IN A BLOG TITLED AN OPEN LETTER TO MY CEO, YELP CUSTOMER
SERVICE EMPLOYEE TALLY AGAIN ADDRESSED THE CEO AND
INFORMED HIM OF HER ABYSMAL LIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO
HER ENTRY-LEVEL SALARY WITHIN THE COMPANY.
SHE WROTE A FOUR-PAGE ENTRY ON MEDIUM, AND I RECOMMEND THAT YOU
READ IT.
SHE WRITES, "HERE I AM, TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD,
BALANCING ALSO THE DEBT AND TRYING TO PAVE A LIFE FOR MYSELF
THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE CRYING IN THE BATHROOM EVERY WEEK.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY COWORKERS IS STRUGGLING, ONE OF THEM
STARTED A GOFUNDME BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT PAY HER RENT.
I HAVEN'T BOUGHT GROCERIES AND SINCE I STARTED THIS JOB, NOT
BECAUSE I'M LAZY, BUT BECAUSE I GOT THIS TEN POUND BAG OF RICE
BEFORE I MOVED HERE AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY GROCERIES.
ISN'T THAT IRONIC?
YOUR EMPLOYEE FOR YOUR FOOD DELIVERY AT THAT YOU SPENT $3
MILLION ON TWO BY CAN AFFORD TO
BUY FOOD."
SHE SAYS, "I GET PAID YESTERDAY, $733.24 BIWEEKLY,
PERHAPS SAVE AS MUCH OF THAT IS POSSIBLE TO PAY MY RENT, $1245
FOR MY APARTMENT, WHICH IS THIRTY MILES AWAY FROM WORK
BECAUSE IT WAS THE CHEAPEST BUT I DO FIND THAT HAD ACCESS TO THE
TRAIN, WHICH COST ME $5.55 ONE
WAY TO GET TO WORK.
BY THE WAY, I MAKE A DOLLARS AND FIFTEEN CENTS AN HOUR AFTER
TAXES."
THE MINIMUM WAGE IN
SAN FRANCISCO IS $12.25 AN HOUR.
SHE THEN GOES TO MAKE TONGUE IN CHEEK SUGGESTIONS, SUCH AS
CUTTING THE COCONUT WATER ON THEIR CAMPUS.
SHE SAYS, I HEAR YOUR NET WORTH IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN $111
MILLION AND $222 MILLION, THAT
IS A LITTLE LOT OF RICE."
SHORTLY AFTER POSTING THIS, SHE REPORTED THAT SHE HAD BEEN
FIRED.
SHE WROTE THAT IT VIOLATED THE TERMS OF CONDUCT, AND THAT
THAT IS WHY SHE WAS LET GO.
HER MANAGER DID NOT EVEN KNOW, THIS DID NOT COME FROM HER
DEPARTMENT, IT CAME FROM THE BIG GUY.
THE CEO RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT HE WAS NOT INVOLVED, AND THAT
IT WAS NOT BECAUSE SHE POSTED A MEDIUM LETTER DIRECTED AT HIM.
HE THEN WENT ON TO ADDRESS THE COST OF LIVING IN THE CITY,
SAYING THAT THEY ARE GROWING EAT24 SUPPORT IN ARIZONA
FOR THIS REASON.
SO IT IS FAIR WAGES FOR US IS ENTITLED MILLENNIAL'S.
I AM ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS.
I THINK EVERYBODY HAD A DECENT POINT TO MAKE.
SHE GOT FIRED BECAUSE OF THE LETTER, LET'S BE CLEAR.
AND THAT MAKES THEM MONSTERS.
JUST DON'T FIRE HER.
THERE IS A LOT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE LETTER.
I GET WHY YOU WOULD BE PISSED IF YOU ARE THE CEO.
I CAN UNDERSTAND BEING PESTS, DON'T FIRE HER.
BESIDES, IT IS DUMB TO FIRE HER.
EVEN IF YOU WANT TO DO, HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO NOT DO IT
IMMEDIATELY.
THAT WAS A KNUCKLEHEADED MOVE.
ON HER WAGE, ANYONE WHO DOESN'T FEEL SYMPATHY FOR THAT, YOU
HAVE TO BRING IT DOWN.
SHE'S ENTITLED ABOUT SOME THINGS, AND I WILL CLARIFY,
BUT SOME OF THEM ARE SAYING YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO
ANYTHING MORE THAN MINIMUM WAGE.
NO ONE IS ENTITLED TO ANYTHING, BUT IT IS OKAY FOR SOMEONE
TO SAY THAT IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE OFF OF THIS.
WHETHER YOU WANT TO PUT THAT ON YELP IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
THERE IS 1000 DIFFERENT JOBS I IMAGINE WITHIN YELP, AND
COMPARING YOURSELF TO THE CEO'S
SALARY IS JUST POINTLESS.
