A Reddit user has shared his shock over being fired from his new job for asking a simple question about his pay.
Though speaking about wages might be considered rude or unwelcome in some contexts, you'd think a conversation between an employee and employer would be a safe space to broach the topic.
That didn't appear to be the belief of one boss, however, as Reddit user u/doggolover482 took to the platform to share the bizarre text conversation which ended their employment on the very same day they were 'supposed to go [and] sign new hire paperwork'.
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The Redditor shared screenshots of the conversation, which began with them telling their new boss they 'forgot to ask' how often employees are paid.
The employer seemed fine with this query and responded 'bi-weekly', after which the new worker followed up to check when they would receive their first paycheque.
It's a very natural question, given it could determine whether you may have to account for living without a paycheque for a period of time after leaving a previous job, but the query seemed to be a step too far for this particular boss.
Out of nowhere, they responded to the question to say they had 'change[d] their mind'.
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"I would hire someone whose desire is to work with the company," they added.
The boss seemed to then cancel previous arrangements for the new employee to come in to the office, presumably to sign their new hire paperwork as they had explained on Reddit.
Understandably baffled, the Reddit user responded to say they didn't follow the direction in which the conversation had gone, writing: "I'm sorry? I don't understand. I do want to work with the company. But pay information is important for me to properly budget for bills."
The explanation is completely justified, but the employee dismissed it as they claimed they were 'looking for an individual who is willing to work with the flow, with the environment' and said the employee's priority was 'only pay'.
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"I am not looking for any candidates whose priority is only pay. [You] didn't ask me about any other staff, uniform etc. [You] have been only asking me [about] pay. So I am not interested in such a candidate," they continued.
Despite attempting to argue that his priority was 'tutoring' and 'helping children learn', he stressed the need to be able to afford food, petrol and shelter, adding: "I only asked about pay because I was so nervous at the interview that I forgot to and my wife reminded me," he added.
The Redditor didn't share whether the employer responded, but it seems clear from their decision to share the post that they didn't manage to convince them to move ahead with the employment.
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Thankfully, it seems they were not alone in their surprise, with Redditors responding to say the employee had 'dodged a bullet' and describing the employer as 'unprofessional'.
Emily Brown