In June, Lexi Larson landed a new job at a company only to be fired weeks later over security concerns after discovering her salary increase explanation videos on TikTok. She broke down the $449 bi-monthly increase she would receive in one clip.
All of the clips pointed out how Lexi got a $20,000 raise at her new job, going from $70,000 to $90,000.
itslexilarson -Via
But the video of her bi-monthly increase, among others, is what Lexi suspects got her fired out of the blues. In an updated clip on TikTok, she explained: “Basically, my employer found my TikToks [and] really, really did not like that I was sharing my salary. They said it was a security concern because I could post something private about the company on my TikTok account.”
TikTok
@itslexilarson How much my paychecks increased when I went from $70k to $90k per year #paycheckbreakdown #salarytransparency #paytransparency Lexi added she asked if she had broken company policies or posted something that threatened security. She was told 'not at this time, but it could happen at any time in the future.'
While Lexi didn’t or couldn’t be fired for talking about her salary, as employees are federally protected in the National Labor Relations, she had taken down her videos days before firing after a calculated phone with her company. Lexi said she thought there wouldn’t be a problem with her posting her salary as she believed it was public knowledge since Colorado allows job positing to include a salary range.
TikTok
@itslexilarson Vlog - Getting fired edition!
Notably, Lexi had been approached by the company via LinkedIn, and with the increasing cost of living, she thought it would be great to jump ship when offered a higher salary.
And before posting videos about her increased salary, Lexi admitted she viewed other creators posting similar content and found it helpful and wanted to do the same. “I think salary transparency is important, just because that's how you know you're getting underpaid in the workplace, which - as a woman - I'm very passionate about,” she said.
Thankfully, Lexi has been offered her old job back, having called her old manager sobbing. She revealed her old employers are aware of her account and have no issues.
However, whether or not her termination was legal, Colorado like many states can fire employees for no reason, although employees can prove they were wrongfully terminated, and they can sue. Another reason the company could have fired Lexi was if she had used company equipment for the TikToks. It’s actually known if she used anything belonging to the company.
Attorneys have since weighed in on the subject matter. Mathew Bergman, the founder of Social Media Victims Law Center, told USA Today that Lexi being fired for the idea that her actions were a firing offense seems pretty harsh. Another lawyer, Bennitta Joseph, said Lexi could have a good case against the company and should think about contacting a lawyer if she can show she was terminated for discussing her wages.