I SUPPOSE THE CLEANING PERSON COULD SAY, WHAT THE HELL?
EVERY JOB AS A CERTAIN WAGE.
IS THE ARGUMENT THAT YELP SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY MINIMUM WAGE
EMPLOYEES?
WHATEVER THAT ARGUMENT IS, DON'T HATE ON HER FOR THAT.
IT IS REALLY TOUGH TO GET BY ON THAT MONEY, WE SHOULD ALL HAVE
SOME SYMPATHY, ESPECIALLY IN SAN
FRANCISCO.
THAT IS AN INCREDIBLY LOW WAGE.
WHAT DOES THAT COME OUT FOR THE YEAR?
$18,000 FOR THE YEAR, THAT IS AN INCREDIBLY LOW WAGE.
THE PART THAT I AGREE THAT SHE FEELS ENTITLED IF SHE SAYS,
I WORKED HERE FOR A YEAR AND I NEED TO BE PROMOTED UP, AND
SHE DID NOT GET PROMISED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO GET
PROMOTED, BUT NOBODY IS PROMISED A PROMOTION.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR MANAGER
ABOUT, ETC., BUT I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOUR TAKE IS.
LAST THING FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MAKING THE LETTER SO
PUBLIC, IT IS SLAPPING THE COMPANY ACROSS THE FACE,
AND IF IT YELP'S FAULT?
DO THEY TREAT THAT FOR EVERYBODY?
ARE THEY UNDERPAYING AT ALL LEVELS?
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT CERTAINLY GIVES THAT IMPRESSION.
MAYBE YOUR BEEF IS WITH THE MINIMUM WAGE, SO I CAN
UNDERSTAND WHY YELP IS PISSED ABOUT IT.
LET ME CLARIFY SOME OF THE DETAILS THAT I LEFT OUT, SHE
STARTED AT THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT SECTION AND SHE SAYS, I THINK
THAT WAS FAIR, I CAME OUT OF COLLEGE, I DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF
EXPERIENCE.
IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER SHE WAS STUCK IN HER APARTMENT, AND IN
THE JOB THAT THEY TOLD HER, YOU CAN'T BE MOVED AT ALL FOR AT
LEAST A YEAR.
THEN SHE WAS LIKE, THAT SEEMS BIZARRE, AND THEN SHE GOES INTO
THE THINGS THAT SHE HAS DONE IN
HER POSITION, SAYING ñ YOU USE YELP?
IF THEY MESS UP WITH YOU AT CUSTOMER SERVICE, SOMETIMES THEY
WILL REFUND YOU, SHE HAD GIVEN ON HER FIRST MONTH, $600 OUT IN
REFUNDS, UNTIL WHERE SHE IS NOW, SHE HAS LOWERED THAT TO
FIFTY DOLLARS, SO SHE FEELS THAT SHE HAS SAVE THE COMPANY MONEY.
BUT AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE YOU TAKE THAT UP WITH YOUR MANAGER.
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
HOW SHE I GUESS EXECUTED HER GRIEVANCES PROBABLY NOT THE BEST
IDEA.
MY GUESS IS THAT SHE KNEW THIS WAS COMING, BUT SHE KNEW SHE WAS
GOING TO BE FIRED, WHICH IS WHY I THINK SHE INCLUDED HER SQUARE
ACCOUNT AND HER VENMO ACCOUNT SO THAT PEOPLE COULD HELP HER
OUT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF THAT IS, OR WHAT MEDIA MS.
MEDIUM IS A BLOG, AND SQUARE IS A DIGITAL WAY TO RECEIVE
MONEY, SAME WAY WITH VENMO.
I WOULD LIKE ONE OF THOSE.
I AGREE THAT SHE DID NOT DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, I HAVE A
FEELING THAT SHE SAW THIS COMING.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, IF I PUT OUT A BLOG AND I SAID, F
TYT, ESSENTIALLY, WOULDN'T YOU JUST SIT ME DOWN?
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP, BUT WOULD YOU
NOT JUST BE LIKE, WHAT IS GOING ON HANNAH?
BUT YOU AND I KNOW WHICH OTHER, WHEREAS THE CEO AND THE
PERSON HANDLING CUSTOMER SERVICE DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER AT ALL.
YOU ARE ASKING MY OPINION, I'M SURE SHE FELT, YOU JUST THREW ME
UNDER A BUS WHEN YOU DID NOT
HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
IF YOU HAD DONE LIKEWISE, OF COURSE I WOULD TALK TO YOU,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WOULD NOT BE HAPPY.
I'M NOT DOING IT, DON'T WORRY, I LOVE MY WORK.
