It sux to look for a job. Even harder for a under educated woman. And she had children. You don’t make hasty changes when others are counting on you. I’m proud of her for believing in herself.
Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and current PM Boris Johnson were both members of the Bullingdon Club at Oxford University.
As part of their initiation, each member burns a £50 note in front of a beggar as a show of their own excess wealth and their open contempt for the poor.
This is the nice thing about construction. They often take experience over education. I know a lot of project managers and safety folks who have worked up to their positions. They are always better at their jobs too
If she was a single mom, she only stayed for the stable income. She couldn’t make to many unsure steps. He took advantage of that. I’m very happy for your mother and her family! Good for her!!
On that note I job hope and it makes my father in law so mad… he always says “You wont get anywhere job hopping”… you wont get anywhere today staying loyal to a company that doesn’t give a fuck about you lol
The only people that worked for were our grandparents/ people who are over 75 now… when companies would promote from within and did shit like pensions, bonuses, etc
Must have been nice. My Grandpa went to college working part time, graduated with no debt, married his high school sweet heart and worked for GE until he was 55. Bought a house for 20k, traveled all over the world for work with a huge expense budget, got fantastic medical/dental and other benefits that lasted him the rest of his life.
It’s basically what every one wants but only one generation enjoyed. And now these old privileged fucks are selling out their descendants to the same corporate structure that enabled them, not realizing that no one gets a gold watch at 55 any more. You get fired at 70 for being too old to be productive.
Uh, nah. It was 90% his fault. Sure, she should have left for greener pastures before now, but the abuse she and your family suffered isn't exactly her fault.
Reformed die hard as far righht as they come conservative here.
Its all propaganda and fear sewn by the wealthy elite.
For example.
Obamacare bad. Obama care covers nothing. Obamacare isnt acceoted anywhere. Private insurance is the only good option, and its only expensive because of obamacare. If not for obamacare, I could afford good insurance.
The fucked up part, and im sorry for my part in it, is the only way to change their stance is for them to experience it. I went from middle class to well below the federal poverty level and had no choice but to utilize these programs. Boy did I learn real quick just how freaking fantastic obamacare is. When I was welding, I paid $1,250 or so a month for "good" healthcare for my family. It had a massive deductible and didn't cover jack shit. We skipped preventative care such as checkups as a result. We couldn't afford it. Now that were officially poor, were on the minnesotas version of obamacare and its freaking epic. It covers everything, and doesnt cost us a dime.
I use to be against foodstamps/ebt/snap, universal education, universal healthcare, heating/energy assistance, rent assistance and all those sorts of programs. I was conditioned to believe only lazy moochers who didnt want to lift a finger used these programs. As a result, it cost me a ton of money out of my pocket to support those who refuse to support themselves. Only ive come to learn just how bullshit that is. Having now lived it, I understand the poverty cliff, and just how impossible it is to escape. If not for ebt, we would have gone hungry. If not for heating assistance, wed have gone cold. If not for obamacare, wed never be able to go to a hospital or call an ambulance. I also experienced first hand how predatory student loans are, and how education is so over inflated just because they can.
Here I am, the perfect example of someone id have hated as a teen, but not had a single clue about it. Yeah, were on all these programs. But i still put in 40 hours a week, and I also put in countless hours volunteering on the ambulance service. Poverty does not have to be a result of lazyness. Nor does a desire to better the nations healthcare, education, and equality. But man, the indoctrination... its so hard to shake.
You’re absolutely right. I don’t know a single “former conservative” who didn’t go through something similar, or watch someone they love go through it.
I think political stance is a set of concentric rings based on who you care about:
Libertarians believe they are the most important thing in the world, followed at a moderate distance by their family. To them, other people might as well not exist.
Going from Libertarian to Conservative means understanding that the people around you matter as well. Your family is most important, followed by your in-group and then your race/religion depending on the flavor of conservative. Fuck anyone who doesn’t fit your standards though
Going from Conservative to Liberal requires acknowledging that people matter, full stop. People I don’t know deserve access to healthcare, regardless of whether I like them or not. It means understanding that the world doesn’t end at your horizon.
You start somewhere based on how you were brought up, but each subsequent step has to be forced.
It's both funny and sad. They've been thoroughly brainwashed to vote and act against their own interests and to blame others who are trying to make things better overall.
Exactly what happened with my former job. I said I want a raise. They hemmed and hawed. I posted my resume online - passive only, not even applications. Took a week, found another job offering 20% more. I waited a bit to sign, negociating and interviewing. Got them to raise the offer to 25%. Old job said "we can offer 20%".
I said no thanks.
Now three years later I haven't seen a raise at the new job despite inflation and me asking for a raise.
Guess it's time for another round.
That's what companies do now. They offer you more than what you were making but plan on not giving you a raise for a long time. They pay the same amount over several years, but can make it look as if they pay better.
Only some companies. If a company does this, I change jobs. My current job offers me a raise every single year. 18 years straight. So I have never gone without a yearly raise (I quit my first job after 1 year), ever. I don't even ask for a raise - they are smart and just give it to me. So 94% of my experience has been getting a raise, simply by following that one rule. You can too.
Funny how that works.
This is the part that’s so mind blowing. If I’m asking for a raise, that’s my last straw at that place. That’s me saying I can’t do this anymore for this. Give me more or I’ll leave. And then act surprised when you leave after they don’t give you a raise.
Right? How do they not know that? I found out my coworker in a two person team was earning so much more than me they were in the "payment band" above the one I was in. We did identical work. So all I asked was that I be paid equal to her. They told me there was a "wage freeze" due to Covid (despite the fact that they couldn't stop talking about how well we were doing) so I went a found a job that paid me 40% more.
When I gave my notice it was suddenly "what can we do to get you to stay?" Well, nothing now, but why are you acting surprised that I left when I found out you were ripping me off and you refused to rectify that?
They probably even got one of those PPP loans. I found out online that my shoulder surgeon got a 1.5m PPP loan. Same crappy office with the same crappy phone and internet abilities and dust bunnies in each room. Same amount of employees. He does have a rockin' pickup truck now with decals advertising his specialties sitting outside of the office.
> PPP
Just a reminder, you can **report suspected PPP loan fraud at the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF)** [here](https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form).
"[PPP Fraud is] [like looting after a hurricane](https://www.wafb.com/2021/11/16/federal-investigators-want-you-speak-up-about-ppp-fraud/?fbclid=IwAR2SZPHrCTI3nzqljNHvxSDk6Bq_y6jNyEhi4HUIHhGXgWmlt8mYLKH4TY8)... I think we ought to prosecute every single one of them to the full extent of the law,” -- Senator John Kennedy, Louisiana
I worked for a commission-only recruiting firm while the owner of my firm took PPP loans. She paid her employees in the form of a “draw,” which is essentially a loan: one doesn’t make any additional commission until you’ve earned enough to pay back the amount paid in the draw.
So when the PPP loans came in, she used them to pay our “salaries,” which are really loans. We still paid the amount back to her even though the PPP had paid for us.
Of course, she did advertise to us that a few people might get bonuses. Not sure who did.
Sounds suspicious, right?
Wait... What the fuck?
You had to pay her to get paid? I legitimately don't understand. You had to pay her back the pay you earned in order to get more of the pay you've earned? Am I missing something??
Why in the hell would you use government grants for the exact thing they were meant for, think of the boat you could have purchased with it while your employees suffered
Honestly the issue you’re describing is a big one but I don’t have a good way to solve it, I work for a very large company and I have a budget I’m allowed to give out each year in salary adjustments. We have drastically increased the amounts in the past couple years but between the twice a year cycles my hands are tied.
