This Woman Lost a Job Interview Because She Asked About Pay & Benefits

Taylor Byrnes was preparing for a second interview with a Canadian food delivery company when her interview was abruptly canceled, BuzzFeed News reported. The reason? She had asked about the job’s pay and benefits.

Byrnes had sent an email to the HR rep at SkipTheDishes asking what the hourly wage for the position was and whether benefits would be included. The HR rep replied, saying, “Your questions reveal that your priorities are not in sync with those of SkipTheDishes. At this time we will not be following through with our meeting this Thursday.”

The company followed up, stating that their start-up culture was about “hard work and perseverance” rather than “focusing on compensation," Women’s Health Magazine reported. Because, you know, asking about how much you will get paid means you aren't hardworking. NOT. 

Asking about salary and benefits can often be a tricky part of the interview and hiring process for someone looking to secure a job. This was even more difficult for Byrnes because job listings on the SkipTheDishes’ website do not provide details on compensation at all.

According to CBC News, the company eventually apologized and offered to reschedule the interview. Co-founder Joshua Simair said the email to Byrnes was wrong and didn’t represent the company’s approach.

“We were very disappointed in how it was handled. We do share a compensation package prior to hiring. As soon as we became aware of it on Monday, we reached out to Taylor to apologize for the email and reschedule her interview,” he said.