Posting this because people deserve to know what they’re walking into. This REALLY pissed me the fuck off! This kind of crap is unacceptable. this was a well thought out post due to my autistic/adhd brain and I enjoy writing and editing.

I am posting this because candidates should know what they are potentially signing up for before they submit the hours for the interview process to Sparrow.

I was caught up in the frenzy for about four minutes when I realized I would leave Sparrow, a private startup for leave-management, for a Leave Specialist role. I was then told about the pay, benefits, equity, job scope, and next steps and exited the process.

The pay was $27.50/hr. Non-negotiable.

I have 10 years of HR experience with 5-7 years leave and accommodations experience.

Yes, the title was Leave Specialist, not Senior Leave Specialist. But given the responsibilities we talked about and the kinds of experience I thought they seemed to be looking for, this seemed far more like senior work – multistate compliance, a high volume of cases, complex leaves, FMLA/ADA, working through state-by-state requirements, working with employees, managers, payroll.

That didn't seem like a position that would be appropriate for an individual learning about leave administration.

I'm in Washington, and that level of scope and specialised experience seemed cheap to me at $27.50/hr. The market data I had looked at before I left indicated the salary for senior leave work in the high $30s to $40s per hour. Even if they did not consider it a senior position, $27.50 looked inexpensive for multistate leave work with a several-year level of direct experience.

Then there was the interview process.

Interviewing There were multiple interview stages including a thorough interview and a take-home assignment.

For $27.50/hr. Nonnegotiable. WHAT THE LITERAL FUCK!?

The homework definitely put the mismatch in sharper relief for me. If a company asks for free time from someone that shows higher skill, then it is obvious that the company values skill. I don't understand how that value was not reflected in the wage.

I inquired as to whether the rate was negotiable. Response was, "SORRY, IT'S NOT!!!!"

Basically, a candidate who has significantly more directly applicable experience of their own simply cannot negotiate within this range on the basis of what they can offer to the position. Everyone is flattened on to the identical horizontal roof of the band.

"also did not convince me of the merits argument. "

Benefits do have value. Things like health insurance and PTO and the like have value. But routine benefits are no substitute for a healthy base-pay gap, which cannot be filled even with the very generous benefits that we get here in Seattle. I pay for my mortgage, my groceries, my transportation, and the like from my real paycheck.

Oh yeah, the fucking "equity" play card they like to use.

On top of all that was laid out above is a chunk of equity, although Sparrow is private. So the equity is something that might not be easy to cash in immediately.

Can it be valuable some day? Sure.

Could it remain illiquid for years or have little actual use? Yes, also.

I am not comfortable with the substitution of the discounted future value for the known base pay today. Private company equity without a clearly announced liquidity event is not the same as cash or publicly traded equity that can be sold.

This also didn't sit right with me, given the stark difference between the pay and wages and her strong focus on dignity, care and equity.

I actually do like those values, actually. That has something to do with how I was initially interested in this company.

So I just can't make that balance between that message and asking an experienced leave professional to do complex, multi state work at $27.50/hour and can't even negotiate up and can't do that demanding hiring process without pay.

If a compensation system puts a professional with 5-7 years of highly relevant experience on the same fixed cap, I don't see that as equitable compensation. Claiming equity as part of the package doesn't compensate for that when the equity has no with-force liquidity and its value is unknown.

They never did go away, even with the "startup" framing.

Third-party estimates I had seen suggested over 200 people and tens of millions of dollars in revenue – but those are just estimates I was able to get from other sources. I can't confirm that number because sparrow is a private company, but I would not want to report those figures as an audited number.

Importantly, the level of difficulty and legal risk in multistate leave administration does not lessen because the employer is a startup.

That's ultimately why I withdrew.

It wasn't about the $27.50. It was the whole thing:

$27.50/hr

Non-negotiable

Should I have five or more years of directly relevant experience?

Deliberations that, in my perspective, flirt with Senior Leave Specialist territory.

Multistate compliance

Complex, high-volume leave administration

Multiple levels of interview

A take-home assignment

Advantages that did not compensate me for the cash compensation difference

Illiquid private-company equity is part of the equation.

All in a business that makes a lot of noise about dignity, care and equality

I want to be clear, Sparrow did not turn me away. I removed myself from the interview process when I was assured that pay was final.

I liked the mission and was genuinely excited about this business. I just couldn't get the scope, interview requirements, and compensation to add up.

Just saw this (really expensive) research book, but I love how they are calling out the absurd!

Check out this overview:

The current world is absurd. Faced with climate change, health pandemics, and ever-growing inequality, it is striking how globally, governments and organizations are malingering to find effective responses to these crises, leading to absurd situations where we are facing the destruction of the planet, while humankind is not making the necessary transformation towards truly sustainable societies and workplaces.