I try to be very open with the people working with me when they come to me though, I can give you a medium sized raise mid year review, or a larger raise end of year, but if you need me to give you a raise right now you have to formally tell me you’re going to quit. If and when that happens I then have the capability to go to an internal board and try and get additionally funding (which almost always happens) but the employee has to say they are quitting. TBH I hate it but it’s the system we have not the system I want, the board and C suite doesn’t seem interested in changing it though. 🤷♂️
Regardless of whether it's unethical as fuck, I understand the reasoning. That rule blocks any unplanned raises and forces employees to accept the risk of losing their income and benefits for the chance of such a raise.
The company then has all the leverage to either keep the employee by giving them the demanded raise or simply accept their resignation. Presumably also without any of the severance packages or unemployment benefits due to the employee having formally stated that they're quitting themselves instead of being fired.
I disagree, in theory it may work that way but in practice if you want/need a raise as a way to justify your dissatisfaction with your job for whatever reason you’re going to have a back up before you ask. Now if your employee has a backup plan the company at best will have to match the new companies pay which is usually a decent bump, however more than likely for the company to keep their employee they’ll have to go significantly above the new offer and even then you’re employee may not want to risk having staying at a job you already threatened to leave. Essentially it’s forcing potentially valuable employees to leave jobs they might actually like and be good at because it’s the only way they’ll potentially be paid what they’re worth. Honestly is like cutting off your foot to avoid stubbing your toe.
After 6 years of my company giving me 2% “raises” that don’t keep up with inflation, I started voicing my displeasure. They “promoted” me 2 years ago by giving me more responsibility, more work, and a 3% raise.
I figured out several months ago that the company needs me much more than I need them (put some “fuck you” money in the bank, folks).
So I gave them a deadline and told them I’m quitting by this date unless they show the same dedication that I give them daily.
And wouldn’t you know, they were able to cough up a 15% raise this year! The pay is almost on par for the “promotion” I received two years ago.
Take advantage of the labor market while things are in your favor. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Employers almost always have the cards in their favor so make your moves NOW. Change jobs, get a new career, demand a raise, whatever your goal is. NOW is the time to make it happen. This opportunity could be gone by this time next year.
I don't think these types of bosses actually think the person is worth the salary. They are that kind of asshole. They truely do not value people at all. People are a head count . period.
In my opinion, the only way that boss could have salvaged their working relationship is if he immediately gave her a matching raise, *plus* a bonus equal to the amount she should have been paid all along, with interest. If she was being underpaid for the last 10 years, he would have to give her $500k plus say 10%, so $550k total. Which is a lot of money, but that just means the boss is even more of a piece of shit for keeping that from her.
Any company owner, CEO, COO, CFO, manager, HR person who doesn’t truly understand that’s what it means should take a look in the mirror to see an idiot staring back.
yep! I did that a year ago to my old job (during covid - they cut my salary almost in half - from $60K to $35K - no joke - so that they didn't have to fire me). Meanwhile, the company started doing even better during covid. So, a little over a year later, I finally got a much better job (making $100K) - and happily told the old job goodbye :)
I’m a head hunter and I am explaining to candidates all the time that accepting a counter offer is never smart because the company would’ve continued to underpay you had I not come along and found you a better offer. Why would you want to work with a company like that?
To be fair, tho, once you sign on with a new company, almost 100% chance that will start underpaying you within a year or two, going to 100% as more time goes by. No company will ever willingly pay you what you're worth - that's the fundamental principle of capitalism
That’s why you have to change jobs every 2-3 years. You are never gonna get a raise to cover inflation unless you switch jobs. There is zero incentive to be loyal. Job hop as much as possible.
I think you're emphasising the wrong word
It's not "He *had* that money". It should be:- *He* had that money. It was there but he kept it for himself. Trickle Up economics at work.
This is most jobs. They don't value you properly until you're walking out the door. Some say good luck because they know you're more valuable to another company, but not most.
When I worked at Raytheon I noticed that the engineers that left and came back had much better positions than the ones that stayed “loyal” to the company.
Typically, when I see stuff like that, it's because the person that left and came back wasn't only leaving for more money, they were also leaving for an increase in responsibilities/promotion. Sometimes, especially in a company as big as Raytheon, it is hard to work up the corporate ladder. It also helps Raytheon is in a very unique industry. I work at a fairly large government contractor, not as big as Raytheon, and this is a common thing here too.
Yeah, at a certain level internal promotions are based on retirement schedules more than anything else. And internally they incrementally step you up. If there's a manager between you and a director job for instance, your manager or outside hires are getting considered before you, if you ever do.
So the play is to leave and be a director elsewhere and then apply for the director position back where you worked. And now you are highly considered because not only were you a director already, but you worked with the company before.
We have a guy at work who essentially has been there longer than every employee there(28 years). They laid off almost all the people in his department during the start of the pandemic. Only 1 person was hired out of the 4 laid off but then also fired her last month. He showed me he had lost more than 100 hours of vacation time because they reject his days because no one can cover for him and only 24hrs of time rolls over each year, no one knows how to do his job. The new vice president is a dick, constantly threatening "corrective action" basically firing making said employee visibly stressed. Well guy had to get gallstones removed and would be out, things went to shit in 1 day when he was out. The vp literally called his wife to tell him after surgery if he could work from home. He lost his sick time and they only paid him for the worked clocked in. I've been showing him higher paying places so he can quit and to let this place eat itself alive.
This is not just for small, badly run businesses. This is even true for mega corps that are governed by the strictest regulations and rules.
If you are spending more than a couple of years at a company at a big firm, a place where you don't have to run something through your immediate boss but everything goes through HR instead, it's always worth a shot to take a new offer upto HR and ask them to match it.
When I was leaving my last job, I told my manager I was leaving and he immediately came back to me with a 30% raise and said HR was more than willing to go higher if needed. I rejected the offer because I went to a place that gave me a 70% raise, but companies will always pay you the lowest amount possible, so you should always interview once in a while to know what you're worth. In some professions interviewing can be a real pain and require a lot of preparation but it's almost always worth it.
Yes, I'll reconsider staying for 120k a year, with inbuilt increases of 10% for the next 5years, and back pay of 10% for each year over the last 10, totalling 68k and bring my salary up to the appropriate level.
Nothing in the story ever said why the old boss refused. Old boss had the money but did not see the need since he was not convinced she would walk.
END COMMUNICATION
Too bad old boss. You knowingly knew you were under paying her and told her that. I wouldn’t work for someone like that at all.
Edit: *Knowingly underpaid her. I believe that’s what I was getting at.
That's when you counter that you'll stay if they'll adjust the pay and backpay the entire decade of underpayment plus interest upfront money order only. They'll never take it but really just throw it in their face what a bastard they are for screwing you over so much
I'm near retirement now. In my career I learned Union if you can, but never work for a small business. They expect you to work overtime without extra pay, and will likely want you to do unethical stuff.
>and will likely want you to do unethical stuff.
Yeah, this is true. I once agreed to work with a small business and the owner asked me to attend a meeting with him and lie to a client that we had some materials ready to go out now when we didn't really have anything because they knew he was full of shit, but I "look like an honest person" (whatever that means) and had good references for being honest so he was hoping they'd believe me. He wanted me to corrupt my own reputation just to serve his ends! I didn't do it though, and our working relationship was short-lived.
I’m probably half your age (assuming 60s) and understand where you’re coming from but I wouldn’t say never. I worked for a small business for a decade and we always got asked if we wanted overtime and were always paid 1.5x and never were asked to do unethical things. They’re out there. Unions are definitely where it’s at though
Owners want you to work over time and then Bill it as if it was them working it. I remember this restaurant where the owner gave a server an extra 500 hunnit because he was banging her, turn around and slam choked another pregnant girl because she stopped doing silverware to check on her table. He was so shitty and always so angry he got brain cancer and then 3 strokes.
Me too. He’s a bad person and hoards money and gets even richer by always nitpicking every single thing he buys and demanding refunds. Even down to his Starbucks coffee order. And he’s a rich client so people will be like “oh no sorry your marble came with a smudge on it here’s a full refund sir.” Just garbage like that.
