Worker Denied Raise Above Minimum Wage Despite Being Valued by Employer for 5 Years

Talking about money and asking for a raise can make anyone feel nervous and awkward. A woman from the U.K. went through a tough situation when she asked for more pay but her boss didn't think she needed it because she was already getting paid the minimum wage. She worked up the guts to ask her supervisor for a raise, expecting to be compensated for the work she believed she was worth. However, that was not how her boss saw it. This story was shared by an employee on The Ben Askins Show podcast ( @ben.askins ). Ben Askins is someone who stands up for workers' rights and calls out unfair treatment by bosses on social media.

The woman was quite afraid to ask her supervisor for what she thought she was entitled to and to stand up for herself. However, everything seemed to go well when she did. "My boss seemed unsure for a moment, but he quickly agreed," she clarified. For me, that was a great relief." She felt prepared when she finally had her boss meeting, which had been rescheduled three times and was scheduled for her day off via Zoom.

"I had planned to ask for $32 per hour because that's what I thought I deserved at least," she said. "But when he asked me how much I wanted, I felt nervous and said $27, not wanting to seem too greedy." But her boss's response surprised her. He said, "I'm already paying you what the rules say. I think we'll keep it that way."

"I understood what he really meant," the woman added. "Basically, he was saying, 'You're already getting the minimum wage, why should we pay you more?'" Askins chimed in, clearly surprised, "Wow, that's really not right." He continued, "How did that make you feel? Because you already felt a bit let down when you found out you were being paid less than you deserved."

Many viewers joined sharing their experiences. One user said how she was going through the same thing and seemed like there was no way out.

One user also mentioned how this behavior was inappropriate and almost always led to losing the best employees.

"He kept saying that I was an important part of the team and that he heard good things about me from patients and others," she said. "So, hearing that made me feel like none of that mattered. Like I didn't have any value to him." Askins replied, "Talk is easy. That's the issue. It's simple to say things because it doesn't require any effort. But when it comes to actually showing it, many people fail to follow through."

This worker is probably making far less than she requested if she is receiving the UK minimum pay. Only those between the ages of 16 and 20 are eligible for the UK's National Minimum Wage, according to the BBC. The National Living Wage, which is £11.44, or roughly $14.24, according to Travelex, should be paid to anyone over 21.

On the other hand, one should also consider the Real Living Wage. According to the BBC, "The Real Living Wage is an unofficial hourly rate determined by the charitable organization Living Wage Foundation." Based on what the charity feels individuals should be able to earn."

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