03 May 2022 | 5 mins
Overview
  • Just because your young DOESN'T mean you can be treated like a doormat at work. Here is how to handle a crappy boss.

At my first job, I was being paid cash under the counter. $7 an hour. Seven dollars. Seeeevveeennnn dollars. An hour. Half the time, my boss wouldn't even pay me. I didn't get extra dosh on weekends and forget about public holiday rates. Whilst I was receiving hardly anything, my boss would threaten to basically burn me at the stake if I dared take a day off. 🥵

But this is what I thought work was. A rough grind that's only perk was a few extra dollars into my account, and some cupcakes here and there (I worked at a cafe, for context). 

Too many young people cop this. Too many are taken advantage of even though they're working as long and hard and doing the same (if not more) tasks. Yeah nah. This doesn't fly. Not now, not ever. Here are your options if you're being mistaken for a doormat by your boss.

1. Know your worth

First and foremost, you have to know your worth. If your boss alllwaayys makes you stay back which makes you late for your violin lessons, tell them that you simply can't stay. If your boss won't let you take next Saturday off even though you told them you couldn't work it weeks ago, tell them that you simply can't. 

You obviously want to be as flexible and helpful as possible, but if you're feeling too far stretched out, or just like you're being used, remember that you have the right to say "yeah nah". You're allowed to have a life outside of work!

2. Look into your rights

If you feel like something is off, whether you're never paid for that half-hour you always do overtime, you never score public holiday rates like everyone else or you had a birthday recently and your pay hasn't gone up, look into your rights. 

I can't go over alllll your rights here, but everything you need to know, from employment conditions to resigning from a job can be easily found on The Fair Work Ombudsman. 

3. Document the mistakes

If possible, have documentation to prove that you've been, for example, underpaid, or not being paid any superannuation. This could be screenshots of your roster or your payslips.

4. Confront your boss

If you've looked into your rights and things aren't looking too red hot, it's time to confront your boss.

This may be a terrifying thought, but if you think the situation isn't too dire YET, a text message can sometimes do the trick. If they don't respond or take action, orrrr if you think the situation requires more than a few emojis, it's time to talk to them IRL. 

Bring up that you've checked out the Fair Work Ombudsman. Be nice and appear understanding, but do not let them talk you out of your rights. No way hozay.

If your boss disregards you completely, this is when you call Fair Work Ombudsman to know where to go from there.

5. Quit

Last but not least, remember you can just quit. Hasta la vista crapola boss. 

Maybe your boss isn't so bad that you need to call Fair Work Ombudsman. But if they just make work miserable and are, for lack of a better word, a wanker... Quit. Be cutthroat! Work, especially at your age, doesn't have to be such a sad slog! After I left my first job, I actually looked forward to work. I had a million work mates and my bosses were hilarious. Start looking for a better job and don't settle for less!