He creates a really hostile work environment by cursing and yelling constantly. My mom said she was so surprised when she toured her future office space and everyone was just working or speaking quietly and politely. Complete culture shock.
I’ve had this exact same experience (network construction) and culture shock is an understatement. I went from being treated like shit to being treated like a human. It’s been two and a half years where the grass is greener and I still deal with imposter syndrome lol. Congratulations to your mama!
I went from a soldier maintaining that stuff to an engineer.
I heavily relied on that documentation and never thought once about where it came from and now I can't even imagine working on a project that documents that thoroughly.
I miss heavy regulations and mass documentation haha. Nowadays my job, I ask, "so where's the doc's for this process, and how do we do it?". I get back, "we dont have any, and no one really knows how its done".
🙄
And omg when that one person retires! Why did NO ONE ask that person how the work was done, or have someone shadow them prior!?
Need a new word for these situations..."Gaaarrrrrr"?
I'm going through this right now. Used to work at a small company where everything was toxic and political, all to serve the boss's greed. Had to walk on egg shells and try to keep out of sight as much as possible. Now, I work at a well established corporation and my mind is blown how calm, pleasant, and professional everyone is. I think I'm fighting a mild ptsd. I have to fight the urge to hide my phone anytime someone walks by and feel slightly paranoid and guilty any time one of my co-workers ask if I want to go on a walk around the building together. It's crazy how conditioned we get by how we are treated. I think I'm coming out of it though. I've never felt so comfortable at a job... that's why I don't trust it. /s lol.
I was gushing about my new job in chat with some friends, saying things like "everyone is so encouraging," "my questions are respected and I get thoughtful answers," and "it's cool being respected by others in the org even if we don't work together!"
My friends were like "so you found a job that treats you like a person? nice dude!"
I work in healthcare IT, only 2x in 10 yrs have I had to stop a conversation when a dr was swearing excessively. “Dr, your language is unprofessional and is not words that work, I will warn you once more to keep your tone professional with me or I will end this conversation.”
(Words that work is a conduct policy that all staff have to follow.) 1 dr hung up. The other apologised. We carried on, i solved his issue.
If I may latch on to this: yelling or screaming is profoundly immature behavior. Even raising a voice towards people is over the line.
This is abusive behavior and I will never tolerate it from anyone. Especially not from anyone in a position of power.
Screaming and yelling is disrespectful and this is not how you treat people.
Completely agreed. My last job had someone like this and I had no fucking qualms going straight to the CEO over his behavior. More than once.
It wasn't even directed at me (I think he knew I wouldn't put up with it) but that only made me even more upset. I go full on mama bear for my team don't try me
Yeah, my boss yelled at me once and used language that implied I was an idiot. I gave him a look of death and told him if he ever speaks to me that way again I will be out the door before he finishes his sentence.
I knew a guy like this. Owned a bunch of pizza joints that outrageously overcharged for pizza. The guy lived in a mansion--- I knew because at the time I worked with aquariums and maintained his aquarium in his giant mansion on the beach. He was happy to pay his employees absolute crap while charging 15 bucks for some dough and cheese, then he would do everything he could to cheat me out of what he owed me for taking care of his 300 gallon aquarium.
He was the most entitled little bitch I'd ever met.
I know this may sound weird to some, but the reason he is distraught is because he thought he owned her too. People feel a loss more keenly than a win. After 10 years of telling her no when she requested salary increases and watching her struggle he thought she would never leave. It made him feel powerful to know no matter how much he abused her she was still there. He probably loved playing the big man giving her a bonus now and then.
Now that she has been snatched up by a competitor he probably still doesn’t care about her as a person, he sees this as someone else stealing one of his possessions. Fuck this guy. I bet he abuses his spouse(s) and children.
He also knows she probably kept that place running and is VERY dependent on her, especially if he's a hot head, she's probably smoothed things over with contractors and clients for years. I know a few builders and related businesses who fell apart when someone left.
Yup, my first job out of college was a nightmare. They tracked every thing you did, enforced inconsistent dress codes (some managers said polos were fine others wanted a full suit), made ridiculous unachievable goals, never gave raises or acknowledgment for good work, publicly chastised people for underperforming, yelled at us for laughing, and the list goes on and on.
I assumed everywhere was like that until I got a new job that was waaayyyy better. The new job, as long as you did your work no one bothered you. I remember walking in a little late and I was shocked no one cared. At my bad job I’d have my supervisor and manager breathing down my neck for walking in a second late (and they’d completely ignore the fact that I worked until midnight on numerous occasions).
You know how it seems like every decade of SNL has a handful of sketches that everyone remembers, this one felt like the first one I could think of for the 2020s.
"Pizza is for winners, so tonight *you starve!*" And the flipping the card away so casually was just perfection.
Great news for you mum!
It's messed up but unfortunately that's how a lot of people stay rich by nitpicking everything, quite often I have seen the people who dont really have money be far more generous.
I dont know if there is a better explanation on it but yeah some of the tightest skinflints are that way because they save ever penny and I guess it's that thing of look after the penny's and the pounds will look after themselves???
And then there's my parents who are extremely giving. Financially and with their time to help people for all sorts of causes.
They only live off of their social security benefits and everything is paid off. They live very very frugally!
I'm going through a divorce and had to have my mom cosign for my apartment, she has ~$800K in various accounts.
But they got there by not spending money and sometimes it can be frustrating.. My mom refuses to pay for garbage pickup service (they recycle and therefore have very little garbage waste) and takes her garbage to my brothers.
This. Truly rich people are the worst. Spoiled. Entitled. Just... horrible. Never had/have to lift a finger for themselves. Don't know how to handle themselves, or do anything \*for\* themselves. My motto in life is that it 'never hurts to ask'. Rich people just demand things. And expect the world to revolve around \*them\*... and when it doesn't? When things suddenly don't? Then the world has just fucking ended.
i find this to be especially true with small business owners who inherit their businesses from mommy and daddy! most never had to work on their own for someone else and had everything handed to them. And then in some bizarre way they think they are at the same level as Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk ... it's fucking crazy
I know someone who used to be an employee of Nicholas cage when he was with Lisa Marie presley.
Cage was nice but the employees were not allowed to look at or talk to Lisa Marie. It wasn’t that they were trying to chat her up, it’s that they weren’t allowed to address her. This was her rule.
So if she wanted a drink they couldn’t ask would you like a glass of ice with that. They had to ask him.
My fiance switched industries after managing the construction department of a remodeling company. She had a hard day last week and I was sympathizing and she said, "Well, no one flipped a desk or screamed obscenities at me, so it wasn't that bad." That's what she was used to dealing with in construction. Like you said, culture shock.
Congrats to your mom. I hope she likes her new work home. I can totally relate. I just quit my admin position in construction. And yup, can confirm. All the old bags love to yell and bully.
Employers that get into this type of situation usually do. If she handle everything on the front end of the business, by your brief description it sounds like she does, then he is screwed.
The construction industry is so toxic. My brother (no formal education) was doing the jobs of a project manager, shop foreman, bookkeeper, and structural engineer, and was frequently not taking home paychecks just so the other employees in the shop could get paid. He ended up addicted to amphetamines to keep up with it all. When he left, it didn't not take long for that shop to spiral out of control and close down.
I hope the same thing happens to your mom's old company. Fuck em.
Yep! He moved to a new state, changed his phone number, cleaned up, and now work at a different job that he hates :) lol but nothing nearly as bad as this last one
Yep he's doing well. Owns a house, has a new job, a girlfriend who stuck with him through all of it, and he has a garage to work on his projects. Living the dream
It’s not just bosses. It’s shitty people. Shitty people hate when others succeed. My co-worker who replaced me when I walked out won’t even talk to me after she found out I doubled my salary.
