Woman Calls Out Minimum Wage Job Listing That Promised $13 An Hour

Mason Joseph Zimmer
woman in glasses points up at supposed salary while superimposed over job listing
TikTok | @zhanball

Considering how many shady business practices often go on in the service industry, it's hardly a surprise that this sector is among the most affected by the trend seen among workers throughout the last year to leave their jobs in droves.

The reasons for their dissatisfaction vary from business to business, but one of the most common issues comes down to the money, which can sometimes fall below minimum wage due to the expectation that they'll be supplemented by tips.

But even these tips aren't always left untouched by a restaurant or café's management as they can sometimes be subject to tip-out policies that supplement the income of other staff members or even end up pocketed by managers themselves.

And if all of that weren't enough, job-seekers are starting to learn that they can't always trust the wage ranges that potential employers are promoting on their listings.

That's what left one woman particularly incensed after an otherwise successful coffee shop interview.

On May 5, a woman who goes by zhanball on TikTok uploaded a video detailing her experiences applying for a barista job.

woman in glasses speaking from car in TikTok video
TikTok | @zhanball

Although it's work she loves doing, it's also the type of job that she's rarely found to pay well.

But she was encouraged for reasons we're about to see that this business would be different and had a very positive experience during the hour-long interview that came after she applied.

Add that to the fact that this company's listing promised up to $13 an hour and she thought this would make for a great opportunity, especially for the part of Alabama that she lives in.

woman in glasses points up at supposed salary while superimposed over job listing
TikTok | @zhanball

And this base pay was particularly attractive when the consideration that baristas tend to earn tips was factored in.

But as she started off her video by saying, "Hey employers, you cannot state this as your

salary when it's actually minimum wage."

Indeed, as she learned when she received her acceptance letter, the wage was actually $7.50 an hour.

woman in glasses points to minimum wage bait and switch in superimposed acceptance email
TikTok | @zhanball

They arrived at this $13 figure because that's how they averaged a staff member's total take-home once tip share is factored in.

As the woman put it, "So you are counting on half your employee's salary to come from the generosity of your customers."

So since she rejected the idea that a company could claim to pay $13 an hour when that total isn't actually coming from them, she also rejected the offer.

She also said that she sent them an email specifically stating how misleading she found their promised salary and that this was the sole reason she declined the role.

She shared that e-mail in a follow-up video and informed her viewers that she also reported the listing to the Indeed employment platform in another follow-up.

Although some commenters also told her to reach out to the Better Business Bureau, she said that this wasn't likely to be useful as she claimed businesses can outright buy good ratings from that organization.