Charles Gibson never believed he'd live to see the day when his corporation turned on him after years of commitment and effort. He refused to accept their choice of firing him, and he would not go down without a fight.
His role of playing the perfect employee was about to come to an abrupt end.
Hard Worker
Charles had been working for the company for as long as he could remember. He made his way from an entry-level software engineer to a manager. He implemented cost-saving strategies that saved the company thousands, if not millions, of dollars.
He intended to stay until he could at least meet his pension requirements. He had no idea that HR had other ideas in store for him.
Getting Rid Of Them
The more time that passed, the more Charles began realizing that the departments were filtering out the older employees, and replacing them with younger employees.
So when the Human Resources department started to make Charles's life more difficult, he knew being called in meant that he was in trouble.
The Beginning
Charles got called into the office on Monday morning, confused as to what he has done wrong. The HR department head began making all sorts of accusations such as, he was clocking in at the wrong times which was not the truth at all.
Charles was puzzled as he knew that he did not do those things. His confusion, however, will soon be replaced by anger.
Putting Up A Fight
With such a preposterous claim leveled against him, Charles requested proof. Punctuality and attention to detail were crucial as an engineer. It was inconceivable for him to be late, of all people! The HR lady became quiet when he made his request.
Charles knew that it was his turn to be replaced. However, he was not going down that easily.
Empty-Handed
After a few days, it became clear to Charles that they had no evidence to substantiate their claim. “Of course, you can't. I have been driving the corporate carpool bus for the last 15 years, and I always have 16 witnesses on my clock-in time and haven't been late in 15 years." Charles told the department head.
HR, on the other hand, was just getting started. They'd already planned their next move.
Recalling A Story
The situation was dire, if Charles did not come up with a plan soon, he would be fired. Time was running out. Then his memory returned to how a programmer in a similar situation had been able to receive money from his company by putting together a problem that only he could solve.
His initial move was to target the HR department's business car. His strategy, however, came to a standstill when he received a phone call that would impact everything.
His Secret Weapon
Charles was jolted out of his stupor by a phone call from the Chief of Security. He was able to form strong bonds with personnel from many divisions because he had been with the organization for many years.
Charles asked him for lunch once they had caught up. It was now time to put his master plan into action.
Called In Again
Charles was summoned for the second time not long after. The HR manager then said that he was being fired for allowing people inside the premises without identification. She showed Charles a clip of himself keeping the door open for someone when she pointed her computer to him.
Charles' remark, on the other hand, would erase the cockiness from her countenance.
His Response
At first, Charles kept his cool, explaining that the guy he was holding the door open for was his closest friend, who had worked there since the 1970s.
After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he had his leg amputated, requiring him to use a wheelchair. After that, Charles began to take out his own recordings.
Caught Red Handed
Unable to hold his composure any longer, he spat: “That is very interesting. Fine, then I hope you fire the CEO and yourself as well!”
He then played the video, acquired through the Chief of Security, that showed the HR lady holding the door for the CEO and his friend. Charles looked at her, knowing exactly where this would go.
Good Men Don’t Finish Last
Charles did not only stay till he got his pension; he also learned the importance of playing nice and being smart. He might have been able to get what he wanted if he played dirty, but the choice he made reshaped the way he saw a lot of things.
This very battle shaped his future in ways he could not have foreseen.
Post-Pension
After receiving his pension, Charles quit his job and started his own company. In his retirement, Charles used the money from the pension to patent a new invention that would come to serve humanity and the environment.
He dedicated his expertise and time to making the world a better place with his invention that left everyone in awe.
A Better Man For A Better World
Charles’ invention aimed to desalinate seawater and provide solar energy. Currently, he has patents in America, India, and China. He is looking for some capital to provide clean water and power to 3rd world countries.
He named his company Solucean. His daughter felt deeply affected by the entire situation and had a few things to say.
Employees in The Grand Scheme Of Things
Charles’ daughter spoke up on the whole battle saying, “companies care more about the bottom line than what their employees did for them.”