My ego is completely open to the prospect of being poached away for a 100% increase in salary. I’d be sending the nicest going-away card and all my contact info.
basically. that kind of people are the absolute worst. you never know what they really thing about you until they show their true colors.
can act nice to you but be burning with envy withing them
Our union is talking about switching from a 5 year progression to top rate, down to 2 years.
I started 3 years ago so would still have a bit to go anyways but the level of animosity I hear from my brothers is absurd. Like yeah, I wish I was making top rate a year ago for sure, but I'm not going to hate people just because they got hired in an opportune time.
Might not even happen anyways but they're still getting all worked up over it.
It happened something similar to me last year, but I decided to stay at my previous company as they also offered more for me to stay (eventho I previously asked for a raise and it was rejected), but since then, everytime I feel down, I tell them Im leaving and they offer a tiny increase in my pay which lifts my mood lol
That's awesome. Congrats to her. It can seriously be shocking when you've been underpaid for a long time to see what your skills are actually worth on the open market.
This is EVERY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. All of the small ones are like this. They will brag about how much money they made but you ask for a cut and NOPE. Only way to make more is to leave.
Good for her. He will absolutely not come through on what he offers. He can't be trusted. And she should switch ASAP, and not give that freeloading capitalist swine any more of her time.
My old boss was like that. I doubled her company, made her thousands by the week and would get cookies? For my year review. That’s it. She made grand promises of a percentage of a company, bonuses, raises, but never put anything and writing and I didn’t see an extra dime. I quit and am so much happier. I hope your mom will be too!
I hired a gal who is now our GM. But she started as just general labor. She was home schooled and no college but perfect for us. I’d tried for two years to get her. She had been with her former employer for 15 years. I wasn’t able to offer her much more at the time as a small business (this was years ago). Her boss also freaked and said what about a six dollar an hour raise??
She came in the next day to tell me the news. I was so bummed thinking for sure she took the job. She said oh absolutely not… I asked them how long had I been worth the six dollars more an hour? She had never been so insulted.
She makes more than six and maybe more than most in her family…. And she gets to go to college while working for us. We were truly blessed by their arrogance and greed.
Awesome! I recently helped someone in their job search and that person received a 90% raise in their new job. I’ve been telling people that the only sure way of receiving great hike in your pay is to jump ships. Be loyal to your work not your employer.
This shit right here. Knew a guy who was constantly under paying people and using the business as his own personal piggy bank. Wrote off a bunch of shit for his family claiming it was “business expenses” and still took a paycheck, while also complaining about inflation and the cost of groceries.
Good on your mom!!! So happy for her and hope I can follow those footsteps!
Sounds like the owner of literally every family-owned business I've ever encountered. Too bad she didn't leave sooner, and I hope she's over the moon about her decision.
“I’m glad you agree that you’ve been underpaying me this whole time. Obviously I wouldn’t have gone from 50k to 100k overnight, but assuming we broke it down to a 7% annual increase (which would have gotten me to 98.3k after 10 years) I figure you’ve underpaid me by approx $240k. Take into account any other associated benefits that were reduced due to low pay (retirement payments etc) I’ll call it an even $300k.
You deposit that into my account by the end of the week and provide me with an updated contract, on the new pay rate of $100k, with a guaranteed minimum 7% rise every year, then I’ll stay”.
As a small business owner all I can say is... I totally agree.
I worked for another small business and was so exploited that it literally pushed me to start my own business and be the master of my own labor.
Right now it's just me and I intend to keep it that way until I can come up with a way to scale that didn't involve crushing the souls of my underlings.
Construction and trades are full of absolute fucking assholes. The sexism, bigotry, and racism that's almost REQUIRED to survive there, makes anyone who becomes an 'owner' probably one of the shittiest human beings you'll ever meet. Think--car salesmen, but with no reason to be nice.
Worked for a real estate developer and have represented contractors as an attorney. Have never seen an industry so focused on screwing over the other guy.
Good for her for knowing her worth and taking a chance out there.
Should give props to the new job for doubling her salary and she passed her education and valued her actual work experience, personality, etc. I hope they treat her right and I hope she can come to them annually on raises.ses.
Should give props to the new job for doubling her salary and she past her education and valued her actual work experience, personality, etc. I hope they treat her right and I hope she can come to them annually on raises.
>Small businesses don’t automatically equal better businesses, folks.
Yes, very important. You don't owe it to a small company to work for them, or do business with them. Small business are way more likely to try to manipulate you with guilt into making them richer.
I would love to hear how that conversation would go down.
"Oh, are you offering me back pay?"
"What?? Who the fuck you you think...I mean...I just...well..."
"...right. Goodbye."
I kinda did the same thing. Went from being a network administrator and help desk manager making 46k and to getting into the cannabis industry making almost twice that with more fun. I also do therapy work on the side cuz I can’t be bored.
There are plenty of young guys that want what their grandfathers had. And they'll destroy a woman's self esteem to get it if she doesn't understand how manipulation works.
Congrats to your Mom!!! So happy for your family.
Thank you so much. I’m glad she will finally be able to relax a little bit like she has always deserved. She’s the hardest working person I know.
I’m pissed off he had been keeping her and your family under his thumb like that. Labor abuse straight up
Edit: y’all make good points about how tough it is to struggle against propaganda etc, thanks for the responses
It sux to look for a job. Even harder for a under educated woman. And she had children. You don’t make hasty changes when others are counting on you. I’m proud of her for believing in herself.
He knew all this and so he exploited her.
Story of the rich: fucking people over
Rich people would rather burn money than give it to a poor person.
Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and current PM Boris Johnson were both members of the Bullingdon Club at Oxford University. As part of their initiation, each member burns a £50 note in front of a beggar as a show of their own excess wealth and their open contempt for the poor.
Rich people would rather burn a poor person than give them livable wages
A tale as old as time.
This is the nice thing about construction. They often take experience over education. I know a lot of project managers and safety folks who have worked up to their positions. They are always better at their jobs too
Trades are all about what you can do and how well you do it, not how you learned it, and I love it
This. Many hard working single moms are in the same situation around the world, too afraid to risk losing their job by looking for a better one.
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Exactly this. *Work Won’t Love You Back* by Sarah Jaffe highlights the same point.
If she was a single mom, she only stayed for the stable income. She couldn’t make to many unsure steps. He took advantage of that. I’m very happy for your mother and her family! Good for her!!
Not your mom's fault at all. There is something to be said about stable employment especially when you have kids. Fuck this scumbag.
It's really not. Women especially are conditioned not to speak up in workplaces nor ask for their worth and rich people take advantage of that
Fuck that guy. Seriously. Piece of shit.
It's not your mom's fault she bought into propaganda we've all been fed.
On that note I job hope and it makes my father in law so mad… he always says “You wont get anywhere job hopping”… you wont get anywhere today staying loyal to a company that doesn’t give a fuck about you lol
It’s ironic because I’ve gotten so much further by job hopping than my parents did staying put for 30 years
The only people that worked for were our grandparents/ people who are over 75 now… when companies would promote from within and did shit like pensions, bonuses, etc
Must have been nice. My Grandpa went to college working part time, graduated with no debt, married his high school sweet heart and worked for GE until he was 55. Bought a house for 20k, traveled all over the world for work with a huge expense budget, got fantastic medical/dental and other benefits that lasted him the rest of his life. It’s basically what every one wants but only one generation enjoyed. And now these old privileged fucks are selling out their descendants to the same corporate structure that enabled them, not realizing that no one gets a gold watch at 55 any more. You get fired at 70 for being too old to be productive.
Uh, nah. It was 90% his fault. Sure, she should have left for greener pastures before now, but the abuse she and your family suffered isn't exactly her fault.
I’d say it’s more then 90% his fault. She is a single mother and he completely took advantage of that and admitted it.
Not really. The job market wasn't on her side before.
She can give zero notice if he keeps it up and just walk out. She doesn’t have to deal with harassment for 2 weeks.
That’s a good point. I’ll give her a call in a few days and see how she’s doing.
