I've noticed a disturbing trend in Great Falls, and I think it's time we talk about it.

I feel like if I hear, "No one wants to work" again, I'm going to internally combust.  If no one is applying at your business, you're not paying enough.  There are a lot of places that have absolutely no problem at all with staffing.

So, instead of paying more, there are some employers going with the ole' job bait and switch.  I figure it's because they think they can get someone to commit to a job, quit their old job, and have no choice but to accept sub-par pay due to desperation.

I know of 3 people who just this year, have applied for jobs, been hired, only to get a job they didn't apply for and at a MUCH lower rate of pay than was agreed.

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Jennifer's story

Jennifer applied for a job that was advertised at $21 an hour and some change.  During the interview, it was never mentioned that the dollar amount per hour could be more or less.  Jennifer was given the job and left a $17 an hour job to take it.  She was paid monthly, so it wasn't until she had worked there for a month that she saw that her actual pay was $13.09 an hour. She tried to go back to her former job, but that $17 an hour position had already been filled. She spoke to her current supervisor about the pay difference in what was advertised and what she was being paid, and he said he couldn't do anything because of the union and secretary rates.  She never got or signed an offer letter.  She looked at the archived positions, and someone had taken the hourly rate out of the ad.

Selena's story

My daughter Selena worked for a group in town that does adult residential services for 5-6 years.  Selena was making right around $16/$17 an hour.  She needed to get a better job because the living conditions for the residents were getting worse all the time, and they had massive staffing issues and made her work nearly around the clock, sometimes at the last minute.  That's a heavy load to carry when you're a single mother of 5.  So, Selena applied with another group that does adult residential services.  The pay was to be between $16-$17 an hour, the same job she was doing before, only with guaranteed hours Monday through Friday.  Just what a single working mother needs. They offered her the job she applied for and put in her 2 weeks at the old job.  Upon reporting to her first day of work, they let her know they hired her for a lesser position, one that wasn't discussed at all, at a rate of $10 something an hour.  She, of course, didn't go work there due to their lack of integrity and the need to feed and house herself and her children.  I wasn't at all upset with her.

A listeners story

A listener told me how they applied to be a parts runner at a local auto parts store.  When he got to work, they told him they wanted him to cashier and answer phones.  Not at all the job that was applied for.  He told them he knew nothing about car parts and they said it wouldn't be a big deal.  Turns out, it was a big deal, and now he's looking for work again.

It's time to start calling out these places on your Facebook pages and such.  This is a disturbing trend that the elite will, again, try and blame on the working class being lazy.

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