She posted the whole story on Reddit to raise awareness about how older people are treated before their retirement. Unfortunately, Charles is one of many people that has battled with such a situation.
A Viral Post
Charles’ daughter was shocked to see how her Reddit post blew up online. People from all walks of life were coming forward with similar stories.
Everyone had either had the same thing happen to them, or they knew someone who did. Apparently, getting treated differently as employees approach retirement is a common practice among big corporations.
Entire Teams
“I’ve seen entire teams, along with senior engineers, let go. I’ve seen a company abandon an entire system they had built, along with the engineers, because of simple politics,” one user shared.
“There is a company out there running a system I built half of in 2007, merely because they insisted that the technology we used to build its successor in 2010 (in production for 5 years) required not picking up bargain dollar clock punchers.”
Replaceable
“Don’t underestimate a company’s willingness to shoot themselves in the foot, or even the face. You are always replaceable,” the user added, grimly.
But, do big companies ever regret their decisions to let their best people go at the drop of a hat? Do they ever feel the repercussions of their actions? Another Reddit user says that, yes, sometimes they do.
Shooting Themselves In The Foot
“The US-based mega-chain electronics store, Circuit City did exactly this. They let all their highest-paid non-management employees go as a cost-cutting measure. No one at Corporate put two thoughts together and rubbed them .. BECAUSE Circuit City sales workers are paid by sales commission,” one user wrote.
Well, it turned out that this move did not end well for the corporation…
The ‘Dead Sea’ Effect
“The top minds at Corporate fired all their top sales earners. Within 30 days, sales tumbled by 60%. The big-thinkers at Corporate scrambled to RE-hire the big earners they had fired but they had already moved on. Circuit City closed down and was dead within one year.”
“I feel like that's what creates the dead sea effect,” another user pointed out. “All the good seasoned talent heads out the door and now a bunch of less experience people pick up the slack. Then when they're behind on numbers, you're hiring more bodies to keep up and it never ends.” Interestingly, another Reddit user presented the other side of the story.
The Other Side
“Unfortunately, this is what I do for a living. As head of finance for my current company, I have to forecast salaries, benefits, taxes, etc for the year. If issues arise and we need to cut people, I first try and not backfill open positions,” the user commented.
But it’s not just big corporations that take advantage of their employees. The service industry is just as bad. Take, for instance, the story of a waitress who earned $9 for working for 70 hours.
A Strangling Situation
She looked at her paycheck and chuckled, shaking her head at the nine dollars that stared back at her. This was her pay after working for seventy hours.
Life was already difficult. Her bills were due, most of which she was already behind on. She couldn't continue working this hard for such little pay. She would have her revenge.
Humble Beginnings
Many people describe adult life as hard. Life after high school demands that a person becomes independent. People look for or create jobs to satisfy this need.
Some are lucky enough to find high-paying jobs. Others have to wade through whatever life throws at them. For twenty-year-old Aaliyah Cortez, adulthood was not kind. But she would do everything in her power not to let life break her.
Superwoman
A young single mom living in California, Aaliyah was driven to give her son the best life he could want. Every morning, she woke up early to search job forums in her local area for anything up her alley.
Aaliyah managed to land a bartending job, seeing it as a perfect fit. She didn’t know how wrong she was.
Adulthood Becomes Tough
The first day at her new job was easy enough. All that Aaliyah had to do was serve drinks and hold the occasional conversation with customers. She enjoyed the experience, thanking God that she chose this path.
One of the customers left her a twenty-dollar tip while clearing his tab. The gesture caught Aaliyah by surprise. Little did she know that more shock was barreling her way.
A Good First Week
The week followed the same pattern as Aaliyah’s first day. Customers occasionally left tips as a thank you for her service.
On the last day of the second week, her employer handed her her first paycheck. Aaliyah grabbed the payment slip and stashed it into her purse. She was happy to buy her son something nice to eat that night. If she knew better, she should have checked the slip then.
The Paycheck
On her way home, Aaliyah decided to pass by a GameStop. Her son had been talking about this new video game that he liked. She wanted to surprise him with it tonight.