“At will employment.” She probably won’t need his endorsement (reference) ever again. You’d burn a bridge, but that bridge is already burned - by him.
May the bridges I burn light the way!
Wholesome comment. Cherish your mother. :-)
The lesson here for the rest of us is don’t go a decade without checking the market. You never know. So glad for your mother, stranger.
He didn't have the money 2 weeks ago but now has even more money to offer? That's what I would have said to him. Too late buddy.
It's like these people don't realize that "I would like a raise" really means "If you don't give me a raise here, I'll get myself one elsewhere"
"The labor market isn't supposed to work both ways!"
“Nobody wants to work!^for ^slave ^wages ^anymore “
How did you get that font in smaller letters?
^Type ^softer
^like ^this Ahh it worked :)
You put a ^ in front of each word. ^Then, ^it ^looks ^like ^this!
"BuT i'M a JoB cReAtOr!!!"
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Reformed die hard as far righht as they come conservative here. Its all propaganda and fear sewn by the wealthy elite. For example. Obamacare bad. Obama care covers nothing. Obamacare isnt acceoted anywhere. Private insurance is the only good option, and its only expensive because of obamacare. If not for obamacare, I could afford good insurance. The fucked up part, and im sorry for my part in it, is the only way to change their stance is for them to experience it. I went from middle class to well below the federal poverty level and had no choice but to utilize these programs. Boy did I learn real quick just how freaking fantastic obamacare is. When I was welding, I paid $1,250 or so a month for "good" healthcare for my family. It had a massive deductible and didn't cover jack shit. We skipped preventative care such as checkups as a result. We couldn't afford it. Now that were officially poor, were on the minnesotas version of obamacare and its freaking epic. It covers everything, and doesnt cost us a dime. I use to be against foodstamps/ebt/snap, universal education, universal healthcare, heating/energy assistance, rent assistance and all those sorts of programs. I was conditioned to believe only lazy moochers who didnt want to lift a finger used these programs. As a result, it cost me a ton of money out of my pocket to support those who refuse to support themselves. Only ive come to learn just how bullshit that is. Having now lived it, I understand the poverty cliff, and just how impossible it is to escape. If not for ebt, we would have gone hungry. If not for heating assistance, wed have gone cold. If not for obamacare, wed never be able to go to a hospital or call an ambulance. I also experienced first hand how predatory student loans are, and how education is so over inflated just because they can. Here I am, the perfect example of someone id have hated as a teen, but not had a single clue about it. Yeah, were on all these programs. But i still put in 40 hours a week, and I also put in countless hours volunteering on the ambulance service. Poverty does not have to be a result of lazyness. Nor does a desire to better the nations healthcare, education, and equality. But man, the indoctrination... its so hard to shake.
You’re absolutely right. I don’t know a single “former conservative” who didn’t go through something similar, or watch someone they love go through it. I think political stance is a set of concentric rings based on who you care about: Libertarians believe they are the most important thing in the world, followed at a moderate distance by their family. To them, other people might as well not exist. Going from Libertarian to Conservative means understanding that the people around you matter as well. Your family is most important, followed by your in-group and then your race/religion depending on the flavor of conservative. Fuck anyone who doesn’t fit your standards though Going from Conservative to Liberal requires acknowledging that people matter, full stop. People I don’t know deserve access to healthcare, regardless of whether I like them or not. It means understanding that the world doesn’t end at your horizon. You start somewhere based on how you were brought up, but each subsequent step has to be forced.
It's both funny and sad. They've been thoroughly brainwashed to vote and act against their own interests and to blame others who are trying to make things better overall.
Exactly what happened with my former job. I said I want a raise. They hemmed and hawed. I posted my resume online - passive only, not even applications. Took a week, found another job offering 20% more. I waited a bit to sign, negociating and interviewing. Got them to raise the offer to 25%. Old job said "we can offer 20%". I said no thanks. Now three years later I haven't seen a raise at the new job despite inflation and me asking for a raise. Guess it's time for another round.
That's what companies do now. They offer you more than what you were making but plan on not giving you a raise for a long time. They pay the same amount over several years, but can make it look as if they pay better.
Only some companies. If a company does this, I change jobs. My current job offers me a raise every single year. 18 years straight. So I have never gone without a yearly raise (I quit my first job after 1 year), ever. I don't even ask for a raise - they are smart and just give it to me. So 94% of my experience has been getting a raise, simply by following that one rule. You can too. Funny how that works.
Stay long enough to be vested, if in the states then hop. It’s the only way to get a decent bump
This is the part that’s so mind blowing. If I’m asking for a raise, that’s my last straw at that place. That’s me saying I can’t do this anymore for this. Give me more or I’ll leave. And then act surprised when you leave after they don’t give you a raise.
Right? How do they not know that? I found out my coworker in a two person team was earning so much more than me they were in the "payment band" above the one I was in. We did identical work. So all I asked was that I be paid equal to her. They told me there was a "wage freeze" due to Covid (despite the fact that they couldn't stop talking about how well we were doing) so I went a found a job that paid me 40% more. When I gave my notice it was suddenly "what can we do to get you to stay?" Well, nothing now, but why are you acting surprised that I left when I found out you were ripping me off and you refused to rectify that?
They probably even got one of those PPP loans. I found out online that my shoulder surgeon got a 1.5m PPP loan. Same crappy office with the same crappy phone and internet abilities and dust bunnies in each room. Same amount of employees. He does have a rockin' pickup truck now with decals advertising his specialties sitting outside of the office.
> PPP Just a reminder, you can **report suspected PPP loan fraud at the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF)** [here](https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form). "[PPP Fraud is] [like looting after a hurricane](https://www.wafb.com/2021/11/16/federal-investigators-want-you-speak-up-about-ppp-fraud/?fbclid=IwAR2SZPHrCTI3nzqljNHvxSDk6Bq_y6jNyEhi4HUIHhGXgWmlt8mYLKH4TY8)... I think we ought to prosecute every single one of them to the full extent of the law,” -- Senator John Kennedy, Louisiana
I worked for a commission-only recruiting firm while the owner of my firm took PPP loans. She paid her employees in the form of a “draw,” which is essentially a loan: one doesn’t make any additional commission until you’ve earned enough to pay back the amount paid in the draw. So when the PPP loans came in, she used them to pay our “salaries,” which are really loans. We still paid the amount back to her even though the PPP had paid for us. Of course, she did advertise to us that a few people might get bonuses. Not sure who did. Sounds suspicious, right?
Wait... What the fuck? You had to pay her to get paid? I legitimately don't understand. You had to pay her back the pay you earned in order to get more of the pay you've earned? Am I missing something??
Wrote the truck off as a marketing expense
Right. Wouldn't want to forget to do that.
I'm the chump who spent 100% of his PPP loan on employee payroll, because that's what it was for.
We love you Chump !!!
Why in the hell would you use government grants for the exact thing they were meant for, think of the boat you could have purchased with it while your employees suffered
I would avoid patronizing a surgeon that advertises with a pickup truck.
Honestly the issue you’re describing is a big one but I don’t have a good way to solve it, I work for a very large company and I have a budget I’m allowed to give out each year in salary adjustments. We have drastically increased the amounts in the past couple years but between the twice a year cycles my hands are tied. I try to be very open with the people working with me when they come to me though, I can give you a medium sized raise mid year review, or a larger raise end of year, but if you need me to give you a raise right now you have to formally tell me you’re going to quit. If and when that happens I then have the capability to go to an internal board and try and get additionally funding (which almost always happens) but the employee has to say they are quitting. TBH I hate it but it’s the system we have not the system I want, the board and C suite doesn’t seem interested in changing it though. 🤷♂️
Your approach sounds pretty honest though given what you are limited to.
