have to fire everyone. Everyone kept their jobs, but the company was now part of a larger healthcare company.
There was a major cultural shift where all of the above went away. The company also made unreasonable promises to clients for deadlines we all had to scramble to make. I was working a few holidays up till midnight, for requirements their sales team never consulted with us (the people building stuff) on. They also abandoned all attempts at diversity in hiring (“oh we should be doing that anyway, no need for a specific effort”). The larger company's developer workforce was also entirely offshore, and as people left, while failing at hiring replacements, they backfilled with offshore developers.
A dozen of us started a discord server to discuss the changes and look into forming a union. Partly because a mass exodus of talent began. The company also recognized this and started a series of meetings with us to try and figure out what could change. I was a low level manager-ish person and a lot of people came to me with concerns, so I took them down and mentioned them all in this meeting.
Following this meeting the director of engineering (someone who was higher up at the original startup and now serving as a bridge from us to the larger company) had a meeting with me to make promises things were changing and asked if I was considering leaving, is there anything he could do to get me to stay. I said, yes I was interviewing casually, but wouldn't leave for another month, I promised a date of early June and he thanked me.
A big complaint that the devs made was about salary. We knew our salaries were well below what other devs in Boston and NYC made, so our position was – ok, if we have to put up with all of this other stuff, pay us what a soulless corporation would pay us. They began “research” to see what market rate was for each of our positions, and they promised to make immediate adjustments when the results came in.
A couple weeks ago, we were called to meet, one by one with our engineering managers, and found out one by one, that we were all overpaid for our positions. So there would be no increase.
I posted in the company group chat a message – “As the market rate increases roll in, were there any devs who felt that their salaries were meaningfully increased?” Partly because our managers didn't have the full results of the surveys and partly because the process was so hidden. A number of people chimed in and a discussion about salary transparency began out of concern for pay gaps.
I was called in to another meeting and asked what my motivations were for my post. HR was concerned that I was a malcontent trying to harm retention. I said I wasn't and was just starting a conversation we were all having one on one. The meeting felt a little intimidating.
I continued to keep them apprised of my interview process. I ultimately took an offer one Wednesday. I had a vacation already scheduled for the following week, so I checked in with the director of Engineering – I said I'm open to give three weeks notice because of that, but would he accept two since I told him a month ago and they began the search process to replace me then. He said two weeks was totally fine and congratulated me.
The first day of my PTO – which I signed on for to make sure people knew how to do the things I did – overnight deploys, working with certain clients – the director texted me on my personal phone asking for a meeting. I took the meeting (hours before a flight) on which he told me – I'm a wildcard, their data shows employees like me who give notice can be “trouble” on our last weeks and they don't want me to come in. They “extended” my PTO through my notice and told me not to come back in.
This was a little heartbreaking and mind boggling because I was already taking steps to make sure everything ran smoothly during my PTO and transition. I didn't get to say goodbye to my team, though they all reached out via email, and it was just demoralizing. Particularly before my trip.
Sorry for the length – still need to vent apparently.
Question – I feel like I was gently retaliated against for the open salary discussion. Is it worth having a conversation with a Labor Relations person about this. I wasn't fired, so I'm not sure I was sufficiently wronged. Did I screw up? Should I have not had this discussion in a company forum?
Along those lines – can I not file a complaint, but let the NLRB know this happens in case they do something like this again? Or try to punish people for actually trying to organize?
Any other suggestions?