The glitch that stole my payslip, and how I fought back

The first big step to realising your financial goals is knowing what you’re really worth. The next big step is setting out to prove it.

About two years ago I dreaded looking at my payslip. I felt ashamed about my financial status. It it made me feel depressed and worthless. For most of my life, even when I started working, I relied on my parents for financial support. I wanted and needed it to end. I wanted to feel independent, and it was not going to happen if I did not speak up to my employer at the time.

My parents had spent a lot of money on my education. I thought a qualification would give me the financial boost I was hoping for. Boy, was I wrong. It was merely the ticket into the working world. If I wanted to be paid my worth I was going to have to fight for it.

I decided that if I really wanted to be financially happy and stable, I would need to fight for my remuneration. In January 2016, I had a goal i wanted to reach. I wanted to purchase my first car, to make it easier for me to get to and from work.  It would also make me more desirable for other employment opportunities.

I eventually plucked up enough courage to approach my editor. I never imagined the battle, which ensued for eight long months. It was a true struggle to have my salary reviewed and corrected. I needed to prove to them why I deserved it.

I discovered that an intern was earning about R4,000 more than I was at the time. I had already been working in the industry for about seven years and it came as a shock that someone with little to no experience was earning way more than I was.

I did not blame the intern. I believed that somewhere in the system there was a glitch and that it needed to be corrected. I asked the human resource department how my salary was calculated.

I was told it is calculated according to the number of years of experience. I then put it to them that I do not feel that mine had been calculated properly. I earned more when I was an intern. Perhaps my salary needed to be reviewed and compared to that of my colleagues.

I did not receive a response for seven months following my request.  Was I being ignored? I wondered if I had made myself a target to be dismissed. But for what? For being honest? perhaps they wanted me to forget about it, or perhaps they were trying  to figure out how to respond.

But I wasn’t discouraged. I continued with my work. Although I felt like I was losing I always remembered that I had a goal.

I wanted to buy my first car. With my financial situation back then it was only a dream.

My father always said if you are able to afford a car, you are free to go where you want, when you want to. I was set on my goal.

I started window shopping for my car. I convinced myself even though I was not getting the quick response I was hoping for, nothing stopped me from placing items in my imaginary wish basket.

Eventually after eight emotionally draining months I got an email requesting a meeting. My then editor said she had a letter from head office, confirming that my salary had not been not calculated properly. Although they did not go into detail about the problem, my editor explained “there was a glitch in the system and your salary has been fixed accordingly”.

Although I hoped they would correct it in terms of back pay, it never happened. At that point it did not matter to me. I had had enough of fighting for my financial freedom and wanted to move on. I accepted the letter and the new salary.

I could now focus on my goal, which was to purchase my car. I eventually qualified for a loan. My ticket to freedom, to go where ever I wanted to when I wanted to, as long as I had money for petrol.

When the car dealer delivered my Toyota Etios XS 5 2014 with tinted windows and black rims all I wanted to do was show my editor. I drove to work, called my editor downstairs into the parking lot and showed her. I had reached my goal. I had learned not to be afraid to address my financial situation, to fight my own battles, to know my worth and to push hard to achieve my goals.


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