IF YOU SAID F TYT, I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD GET FIRED,
THAT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SHE DID NOT REALLY SAY F YELP.
IT IS ADDRESSED TOWARDS YELP.
THE INDICATION IS THAT HE IS THE ONE AT FAULT.
YEAH, BUT HE IS THE ONE WHO SHOULD KNOW.
I LIKE THE LETTER.
THAT IS INTERESTING.
IT WOULD BE BETTER AND ENHANCED IF SHE HAD SOME
TRACK RECORD OF TRYING TO GO UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
I DON'T WANT TO FALL INTO THE SAME TRAP THAT EVERYONE ON THE
RIGHT WING SAYS, BECAUSE USUALLY GO TO YOUR BOSS AND YOUR BOSS
TELLS YOU TO F OFF ANSWER DOWN.
THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO HER, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT IT IS AN
IMPORTANT THINGS THAT PEOPLE BE MADE AWARE OF, FOR THE WORLD TO
REALIZE ñ BY THE WAY, MAKING TWELVE DOLLARS AN HOUR IS ABOUT
24,000 A YEAR.
SHE IS MAKING A DOLLARS AN HOUR AFTER TAXES.
18,000 AFTER TAXES.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID SHE WAS MAKING TWELVE DOLLARS AN HOUR.
NO COMMENT THAT IS THE MINIMUM WAGE.
IT IS STILL INCREDIBLY LOW.
YOU MAKE A GREAT POINT ABOUT WHISTLEBLOWERS, AND THERE WAS
SOMETHING IN MY GUT THAT MAY BE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT GOING AFTER
HER TOO FAR.
BUT SHE'S ALSO NOT EDWARDS NOTED, AND MY BIG BEEF WITH HER
IS ñ AND I AM NO ONE TO SAY, YOU MADE YOUR POINT OVERDRAMATIC,
I HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF THAT SEVERAL TIMES IN MY LIFE.
AND IT GOT MORE ATTENTION, SO IN SOME WAYS, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
BUT IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE THERE WAS ANY WHISTLEBLOWING TO BE
DONE ABOUT YELP, I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT YELP WAS
DOING WRONG.
IS IT THAT YOU SHOULD NOT PAY THAT PARTICULAR JOB MINIMUM
WAGE?
THAT IS AN ARGUMENT, BUT IS THAT SOMETHING EGREGIOUS THAT
YELP IS DOING?
I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH YELP.
I THINK FOR MILLENNIAL, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING THEY ARE
ENTITLED, THE COST OF LIVING HAS
INCREASED, BUT MEDIAN INCOMES HAVE ACTUALLY DECREASED SINCE
THE 80S.
IT IS A LOT HARDER TO KEEP UP THAN IT WAS FOR MY PARENTS,
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING MONEY BACK THEN.
ALSO, STUDENT DEBT IS OUT OF CONTROL, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF
OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, AND I THINK THAT IS
HER BEEF.
BUT WHEN SHE SEES THIS PERSON RUNNING THIS COMPANY, AND HE IS
ON HIS YACHT, DOING WHATEVER, AND SHE SAYS THAT BREAD IS A
LUXURY, YOU WOULD BE ANGRY TOO.
I WOULD BE ANGRY AT THE SITUATION I AM IN, AND THE
PROBLEMS THAT WERE MADE FROM MY COLLEGE EDUCATION, SO SHE
HAS BROUGHT UP IN A LEGITIMATE POINT.
THESE WAGES AREN'T LIVABLE, AND THAT IS WHY BERNIE SANDERS WANTS
TO RAISE THOSE WAGES EVERYWHERE.
BUT TO ME, COMPARING YOURSELF TO THE GUY ON THE YACHT, IF THE GUY
ON THE YACHT FIXED THE RULES BY DOING CRONY CAPITALISM, AND IT
DID CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO MAKE SURE THE MINIMUM WAGE WAS
LOWER, THEN SHE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
BUT IN THIS CASE, IF YELP CAME OUT TO SAY THAT THE MINIMUM WAGE
SHOULD BE HIGHER ñ I THINK YOU GOT THE WRONG BAGHDAD.
IF I'M AT A RECORD COMPANY AND I'M JUST AT THE MAILROOM,
I'M NOT MAD AT DR.
DRE FOR BEING ON A YACHT.
HE IS DR.
DRE.
BUT I WOULD BE MAD IF DR.
DRE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE MINIMUM WAGE WAS LOWER.
I THINK SHE NEEDED A FACE FOR HER PROBLEM.
MOST PEOPLE WOULD PERCEIVE IT AS A DIRECT ATTACK ON YELP.
DID YELP SAY THEY WANTED A HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE?
AND THEY SAID SHE MADE INTERESTING POINT AND THAT
THE MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD BE INCREASED.