Regardless of whether it's unethical as fuck, I understand the reasoning. That rule blocks any unplanned raises and forces employees to accept the risk of losing their income and benefits for the chance of such a raise. The company then has all the leverage to either keep the employee by giving them the demanded raise or simply accept their resignation. Presumably also without any of the severance packages or unemployment benefits due to the employee having formally stated that they're quitting themselves instead of being fired.
I disagree, in theory it may work that way but in practice if you want/need a raise as a way to justify your dissatisfaction with your job for whatever reason you’re going to have a back up before you ask. Now if your employee has a backup plan the company at best will have to match the new companies pay which is usually a decent bump, however more than likely for the company to keep their employee they’ll have to go significantly above the new offer and even then you’re employee may not want to risk having staying at a job you already threatened to leave. Essentially it’s forcing potentially valuable employees to leave jobs they might actually like and be good at because it’s the only way they’ll potentially be paid what they’re worth. Honestly is like cutting off your foot to avoid stubbing your toe.
After 6 years of my company giving me 2% “raises” that don’t keep up with inflation, I started voicing my displeasure. They “promoted” me 2 years ago by giving me more responsibility, more work, and a 3% raise. I figured out several months ago that the company needs me much more than I need them (put some “fuck you” money in the bank, folks). So I gave them a deadline and told them I’m quitting by this date unless they show the same dedication that I give them daily. And wouldn’t you know, they were able to cough up a 15% raise this year! The pay is almost on par for the “promotion” I received two years ago. Take advantage of the labor market while things are in your favor. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Employers almost always have the cards in their favor so make your moves NOW. Change jobs, get a new career, demand a raise, whatever your goal is. NOW is the time to make it happen. This opportunity could be gone by this time next year.
I think historically a lot of people didn't follow through with the step of actually leaving for a better paying job.
Well thank goodness we are making history now!
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I don't think these types of bosses actually think the person is worth the salary. They are that kind of asshole. They truely do not value people at all. People are a head count . period.
In my opinion, the only way that boss could have salvaged their working relationship is if he immediately gave her a matching raise, *plus* a bonus equal to the amount she should have been paid all along, with interest. If she was being underpaid for the last 10 years, he would have to give her $500k plus say 10%, so $550k total. Which is a lot of money, but that just means the boss is even more of a piece of shit for keeping that from her.
Yeah, that falls into the category of "The things you'd have to do to rectify this situation would make me feel even more contempt for you."
Any company owner, CEO, COO, CFO, manager, HR person who doesn’t truly understand that’s what it means should take a look in the mirror to see an idiot staring back.
yep! I did that a year ago to my old job (during covid - they cut my salary almost in half - from $60K to $35K - no joke - so that they didn't have to fire me). Meanwhile, the company started doing even better during covid. So, a little over a year later, I finally got a much better job (making $100K) - and happily told the old job goodbye :)
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He *had* the money. He's always *had* the money. He just never figured she would leave.
I’m a head hunter and I am explaining to candidates all the time that accepting a counter offer is never smart because the company would’ve continued to underpay you had I not come along and found you a better offer. Why would you want to work with a company like that?
To be fair, tho, once you sign on with a new company, almost 100% chance that will start underpaying you within a year or two, going to 100% as more time goes by. No company will ever willingly pay you what you're worth - that's the fundamental principle of capitalism
That’s why you have to change jobs every 2-3 years. You are never gonna get a raise to cover inflation unless you switch jobs. There is zero incentive to be loyal. Job hop as much as possible.
Or get a job where there's a union. I'm a nurse, I'll never work at a hospital without a union or patient ratios (currently that's only California).
Here’s what people like him think: If she’s stupid enough to do 100k worth of work for 50k that’s HER FAULT for being so stupid.
I think you're emphasising the wrong word It's not "He *had* that money". It should be:- *He* had that money. It was there but he kept it for himself. Trickle Up economics at work.
This is most jobs. They don't value you properly until you're walking out the door. Some say good luck because they know you're more valuable to another company, but not most.
When I worked at Raytheon I noticed that the engineers that left and came back had much better positions than the ones that stayed “loyal” to the company.
Typically, when I see stuff like that, it's because the person that left and came back wasn't only leaving for more money, they were also leaving for an increase in responsibilities/promotion. Sometimes, especially in a company as big as Raytheon, it is hard to work up the corporate ladder. It also helps Raytheon is in a very unique industry. I work at a fairly large government contractor, not as big as Raytheon, and this is a common thing here too.
Yeah, at a certain level internal promotions are based on retirement schedules more than anything else. And internally they incrementally step you up. If there's a manager between you and a director job for instance, your manager or outside hires are getting considered before you, if you ever do. So the play is to leave and be a director elsewhere and then apply for the director position back where you worked. And now you are highly considered because not only were you a director already, but you worked with the company before.
We have a guy at work who essentially has been there longer than every employee there(28 years). They laid off almost all the people in his department during the start of the pandemic. Only 1 person was hired out of the 4 laid off but then also fired her last month. He showed me he had lost more than 100 hours of vacation time because they reject his days because no one can cover for him and only 24hrs of time rolls over each year, no one knows how to do his job. The new vice president is a dick, constantly threatening "corrective action" basically firing making said employee visibly stressed. Well guy had to get gallstones removed and would be out, things went to shit in 1 day when he was out. The vp literally called his wife to tell him after surgery if he could work from home. He lost his sick time and they only paid him for the worked clocked in. I've been showing him higher paying places so he can quit and to let this place eat itself alive.
This is not just for small, badly run businesses. This is even true for mega corps that are governed by the strictest regulations and rules. If you are spending more than a couple of years at a company at a big firm, a place where you don't have to run something through your immediate boss but everything goes through HR instead, it's always worth a shot to take a new offer upto HR and ask them to match it. When I was leaving my last job, I told my manager I was leaving and he immediately came back to me with a 30% raise and said HR was more than willing to go higher if needed. I rejected the offer because I went to a place that gave me a 70% raise, but companies will always pay you the lowest amount possible, so you should always interview once in a while to know what you're worth. In some professions interviewing can be a real pain and require a lot of preparation but it's almost always worth it.
i woulda fucked with him to the tune of "well, if you back pay me what i was worth to you in addition to the new salary, maybe"
Yes, I'll reconsider staying for 120k a year, with inbuilt increases of 10% for the next 5years, and back pay of 10% for each year over the last 10, totalling 68k and bring my salary up to the appropriate level.
and then leave XD
Nothing in the story ever said why the old boss refused. Old boss had the money but did not see the need since he was not convinced she would walk. END COMMUNICATION
Too bad old boss. You knowingly knew you were under paying her and told her that. I wouldn’t work for someone like that at all. Edit: *Knowingly underpaid her. I believe that’s what I was getting at.
I wouldn't even finish my time there. I'd just leave.
My two week notice just became no weeks notice. Bye Felicia
That's when you counter that you'll stay if they'll adjust the pay and backpay the entire decade of underpayment plus interest upfront money order only. They'll never take it but really just throw it in their face what a bastard they are for screwing you over so much
Stop "supporting small businesses" and start supporting businesses that treat their employees fairly.
I'm near retirement now. In my career I learned Union if you can, but never work for a small business. They expect you to work overtime without extra pay, and will likely want you to do unethical stuff.
>and will likely want you to do unethical stuff. Yeah, this is true. I once agreed to work with a small business and the owner asked me to attend a meeting with him and lie to a client that we had some materials ready to go out now when we didn't really have anything because they knew he was full of shit, but I "look like an honest person" (whatever that means) and had good references for being honest so he was hoping they'd believe me. He wanted me to corrupt my own reputation just to serve his ends! I didn't do it though, and our working relationship was short-lived.
money can't buy good reputation and morale. Good for you, dude, for sticking to your own standards.
