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Person With Master’s Degree Gets A Job Paying $20/Hr But When The Paycheck Comes And It’s Only Half, The Employer Says The Agreement Has A Typo
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Person With Master’s Degree Gets A Job Paying $20/Hr But When The Paycheck Comes And It’s Only Half, The Employer Says The Agreement Has A Typo

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Job interviews are stressful enough without any unexpected questions and, needless to say, talks of pay. When the question arises, many seem to devalue their talents, or they’re so desperate to get the job that they’re willing to put up with the lower pay. Whatever the case, it’s never easy.

But remember that companies will also always—and I do stress always—try to negotiate a pay that meets their bottom line as well, so you gotta sometimes fight for good pay, despite the anxiety.

Well, Reddit user u/eirfair has recently shared just how hard it can sometimes be to negotiate a salary, asking the r/AntiWork community for advice on what to do.

More Info: Reddit

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    Job interviews are stressful as they are, but add talks of pay and ambiguities and it becomes a nightmare

    Image credits: Media Mike Hazard

    Reddit user u/eirfair has recently gone to r/AntiWork, a subreddit dedicated to having no job (or ending it), to share their story of how they got a job offer for a position at a library, which paid $10 an hour. The OP wasn’t happy with that, but ended up going through the interview anyway.

    Then, due to mysterious circumstances, Eirfair got an offer letter stating that it’s $20. Not enough to satisfy the OP’s expectations, but a huge improvement from the $10 initially offered. So, they accepted it.

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    This person asked the Reddit community what they should do about a job they signed up for under one rate, but got paid another

    Person With Master’s Degree Gets A Job Paying $20/Hr But When The Paycheck Comes And It’s Only Half, The Employer Says The Agreement Has A Typo

    Image credits: eirfair

    Then comes payday, and, surprise, surprise, they get only half of what they were supposed to get. After some questioning, it turns out it was a typo. Needless to say, it left Eirfair in a bit of a rough situation.

    On the one hand, they have a job, but the pay is poor, but hey, they have a job and they need the experience. Also, this typo seems to be working in the employer’s favor, and shouldn’t a signed offer letter be as valid as a contract? These were just some of the things the OP and the commenters discussed.

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    Eirfair asked the r/AntiWork community to share their experience, thoughts, and advice on what the OP ought to do in this situation. And that they did.

    Many have pointed out that a contract is a contract, and what’s on paper has much more power than what was verbally agreed upon, so the $20 should stay, as it was what was signed.

    Others urged the OP to go fight for their rightful wage, with some coaching them with the specific wording they ought to use, and with others saying that if further negotiations fail, then it’s time to look for a better-paying job.

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    The comment section was supportive of the OP, claiming the employer is in the wrong

    Yet others shared their own negotiation stories, showing just how common these situations actually are. Spoiler: it never really worked out, whether the employee decided it wasn’t worth it, or when the company was asked about it, they just ghosted the employee.

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    Besides the 7,500 comments the post generated, it also managed to get a tad bit over 40,000 upvotes and nearly 40 Reddit awards. According to the OP’s later edits on the post, the community was very helpful with their insights and have put things into perspective.

    You can check out the post and comments in full right here, but before you scurry off, let us know your thoughts on the matter—who is right in this situation? Share your insights in the comment section below!

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    Robertas Lisickis

    Robertas Lisickis

    Author, BoredPanda staff

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    Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

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    Robertas Lisickis

    Robertas Lisickis

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

    Saulė Tolstych

    Saulė Tolstych

    Author, Community member

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    Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.

    Read less »

    Saulė Tolstych

    Saulė Tolstych

    Author, Community member

    Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.

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    Heather G
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Please tell me she kept a copy of the signed document mentioning the $20. It's legally a record and can be used in court. "Spelling error" is not a legal excuse that will hold up in court.

    VogueGal
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you and I concur! If OP keeps the copy of the signed contracts (which rightly we have to sign all documents/both copies in person) then it can be used as proof in civil court and the employer most likely must pay for the owing balance for when he originally hired at $20/hour, doesn't matter typo or not. Also, do you want to work for company/people without integrity such what they did for not owning their actions and do the right thing; which either they compensate you for the difference? and still offer you to keep your job at the "supposed" rate if you wish to? I wish you best of luck and hope good karma is coming your way soon!

    Load More Replies...
    Vicky Z
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My signature on the contract was a typo too! Sorry my mistake! Bye!

    MorgothBauglir
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Companies have lost millions because they placed a comma in a wrong place. Spelling error is not an excuse.

    Load More Comments
    Heather G
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Please tell me she kept a copy of the signed document mentioning the $20. It's legally a record and can be used in court. "Spelling error" is not a legal excuse that will hold up in court.

    VogueGal
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you and I concur! If OP keeps the copy of the signed contracts (which rightly we have to sign all documents/both copies in person) then it can be used as proof in civil court and the employer most likely must pay for the owing balance for when he originally hired at $20/hour, doesn't matter typo or not. Also, do you want to work for company/people without integrity such what they did for not owning their actions and do the right thing; which either they compensate you for the difference? and still offer you to keep your job at the "supposed" rate if you wish to? I wish you best of luck and hope good karma is coming your way soon!

    Load More Replies...
    Vicky Z
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My signature on the contract was a typo too! Sorry my mistake! Bye!

    MorgothBauglir
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Companies have lost millions because they placed a comma in a wrong place. Spelling error is not an excuse.

    Load More Comments
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