Before walking into the store, Aaliyah decided to check her salary. She fished out the slip and scanned through it. She cocked her head back, her brows rising. Something was terribly wrong.
Unbelievable
Aaliyah held in a sigh. The paycheck indicated she had made a hundred and fifty dollars in the last two weeks. But after social security medicare and income tax, she was only receiving nine dollars.
She huffed out a hot breath, a slight chuckle echoing up her paining chest. Nine dollars. Her rent, alongside other dozen bills, was due. Adulthood was going to swallow her alive. Her blood boiled.
Playing It Smart
Aaliyah returned the slip into her purse. Her fists balled, a surge of anger firing in her chest before settling in her stomach. After all the hours she’d put in, this was all she was receiving?
She looked into her purse, seeing the ninety dollars she made that day in tips. She held back tears as she realized her son wouldn’t be getting his game tonight. As soon as she got home, she found another problem waiting for her.
A Big Problem
Her landlord had left a late rent notice on her door. Aaliyah didn’t even read it, only plucked and stuffed it in her purse next to her paycheck.
She spent that night lying awake in her room. She wondered how she would meet her and her son’s needs. Maybe she could hire a lawyer to help her–but she didn’t have the funds. Then, she thought of something epic.
Taking The Reins
Aaliyah’s world was crashing down on her. Her pay, the only thing that could save her from all this, was too low. Outraged, she decided to do something about it.
She refined her approach to bartending, looking at ways to receive more tips. She began working that same night, but another issue soon cropped up.
The Plan
Even though Aaliyah was pushing herself to the limit, the tips weren't as lucrative as she had projected. She needed to put in more hours if this was to work.
Aaliyah talked to her boss and got an additional role as a server. She could now work both day and night. The weekend came, and Aaliyah sat down to count her tips.
A Satisfactory Outcome
Her lips twitched, the smile broadening into a grin. Aaliyah had made seven hundred dollars off of tipping.
Her workmates could not believe she had made such an amount from tipping alone. Aaliyah let them in on her formula. The system worked well for them, but their boss soon found out what they were doing.
Uncertainty
Aaliyah was unsure whether their boss would fire them. To her surprise, he acknowledged the difficulties of working in their current climate.
He also commended them for their newfound work ethic and the buzz it had created for their bar. Aaliyah went home and cleared all her pending bills. But even though she was happy, she still had a long way to go to give her son the life he deserved.
Working Smart
With the help of her colleagues, Aaliyah came up with a better system that leveraged working as a team to create better experiences for their customers. Their business skyrocketed, so did the tips they were receiving.
Aaliyah could not believe it. She bought her son the game he asked for. Although it wasn’t enough to show him how much he meant to her, it was an excellent start. Now there was only one thing left to do.
Making A Video
In her TikTok video, Aaliyah showed her shockingly low paycheck to the world. “I should have made $151,” she said, but after the government had taken its share of federal income tax, Medicare, and Social Security, she couldn’t even afford to live.
“I cannot afford to live off of $2.13 an hour, so I solely rely on the generosity of my customers,” she added, "This is why you tip."
Going Viral
Everyone who saw the video demanded to know why Aaliyah chose to continue working for the bar - surely, she should leave if the pay was so dismal?
Aaliyah had made the video to highlight what workers in the service industry have to endure and what a flawed system it is, but she never expected how much traction it would get.
Not Unusual
Aaliyah’s video garnered over 937,000 views and counting - people were absolutely shocked and appalled. The worst part?
The nine-dollar paycheck may have astounded users on social media, but a paycheck that low for people in the service industry is not all that unusual. Aaliyah’s video created such waves that the media was contacting her day and night.
A Minor Celebrity
After her video went viral, Aaliyah ended up doing interviews with Buzzfeed, TODAY, and Fox News, to name just a few.
“Honestly, every time I open a check I just chuckle a little bit. My coworkers and I will compare checks to see who got the least amount and we’ll just laugh because it’s ridiculous how little we get paid.” So, who is responsible for this?
