Store Fires Top Salesman After He Posted Photo of Paycheck on Instagram to Express 'Frustration With High Cost of Living in New York

Wade Groom was making as much as $1,500 a week working as a sales associate at Lacoste's flagship New York store. He was also the store's top salesman, according to documents obtained by the Daily Mail. However, despite his stellar job performance, he was still struggling to get by.

Groom told Gothamist that he was abruptly fired after he posted a zoomed-out picture of his paycheck on Instagram. He says he was only "expressing his frustration" with the high cost of living in New York, not blasting his employer.

"I was making as much as $1,500 a week selling shirts, but I'm not able to give my kids a better life, even if I'm working my butt off," he said.

Here's exactly what his Instagram post said so you can judge for yourself whether he deserved to be been fired:

"Paycheck. Still silly to me. Ever since I was a kid I've thought it was completely insane that we have to work all our lives. I still feel that way. Especially when it's only enough to live in a third world apartment with s**tty everything. Which for some reason in NYC is ok. Anywhere else only trailer trash live this way. I'm done with it."

(Source: Daily Mail)

More from the Daily Mail:

According to documents provided to MailOnline by Mr Groom, he was the top salesman at the store, having sold $39,315 worth of merchandise in his most profitable week on the job.

Still, despite his success as a 'helluva salesman', he found that his wages were not enough to support his ex-wife and four-year-old twins in the expensive city of New York.

Just two weeks after he posted the image of his paycheck, the HR manager at Lacoste informed him that the company was firing him because the photo infringed on their confidentiality agreement.

Mr Groom has pointed out that the photo is so zoomed-out that it is impossible to discern the numbers on his paycheck.

Wade Groom (Source: Daily Mail)

(Source: Daily Mail)

Groom also said he was "happy" with his job at Lacoste and that it was unfortunate the store took his post personally. He said he photo had "nothing to do with how much money I was making."

He is now facing an even tougher financial situation following his termination, which he says could have been avoided with a "stern warning."

Groom reportedly made $130,449 for Loacoste in June, 92 percent above his sales goal for the month.

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