“I Applied Online At 5 Guys”: Restaurant Chain Drops Its Potential Employee’s Hourly Wage From $18/Hr To $14/Hr

Most of us know how problematic workplaces can be; unhealthy environment, disrespectful management and backstabbing colleagues. Though we all understand that working is something that we absolutely must do in order to sustain a comfortable life, many individuals find it exceptionally unpleasant. Folks that have spent a ton of money and dedicated their sweet years to get a degree for a thing they once loved end up being stuck in a miserable cubicle, working day and night for someone else's profit.

Of course, all companies are different and have different cultures, yet it's a fact that we live in a money-driven world. Fortunately, during the past few years, our society has been continuously advocating for better work conditions, resulting in many organizations changing their toxic approaches. However, many businesses still vastly care about their earnings and don't miss an opportunity to save a buck or two.

More info: Reddit

This online user took it to one of Reddit's work-inspired communities to reveal a story about a sticky situation they recently encountered. "I applied online at 5 Guys and the listed rate was $18 an hour. At the interview, they said $15 an hour but the tips would make up for it. Now, this." The former candidate shared a screenshot of the texts they shared with a hiring manager showing that the hourly wage of $18 that was initially listed was no longer valid as their base pay has dropped to 14 bucks an hour.

The person began their post by sharing a screenshot from a text conversation they had with a Five Guys hiring manager. As expected, it all started out with a harmless introduction where the manager revealed that they'd actually sent the OP an offer through the Interviewy platform. Once the author of the post reviewed their potential contract, they immediately contacted the company's representative as the promised $15 had magically lowered to $14. The OP wondered why the pay was different to what they'd discussed, to which the manager said that their base pay is, in fact, 14 bucks an hour – however, the now ex-candidate would've been able to push it to $17 with the work's bonuses.

The restaurant's representative, kind of rhetorically, asked the author if they'd rather earn $15 than $17, while also mentioning that the manager was "misinformed" about the starting pay. A couple of minutes later they sent a text, giving an example that the chain's Portsmouth location also has a $14 base pay but their average comes out to $19/hr. The OP then replied, saying that they simply want their 15 bucks.

The Five Guys employee then bombarded the author with a few texts basically saying that the manager is not responsible for choosing the starting rate. They mentioned that there's actually a sign on the door and on the website stating that the pay is up to $18+ an hour, not $18 an hour. However, the worker was willing to help and even suggested setting up an interview purely to discuss the pay. The messages ended with them somewhat gaslighting the former applicant, saying that the manager had never said that the base pay is $15, she actually said that it's between $14 and $15.

The situation sparked a debate among the Reddit users; some say not to believe in the whole "the tips will make up for it" malarkey, as their 16-year-old child works at the company and the bonuses are practically non-existent, and others say that it should actually be illegal to add the potential tips to listings since they're literally misleading the job-seeking folks.

People also recommend avoiding places that advertise themselves with an "up to" pay at any rate. Businesses deliberately add the potential bonuses to the wage to make it more appealing to the applicants, but, in reality, it's tremendously low. Someone even suggested leaving a negative review to warn any potential employees about their lies.

A Redditor pointed out that tips aren't wages, saying that it's pretty unethical to withhold information about the actual pay. Someone else also said that if they are able to make $15/hr at home, with no equipment, other employers should really reconsider their approach.

Besides, a user stated that if an applicant has this type of tension with their yet-to-be-manager, they shouldn't expect to be working in a wholesome environment. They also mentioned that if the OP does decide to accept the offer, they should at least consider a different location.