Can Age Interfer with How Much You Get Paid?
Well I have been working for an Engineering firm for 2 years now. It is a small firm (about 12 people) where everyone is practically family. Yet I am the youngest person at the firm by at last 10 years.
I just turned 20 so this is my first real job. When I was hired on (18 yrs old) at this firm I was only supposed to be a receptionist making $9/hr. Which isn't to bad for my age. Well since then I have now taken the duties of receptionist, secretary for head engineer, office manager, and ALL of the bookeeping. The only thing I don't do, is sign the checks. And since I had a great relationship with my two boss's (husband and wife). For example they would give me nice coats, and furnature, etc.) But also I would run errands for them which weren't business related.
Now with everything I do I make $14/hr. Which still isn't bad.
About a 2 months ago just having a normal conversation about careers with my boss (since her daughter just got out of college) She mentioned that I made too much money for someone my age.
Then the past two times I have done payroll (we get paid monthly) my bosses have told me to give everyone bonuses. Which mine was $4000 total and everyone else's bonus were more than mine. Which I was still excited to get a bonus anyway. Very thankful for that.
But now my boss wanted to get ready for giving the employees raises. So I make the chart with when was the last raise and the amount of bonuses everyone got. I was also one of the last people to get a raise it has been a year. The majority of everyone else is 3 to 6 months. And when I got the chart back I was the ONLY one who didn't get a raise. And my boss used the excuse of well you got a big bonus. But when the truth is everyone else got a bigger bonus and now I am the only one who hasn't gotten a raise.
I just really feel like my bosses are trying to use my age as a tool to keep them from paying me like everyone else.
Please tell me what you think, and if any advice.