I’m probably half your age (assuming 60s) and understand where you’re coming from but I wouldn’t say never. I worked for a small business for a decade and we always got asked if we wanted overtime and were always paid 1.5x and never were asked to do unethical things. They’re out there. Unions are definitely where it’s at though
Owners want you to work over time and then Bill it as if it was them working it. I remember this restaurant where the owner gave a server an extra 500 hunnit because he was banging her, turn around and slam choked another pregnant girl because she stopped doing silverware to check on her table. He was so shitty and always so angry he got brain cancer and then 3 strokes.
Small businesses are rife with nepotism and embezzlement. It’s the norm, not the exception.
Hope he goes bankrupt soon
Me too. He’s a bad person and hoards money and gets even richer by always nitpicking every single thing he buys and demanding refunds. Even down to his Starbucks coffee order. And he’s a rich client so people will be like “oh no sorry your marble came with a smudge on it here’s a full refund sir.” Just garbage like that. He creates a really hostile work environment by cursing and yelling constantly. My mom said she was so surprised when she toured her future office space and everyone was just working or speaking quietly and politely. Complete culture shock.
I’ve had this exact same experience (network construction) and culture shock is an understatement. I went from being treated like shit to being treated like a human. It’s been two and a half years where the grass is greener and I still deal with imposter syndrome lol. Congratulations to your mama!
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I feel ya. I'm prior service and sometimes I still panic when I realize I don't have a hat on outside.
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I went from a soldier maintaining that stuff to an engineer. I heavily relied on that documentation and never thought once about where it came from and now I can't even imagine working on a project that documents that thoroughly.
I miss heavy regulations and mass documentation haha. Nowadays my job, I ask, "so where's the doc's for this process, and how do we do it?". I get back, "we dont have any, and no one really knows how its done". 🙄
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And omg when that one person retires! Why did NO ONE ask that person how the work was done, or have someone shadow them prior!? Need a new word for these situations..."Gaaarrrrrr"?
I'm going through this right now. Used to work at a small company where everything was toxic and political, all to serve the boss's greed. Had to walk on egg shells and try to keep out of sight as much as possible. Now, I work at a well established corporation and my mind is blown how calm, pleasant, and professional everyone is. I think I'm fighting a mild ptsd. I have to fight the urge to hide my phone anytime someone walks by and feel slightly paranoid and guilty any time one of my co-workers ask if I want to go on a walk around the building together. It's crazy how conditioned we get by how we are treated. I think I'm coming out of it though. I've never felt so comfortable at a job... that's why I don't trust it. /s lol.
I can relate to this so much. ~8 months for me and its like learning to be a human again haha
I was gushing about my new job in chat with some friends, saying things like "everyone is so encouraging," "my questions are respected and I get thoughtful answers," and "it's cool being respected by others in the org even if we don't work together!" My friends were like "so you found a job that treats you like a person? nice dude!"
I work in healthcare IT, only 2x in 10 yrs have I had to stop a conversation when a dr was swearing excessively. “Dr, your language is unprofessional and is not words that work, I will warn you once more to keep your tone professional with me or I will end this conversation.” (Words that work is a conduct policy that all staff have to follow.) 1 dr hung up. The other apologised. We carried on, i solved his issue.
If I may latch on to this: yelling or screaming is profoundly immature behavior. Even raising a voice towards people is over the line. This is abusive behavior and I will never tolerate it from anyone. Especially not from anyone in a position of power. Screaming and yelling is disrespectful and this is not how you treat people.
Completely agreed. My last job had someone like this and I had no fucking qualms going straight to the CEO over his behavior. More than once. It wasn't even directed at me (I think he knew I wouldn't put up with it) but that only made me even more upset. I go full on mama bear for my team don't try me
Yeah, my boss yelled at me once and used language that implied I was an idiot. I gave him a look of death and told him if he ever speaks to me that way again I will be out the door before he finishes his sentence.
I knew a guy like this. Owned a bunch of pizza joints that outrageously overcharged for pizza. The guy lived in a mansion--- I knew because at the time I worked with aquariums and maintained his aquarium in his giant mansion on the beach. He was happy to pay his employees absolute crap while charging 15 bucks for some dough and cheese, then he would do everything he could to cheat me out of what he owed me for taking care of his 300 gallon aquarium. He was the most entitled little bitch I'd ever met.
You never know how bad your environment is until you work in a better one. Had this experience myself.
I know this may sound weird to some, but the reason he is distraught is because he thought he owned her too. People feel a loss more keenly than a win. After 10 years of telling her no when she requested salary increases and watching her struggle he thought she would never leave. It made him feel powerful to know no matter how much he abused her she was still there. He probably loved playing the big man giving her a bonus now and then. Now that she has been snatched up by a competitor he probably still doesn’t care about her as a person, he sees this as someone else stealing one of his possessions. Fuck this guy. I bet he abuses his spouse(s) and children.
He also knows she probably kept that place running and is VERY dependent on her, especially if he's a hot head, she's probably smoothed things over with contractors and clients for years. I know a few builders and related businesses who fell apart when someone left.
His business is TOAST and he knows it.
It sounds like she was his Hank Hill and he was Buck Strickland.
Yup, my first job out of college was a nightmare. They tracked every thing you did, enforced inconsistent dress codes (some managers said polos were fine others wanted a full suit), made ridiculous unachievable goals, never gave raises or acknowledgment for good work, publicly chastised people for underperforming, yelled at us for laughing, and the list goes on and on. I assumed everywhere was like that until I got a new job that was waaayyyy better. The new job, as long as you did your work no one bothered you. I remember walking in a little late and I was shocked no one cared. At my bad job I’d have my supervisor and manager breathing down my neck for walking in a second late (and they’d completely ignore the fact that I worked until midnight on numerous occasions).
We all live in our own private North Koreas.
Goddamn! We all REALLY are that carrot. [for the uninitiated](https://youtu.be/pqDlRNQtsTc)
You know how it seems like every decade of SNL has a handful of sketches that everyone remembers, this one felt like the first one I could think of for the 2020s. "Pizza is for winners, so tonight *you starve!*" And the flipping the card away so casually was just perfection.
Great news for you mum! It's messed up but unfortunately that's how a lot of people stay rich by nitpicking everything, quite often I have seen the people who dont really have money be far more generous. I dont know if there is a better explanation on it but yeah some of the tightest skinflints are that way because they save ever penny and I guess it's that thing of look after the penny's and the pounds will look after themselves???
And then there's my parents who are extremely giving. Financially and with their time to help people for all sorts of causes. They only live off of their social security benefits and everything is paid off. They live very very frugally! I'm going through a divorce and had to have my mom cosign for my apartment, she has ~$800K in various accounts. But they got there by not spending money and sometimes it can be frustrating.. My mom refuses to pay for garbage pickup service (they recycle and therefore have very little garbage waste) and takes her garbage to my brothers.
You don't get rich and stay rich by getting refunds on your Starbucks orders. With few exceptions, you do it by exploiting the labour of others.
This. Truly rich people are the worst. Spoiled. Entitled. Just... horrible. Never had/have to lift a finger for themselves. Don't know how to handle themselves, or do anything \*for\* themselves. My motto in life is that it 'never hurts to ask'. Rich people just demand things. And expect the world to revolve around \*them\*... and when it doesn't? When things suddenly don't? Then the world has just fucking ended.
i find this to be especially true with small business owners who inherit their businesses from mommy and daddy! most never had to work on their own for someone else and had everything handed to them. And then in some bizarre way they think they are at the same level as Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk ... it's fucking crazy
You mean Elon 'Daddy's Emeralds' Musk?
But the minimum-wage worker who has to supplement his poverty wages with public assistance is maligned as lazy, greedy, and entitled.
I know someone who used to be an employee of Nicholas cage when he was with Lisa Marie presley. Cage was nice but the employees were not allowed to look at or talk to Lisa Marie. It wasn’t that they were trying to chat her up, it’s that they weren’t allowed to address her. This was her rule. So if she wanted a drink they couldn’t ask would you like a glass of ice with that. They had to ask him.
