I’ve just recently returned to the boards a couple of week ago, but I found myself in a work-related conundrum yesterday. I would really value some outside opinions, because I really don’t know what to think or do.
Backstory: I was “hired” for my current job about 18 months before I started. It sounds crazy, I know, but that’s standard in this field. Mine is a small, highly specialized field and everyone knows everyone. Anyway, so I was told I had a job, and then there was radio silence for about a year. No discussion of salary or benefits, just the understanding that I’d be starting in summer 2012. Early in 2012, I started the long, overly complicated hiring process. About a month in, I first inquired about salary/benefits and was told that until I was “officially” hired, no one knew. I sighed, gritted my teeth and made every effort to get them every scrap of paperwork they wanted as fast as I possibly could.
Four months later, I’m getting ready to move across the country for this job and make another plead for an estimate of salary so I could figure out what I could afford for rent. My future supervisor comes back with an estimate - a very low estimate. I was moving from a relatively cheap part of the country to a more expensive part, and her estimate basically gave me nothing for the increase in living expenses. I asked her if she was sure, this seemed low - she said someone would get back to me.
Sure enough, a few weeks later, I received a call with a much more realistic salary. A document arrived shortly thereafter, with the salary documented clearly “You will received x per year as your salary” (paraphased). I was relieved and went forward with the move and started work as planned.
I bet everyone can see where this is going. Yesterday was pay day. At which point, my paycheck was low. I have enough to cover rent and utilities, with an amazing $80 left over for food/living expenses for the next two weeks. I inquired about this, as I had worked out what I should receive after taxes and this was not that number. At this time, I was informed that I’m actually working part time. So, the number quoted to me in my hiring letter is what I would receive if I was being paid full time. Please note that I am not, in fact, working part time. I easily work 40+ hours a week. Oftentimes, it’s more. I’m salaried so there is no overtime pay. It’s just expected. Yesterday was the first I had heard anything about my “part-time” employment. It was not documented in my hiring letter.
The salary isn’t unreasonable. My next paycheck won’t have to cover rent/utilities, so I can pay off my credit cards, student loans, eat, etc. I’m used to budgeting very carefully - my big plans for the extra money was to pay off some of my student loan debt. But the salary is 40% less than what I was told that I would receive. I’m…kind of livid. I was really tempted to put this in the BBQ, because I’m so utterly furious. I just have no idea what to do. There are other job openings in the country, but my father was diagnosed with a serious illness last year and this is the closest position to my family. And this really is a small field - I could probably weasel my way out of this position gracefully, but there’s a risk that I could get a bad reputation early in my career.
Part of my outrage is philosophical too. They promised me one thing, and are delivering another. They lied to me. I have no idea what kind of options I have, if any, that won’t irreparably damage my reputation. I don’t think I can afford to allow my moral outrage to guide my decision in this situation. I know I was naive throughout this process, but with my family situation, I didn’t know what else to do. I just crossed my fingers and hoped. I suppose I get what I deserve for that, but I still feel hurt/confused over the entire matter.
Gah! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
