Company apologises after employee asked man to pay $6.50 for coffee he had at job interview

Some job interviews are done over coffee and the company usually picks up the bill. 

One jobseeker, however, was shocked when he was recently asked to pay $6.50 for his coffee.

In a Facebook post on Monday (May 15), a man who goes by the name S, shared screenshots from a WhatsApp conversation he had with his interviewer from an unnamed company. 

She had texted S after the interview and S said he would pass on the opportunity because he was looking for a stable job.

While the woman had wished him all the best, she also said: "By the way, your part of the coffee last week was $6.50. Do PayNow thanks (sic)." 

Baffled by the message, S returned the money she had paid for his drink.

But not without sharing his two cents' worth. 

"Had I known, I would've paid [for my coffee] on the day itself, now it just seems unprofessional," he told her, adding that this was the first time he had been asked to pay for a coffee after an interview. 

"Leaves a bad taste done like this. Guess I dodged a bullet here, thanks for your time." 

Company apologises and refunds money

In an update, S shared that a manager from the company called him to apologise for their subordinate's actions.

"I'm extremely sorry that you had to go through such an experience and I'm thankful that you flagged this out so as to stop this in its tracks," the manager told him, adding that their subordinate will be "dealt with". 

The money was also refunded to S. 

"I believe that was not their standard practice and it could be an honest mistake," S concluded.  

He also told Mustsharenews the initial venue for the job interview was at the woman's office, but she brought him to a nearby cafe instead.

There, she ordered a coffee for him and even asked him how he would like his drink made. 

After the interview, the woman stayed at the cafe to do work and S left. 

He also revealed that he had rejected the job offer because it was fully commissioned-based.

AsiaOne has reached out to S for more details. 

melissateo@asiaone.com