I stared at the contract in shock.
My manager had told me what the salary would be but I still didn’t believe her. I had wanted more. NEEDED more! I knew for a fact that the other person who started with me had been given a higher salary.
Sign it, whispered a small voice inside me.
Absolutely not, I retorted. This is insane. AND they say I won’t get an increase at the end of the year??? This is lower than what I was asking everyone else for.
Sign it.
And stay with such a small salary? For well over a year???
I had the feeling that it would be okay. That I didn’t need to worry about the year-end increase that I wouldn’t be getting.
I scoffed.
And then what? You think that I’m going to get another job? Another increase?
But there was no other option besides staying with my lower salary so I signed the contract. In any case why was I even arguing with myself? There was nothing to be done.
Looking back, I cringe at this memory and my disrespect. I had signed the contract and 3 months later was called by another company for another role. They offered me MORE than I had been asking for.
And the company that I had worked for? The one paying me less than the other person who started with me? They had financial issues and eventually ended up going through two round of retrenchment in two years.
I had laughed at the idea of me getting another job or another salary increase but God had given me both!
