I was hired for a job with Comcast as a service technician. Augusta Staffing did the interview and hiring process and it was understood that we would be working for them for the first 30 days. During the interview and several times during the first week of training we were told that if we didn't feel the job was for us that we could definitely talk to the supervisor and see about getting transferred to another area of the company.
We were sized for boots and given them on Friday. I wore them on Monday, but asked about a possible transfer to customer service during lunch. I did not quit or tell them I didn't want to work there.in fact, I specifically said that I would very much like to continue working for the company. They said, "No problem. Let me talk to human resources and see what we can work out with the staffing agency." Before we left that day they also had us sign a document saying that if we quit working for them that we would have to pay $100 for the boots out of our last check. I didn't think anything about it because I had no intentions of quitting and certainly didn't think I would be fired because I had passed all of the training tests thus far with 95% or better.
When I got home from work there was a message from Augusta Staffing saying that my assignment was ended with Comcast. They said that I needed to bring my badge in on Friday. I asked them about the boots and they said it shouldn't be a problem as long as I brought them in when I came to pick up my check. I asked about the transfer and they only responded that my assignment was ended and that I could apply for another position in the future if I wanted.
The next day I get another call from them. They said now that I could not return the boots and that they would be deducting the $100 from this check. When I inquired about it they said there was nothing they could do, because Comcast won't take the boots back - even though they were only worn one day. I said that it wasn't really fair, because if I had known that they weren't going to approve my transfer and wouldn't take the boots back I would have never accepted them or signed the document.
That is when the Vice president of Augusta staffing got on the phone and was very rude to me. She told me that I should pay for the boots because now I have a pair to wear if I want to. She said that Comcast had wasted money training me for a job that I didn't want to do. I tried explaining that I only inquired about a transfer and she cut me off saying that I couldn't transfer until I had been with the company for longer and that I should have told them I wasn't interested in the job before I started. I told her that I asked about the transfer as soon as I realized that the job was a little more dangerous than I was interested in... The day that we had to climb a 28 foot ladder in the rain. She then threatened me that she could, by law, pay me only minimum wage if I would prefer that.
I was hired at over $10 an hour, but she insisted that she could pay me less and told me to call the Labor Department if I doubted her - adding that I should do the math before I decide to complain.
I was very polite and patient throughout this, so there was no reason for her to get ugly. So now, after following all the rules like they asked me to, I will be getting 1 weeks pay with $100 dollars taken out for some boots that I will never wear again.
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