Minimum Wage
Aaliyah, like many other bartenders and servers, earns the absolute minimum wage of $2.13 per hour.
The problem comes in when the U.S. Department of Labor stipulates that every tip Aaliyah receives can be used by her boss as a means to pay her a salary below the federal minimum wage. Contrary to what most people think, her tips form part of her salary! And there are other problems with this.
Open To Harassment And Discrimination
Because Aaliyah’s salary relies on the generosity of the people she’s serving, she has to always be as pleasant as possible - even if it means she has to endure sexual harassment or discrimination.
The difficulty Aaliya faces was perfectly summed up by one user’s comment on her TikTok video: "No we tip when we're given good service. We don't tip because you are being paid $2 an hour. That's a you problem tbh."
Relying On Strangers
"There are laws set up that allow tipped employees to be paid under the federal minimum wage, which makes us rely on the customer to pay our wages," Aaliyah told Buzzfeed.
"It's not right that we have to do this, but I wanted to shed some light on the issue and inform the public about the importance of tipping." And the scary part? Aaliyah’s checks have been lower.
Not A Living Wage
"If I had a good two weeks from my tips, my check will be on the lower side," Aaliyah explained. "At my last restaurant, my checks would come out to be $0," she continued.
"I just wish we were all being paid adequately and consistently," she said. "As you can see — by my check — I cannot afford to live off of $2.13 an hour, so I solely rely on the generosity of my customers."
Controversy
As shown by the comments on Aaliyah’s video, she had brought up a sensitive topic. The video made its way over to Twitter where it sparked a heated debate. While a lot of people were supportive, many chose to blame Aaliyah for her own situation.
"Stop working there then," one unsympathetic user wrote. "Don't go into a job knowing the outcome and blame people for not tipping."
Unsympathetic
Many users blamed Aaliyah for her low wages. After all, America is a capitalist country, right? As the online debate raged, some users rushed to Aaliyah’s defense - stating that it wasn’t her fault that she earned such low wages, it was the system’s: "The problem is, it shouldn't be on the customer to begin with," this user wrote.
"It's an excuse for restaurants to get away with starvation wages." But the plight of servers is nothing new.
Growing Awareness
For years, people all over the United States have started matching their bills with their tips as part of a viral internet trend. This trend is called the “Tip the Bill Challenge.”
It was initiated by those who wanted to acknowledge the hard workers in the service industry by doing something kind for them. It is well-known that servers struggle to make ends meet, and there’s a reason for that.
Tipped Minimum Wage
Not many people are aware that workers in the service industry aren’t paid in the same way as those with jobs in other industries. They receive a “tipped minimum wage,” which amounts to a fraction of the federal minimum wage.
Tips are designed to cover the rest of a server’s income, but there is no guarantee that they will.
Beholden
This leaves servers beholden to the whims of their paying customers, and it’s an unfair system. But there are some who are beginning to challenge it.
Danny Meyer, a restaurant owner who manages a wide array of bars and restaurants in New York City, has decided to do away with tipping altogether in his establishments.
Challenging The System
“I just decided — instead of blaming the tipping system for what didn’t seem fair or right, why not take it into our own hands?”
With Danny Meyer leading the way, hopefully, others will follow suit. This will ensure that service workers are given fair compensation for the valuable work they do. We need more people to do what Aaliyah did.
Don’t Forget To Tip
Even after all she’s been through, Aaliyah insisted that she loves her job, despite the dismal pay. “The most upsetting situation happens where a table doesn’t tip is from sports fans when their team doesn’t win. We have absolutely no control of that and we’ve most likely waited on them for a few hours!” she explained.
"We don't like relying on the customer, but until the laws can get changed, we still need to be paid," Aaliyah said in an interview. "Whatever you do, Don't. Forget. To. Tip."
Helping Others
Aaliyah shared her story with the world. She showed societies that most bartenders and servers rely solely on tips to survive.
She also advised her fellow moms to continue being strong. As a mom, she understood the responsibilities and expectations of the job. “I would want them to know I’m supporting them!” she said.