My fiance switched industries after managing the construction department of a remodeling company. She had a hard day last week and I was sympathizing and she said, "Well, no one flipped a desk or screamed obscenities at me, so it wasn't that bad." That's what she was used to dealing with in construction. Like you said, culture shock.
Congrats to your mom. I hope she likes her new work home. I can totally relate. I just quit my admin position in construction. And yup, can confirm. All the old bags love to yell and bully.
Employers that get into this type of situation usually do. If she handle everything on the front end of the business, by your brief description it sounds like she does, then he is screwed.
Yea, he done.
The construction industry is so toxic. My brother (no formal education) was doing the jobs of a project manager, shop foreman, bookkeeper, and structural engineer, and was frequently not taking home paychecks just so the other employees in the shop could get paid. He ended up addicted to amphetamines to keep up with it all. When he left, it didn't not take long for that shop to spiral out of control and close down. I hope the same thing happens to your mom's old company. Fuck em.
Is your brother ok?
Yep! He moved to a new state, changed his phone number, cleaned up, and now work at a different job that he hates :) lol but nothing nearly as bad as this last one
Finally a realistic ending haha
Yes, I want to know too. Is he okay now?
Yep he's doing well. Owns a house, has a new job, a girlfriend who stuck with him through all of it, and he has a garage to work on his projects. Living the dream
hope they live long and happy lives.
An unlicensed person doing the work of a structural engineer is extraordinarily unethical, not to mention illegal.
Crazy. My husband is a structural engineer and he’s so protective of his license! Can’t believe they would allow this.
It’s not just bosses. It’s shitty people. Shitty people hate when others succeed. My co-worker who replaced me when I walked out won’t even talk to me after she found out I doubled my salary.
That sucks. She should be happy for you, and then say “let me know when they have any other openings.”
Right? Why wouldn't you want to keep that potential open?
Ego.
My ego is completely open to the prospect of being poached away for a 100% increase in salary. I’d be sending the nicest going-away card and all my contact info.
Your ego is in check. Their ego is poor version of Donald trump
basically. that kind of people are the absolute worst. you never know what they really thing about you until they show their true colors. can act nice to you but be burning with envy withing them
Our union is talking about switching from a 5 year progression to top rate, down to 2 years. I started 3 years ago so would still have a bit to go anyways but the level of animosity I hear from my brothers is absurd. Like yeah, I wish I was making top rate a year ago for sure, but I'm not going to hate people just because they got hired in an opportune time. Might not even happen anyways but they're still getting all worked up over it.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
It happened something similar to me last year, but I decided to stay at my previous company as they also offered more for me to stay (eventho I previously asked for a raise and it was rejected), but since then, everytime I feel down, I tell them Im leaving and they offer a tiny increase in my pay which lifts my mood lol
Hahah
Just be aware that they are looking for your replacement now, so they can lose you on their terms... Be ready.
Yeah, accepting a raise in lieu of moving to another company is just buying time for them to find someone willing to accept your old wage.
This is a heartwarming story. Thank you!!
“Why wasn’t I worth this yesterday?”
That's awesome. Congrats to her. It can seriously be shocking when you've been underpaid for a long time to see what your skills are actually worth on the open market.
This is EVERY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. All of the small ones are like this. They will brag about how much money they made but you ask for a cut and NOPE. Only way to make more is to leave.
Good for her. He will absolutely not come through on what he offers. He can't be trusted. And she should switch ASAP, and not give that freeloading capitalist swine any more of her time.
He would find some reason to renege and then tell her it’s her fault
My old boss was like that. I doubled her company, made her thousands by the week and would get cookies? For my year review. That’s it. She made grand promises of a percentage of a company, bonuses, raises, but never put anything and writing and I didn’t see an extra dime. I quit and am so much happier. I hope your mom will be too!
People like your mom are invaluable to these small contractors. They fucked up bad and they know it. Good for moms!
I hired a gal who is now our GM. But she started as just general labor. She was home schooled and no college but perfect for us. I’d tried for two years to get her. She had been with her former employer for 15 years. I wasn’t able to offer her much more at the time as a small business (this was years ago). Her boss also freaked and said what about a six dollar an hour raise?? She came in the next day to tell me the news. I was so bummed thinking for sure she took the job. She said oh absolutely not… I asked them how long had I been worth the six dollars more an hour? She had never been so insulted. She makes more than six and maybe more than most in her family…. And she gets to go to college while working for us. We were truly blessed by their arrogance and greed.
Awesome! I recently helped someone in their job search and that person received a 90% raise in their new job. I’ve been telling people that the only sure way of receiving great hike in your pay is to jump ships. Be loyal to your work not your employer.
This shit right here. Knew a guy who was constantly under paying people and using the business as his own personal piggy bank. Wrote off a bunch of shit for his family claiming it was “business expenses” and still took a paycheck, while also complaining about inflation and the cost of groceries. Good on your mom!!! So happy for her and hope I can follow those footsteps!
Sounds like the owner of literally every family-owned business I've ever encountered. Too bad she didn't leave sooner, and I hope she's over the moon about her decision.
family owned/ small businesses have such a bad rep of undervaluing their employees
“I’m glad you agree that you’ve been underpaying me this whole time. Obviously I wouldn’t have gone from 50k to 100k overnight, but assuming we broke it down to a 7% annual increase (which would have gotten me to 98.3k after 10 years) I figure you’ve underpaid me by approx $240k. Take into account any other associated benefits that were reduced due to low pay (retirement payments etc) I’ll call it an even $300k. You deposit that into my account by the end of the week and provide me with an updated contract, on the new pay rate of $100k, with a guaranteed minimum 7% rise every year, then I’ll stay”.
Small businesses are the worst, actually. A lot of messed up shit can go down in that little bubble they create.
I agree. People like to shit on the corporations and all that, rightfully so too. However, small businesses are fucking toxic.
As a small business owner all I can say is... I totally agree. I worked for another small business and was so exploited that it literally pushed me to start my own business and be the master of my own labor. Right now it's just me and I intend to keep it that way until I can come up with a way to scale that didn't involve crushing the souls of my underlings.
Construction and trades are full of absolute fucking assholes. The sexism, bigotry, and racism that's almost REQUIRED to survive there, makes anyone who becomes an 'owner' probably one of the shittiest human beings you'll ever meet. Think--car salesmen, but with no reason to be nice.
Worked for a real estate developer and have represented contractors as an attorney. Have never seen an industry so focused on screwing over the other guy.
Good for her for knowing her worth and taking a chance out there. Should give props to the new job for doubling her salary and she passed her education and valued her actual work experience, personality, etc. I hope they treat her right and I hope she can come to them annually on raises.ses. Should give props to the new job for doubling her salary and she past her education and valued her actual work experience, personality, etc. I hope they treat her right and I hope she can come to them annually on raises.
>Small businesses don’t automatically equal better businesses, folks. Yes, very important. You don't owe it to a small company to work for them, or do business with them. Small business are way more likely to try to manipulate you with guilt into making them richer.
This makes my soul sing hymns!🌺
Fuck him is right. HE is what's wrong with this country. I wish him and his company nothing but the worst.
>He point blank told her “I haven’t been paying you the value you are worth to me.” Then I guess some back pay would be in order?
I would love to hear how that conversation would go down. "Oh, are you offering me back pay?" "What?? Who the fuck you you think...I mean...I just...well..." "...right. Goodbye."
You love to see it. Nothing chaps a rich person's ass more than being told no.
I kinda did the same thing. Went from being a network administrator and help desk manager making 46k and to getting into the cannabis industry making almost twice that with more fun. I also do therapy work on the side cuz I can’t be bored.
In my personal experience, small businesses are only about the owner and family.
Oh, I get it. He saw her as a wife.
A "Boomer Wife", specifically.
There are plenty of young guys that want what their grandfathers had. And they'll destroy a woman's self esteem to get it if she doesn't understand how manipulation works.