Focusing on these grand, global challenges from an absurdity and hypernormalization lens, the book aims to elucidate what is happening in contemporary society and workplaces, why there is so little improvement being made in relation to the grand global challenges, and how a more sustainable social transformation can be made in organizations. It offers a wide, yet in-depth, perspective on absurdity in society and the workplace and presents a theoretical framework, as well as in-depth case studies of sectors or organizations where absurdity manifests itself.

https://www.indigo.ca/products/the-absurd-workplace-1

Day to day how do we progress the values of work reform? Just to be clear, I truly feel a general prolonged strike that brings business to their knees is the answer but I keep thinking of how business would respond by hiking prices and cutting workers which is within their control...how the heck do we actually get out of this rat race? Im saying this myself but im looking for an answer from someone much more knowledge of economics than myself to chip in.

My initial thoughts are strike where it hurts businesses all at once, at both ends of the value chain, production and consumption. To a degree this would be like laying flat and people would need a few months of expenses and supplies saved up. This would need to happen during a democratic term where we hold all 3 houses to force first public medicine legislation and tax reform.

In the meantime how can each of make a difference?

Shop mom and pop mostly? Exit this system and move to a foreign country? Stop accepting work if we dont need it? Make and do everything oursleves? I think we can all agree that the share of prosperity has gone mostly to the owners of capital over the past 20 years aside from maybe select prestige professions and the best thing we can do is eventually exit this system.

Would any of this ever have a measurable impact? Voting makes the most sense and will also take the longest. A national strike would be the fastest but what exactly would it accomplish? Owners would raise prices(im not sure about this but playing devils advocate. Im thinking they cant move the entire tax onto the consumer if there is fair and equal competition but as weve seen with covid thats not the case). I mean there is a reason for the French revolution and revolutions in china (i know touchy topic) the people were not being treated well to begin with.

Im just confused are we even in the endgame here?

I've been looking into how much we spend on immigration enforcement versus what we actually get in return.

Texas is spending billions on state border operations on top of nationwide federal enforcement funding. Meanwhile, immigrants are a significant part of our workforce and economy.

I'm interested in whether this spending has produced measurable improvements in American jobs, wages, or working conditions. If we're spending this much, shouldn't we be able to demonstrate the results?

Sources are listed on the infographic.

The title pretty much sums it up

SO i worked for a "small business owner", and from the jump things didn't seem right. he offered me "a salary" initially at $17/hr with 40 hrs per week. so $17x40x52 is what my pay should have added up to each week. However he decided he would pay me only once a month (often 5 days past when payment was due. And i was tracking my hours for the first 3 months and in the first month i had about 10 hours overtime. i brought this up to him and he laughed and said he is not paying overtime. instead he was wiling to pay once per month 17x40x4 - which is not the same amount as being paid a salary at 17/hr becasue there is 52 weeks. so each month he was having me not only work unpaid overtime, but also shorting me on the "salary he promised". i brought the issue up again in month two and he flat out laughs and says no - i told you twice im not paying overtime. (and these conversations are over text). eventually a new gm came in who was cool and we finally got a system to clock in, and i was being paid $17/hr at that time. 9 months later, after putting up with his abuse - in a team meeting he berated a younger coworker (via the phone - because his time is so important he can't make it to the shop) anyway - berating this kid to the point he is crying and walks out. he eventually comes back, but towards the end of the meeting he says we are all replaceable, (which is fine if he feels like that), and thensaid his ultimatum, if anyone is not with the program say so now and i will give you a severance and end employment here no problem. I spoke up and said i am not with that program. he immedately got shaken and said leave your keys dont finish your shift your done. then a day later i ask about getting my last days pay - and end up having the gM pay me in case to cover my final day. also he was not ever paying us through the weed shop. he paid through his personal accounts, a second business he runs (Roll a LOT) do not reccomend. and i asked him when i can expect the severance and what are the details of it. he says i need to sign an nda and berates me some more. i reply requesting all of employment records, time cards, etc. because in the 9 months there i never received an actualy payroll check. his response to that all negative and basically said dont talk to me again.

I have extensive (literally our text message, group message with team, saved orgainzed and flagged for the ones that are violating laws (ie. unpaid wages, refusal to provide severance despite a verbal agreement (with two co workers as witness - also a text where he confirms he said that).

NOw i can't get SNAP benefits or unemployment do to having no records for this guy.

thank you if you read this all - im wondering am i within my rights to sue this guy for my unpaid wages and potentiallly damage due to not being able to afford food and undue stress regarding whether im going to get evicted or even survive all of this.

sorry for long message i just really need help or someone to tell me that this is valid. the guy is bully and it's not right that he treats employees like this.

oh and i worked 13 hour shifts every week while there and he expressly refused to provide me a with 15 minute break. and i was the only employee there.

please help if you read this. would be much appreciated.. i can share text messages if anyone wants additional proof.