Epic FU money stories

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I'm not sure if this is a good story about FU money or a bad one. About 18 months ago I left a job I'd been at for several years (3) because it was AWFUL. I found another job, which paid a lot more but was slightly insane from the get go - the HR manager that hired me was fired for bullying a month after I arrived. It got worse. And worse. Last thursday there were two seriously last straw moments, and I left mid shift. I'd been there just on a year. Anyhoo, the FU money has given me the freedom to walk, and the leverage to negotiate that I leave immediately and they pay me out four weeks leave. Probably not good for a career, whatever that is (!) but absolutely fantastic for my mental health. I actually feel euphoric. So I guess the bad side of FU money is that you can use it???? I'm a fairly tough broad but I ate of looooooot of shit in this job before I left. I did not have fucks left to give, as the song goes......

[radram]

I'm not sure if this is a good story about FU money or a bad one. About 18 months ago I left a job I'd been at for several years (3) because it was AWFUL. I found another job, which paid a lot more but was slightly insane from the get go - the HR manager that hired me was fired for bullying a month after I arrived. It got worse. And worse. Last thursday there were two seriously last straw moments, and I left mid shift. I'd been there just on a year. Anyhoo, the FU money has given me the freedom to walk, and the leverage to negotiate that I leave immediately and they pay me out four weeks leave. Probably not good for a career, whatever that is (!) but absolutely fantastic for my mental health. I actually feel euphoric. So I guess the bad side of FU money is that you can use it???? I'm a fairly tough broad but I ate of looooooot of shit in this job before I left. I did not have fucks left to give, as the song goes......

Is this an Epic FU money story? Fuck yeah it is!

Congratulations on the ability to prioritize your sanity and well being. Keep us posted.

[CowboyAndIndian]

I'm not sure if this is a good story about FU money or a bad one. About 18 months ago I left a job I'd been at for several years (3) because it was AWFUL. I found another job, which paid a lot more but was slightly insane from the get go - the HR manager that hired me was fired for bullying a month after I arrived. It got worse. And worse. Last thursday there were two seriously last straw moments, and I left mid shift. I'd been there just on a year. Anyhoo, the FU money has given me the freedom to walk, and the leverage to negotiate that I leave immediately and they pay me out four weeks leave. Probably not good for a career, whatever that is (!) but absolutely fantastic for my mental health. I actually feel euphoric. So I guess the bad side of FU money is that you can use it???? I'm a fairly tough broad but I ate of looooooot of shit in this job before I left. I did not have fucks left to give, as the song goes......

Good for you Anna.
 
You used FU money to save your sanity and well being!!! Exactly how FU money should be used.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Thanks, above posters. I did intend to find another job before I left but I probably waited too long to make that decision, too close to the last straw! So.... job hunting again. I can amp the sideline while I'm looking for jobs, and that will mean a little less eating into the FU fund. Just once I'd like to work in a pleasant, well run company, with nice people!

[Sugaree]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

[Pooperman]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

[saguaro]

Not an epic story but it appears DH's days are numbered at his current job.  It's not completely unexpected.   In a nutshell, the company has not been doing well in recent years, in part due to being in a declining industry but also some really bad management decisions have not helped.   Just about every day someone from one of the offices is let go and management pretty much is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. 

DH was pulled into a meeting, being advised that the company is "restructuring" for the umpteenth time but this time, they want to move him into another position instead of changing bosses.  The job involves working nights and weekends, doing some work that he isn't remotely qualified for (editorial work for a newspaper, he's one of their web developers for the online editions), in an nearly empty building in an industrial area with no security, all for the same pay he is making now.   He actually had to "interview" for this job.    He doesn't think he will get it nor does he want it, though he's concerned they might insist that he try it out for a few weeks.  He mentioned the security concerns as well has he has limited night vision for driving at dark.   He's fully prepared to leave today if they tell him. 

Thanks to FU money (plus DH is eligible take his social security though we won't need it right now) so we will be all right.  In fact, over the weekend he started calculating the cost savings of not working this job like gas, etc.  Not to mention a lot less stress.  DH is 63, he was hoping to make it to 65 but in the last few months started realizing the end of his current employment might come sooner.   He's got a couple of other income streams that he could devote more time to.  He still plans to keep an eye out for job openings as he is willing to take the right opportunity if it presents itself but it's not urgent. 

Funny that they noticed that DH is not particularly upset.  Someone asked if he won the lottery or something.

[FIRE Artist]

Funny that they noticed that DH is not particularly upset.  Someone asked if he won the lottery or something.

It is insane that normal the expectation now is that someone 2 years out from normal retirement age would be stressed about a layoff. 

[Livingthedream55]

Not an epic story but it appears DH's days are numbered at his current job.  It's not completely unexpected.   In a nutshell, the company has not been doing well in recent years, in part due to being in a declining industry but also some really bad management decisions have not helped.   Just about every day someone from one of the offices is let go and management pretty much is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. 

DH was pulled into a meeting, being advised that the company is "restructuring" for the umpteenth time but this time, they want to move him into another position instead of changing bosses.  The job involves working nights and weekends, doing some work that he isn't remotely qualified for (editorial work for a newspaper, he's one of their web developers for the online editions), in an nearly empty building in an industrial area with no security, all for the same pay he is making now.   He actually had to "interview" for this job.    He doesn't think he will get it nor does he want it, though he's concerned they might insist that he try it out for a few weeks.  He mentioned the security concerns as well has he has limited night vision for driving at dark.   He's fully prepared to leave today if they tell him. 

Thanks to FU money (plus DH is eligible take his social security though we won't need it right now) so we will be all right.  In fact, over the weekend he started calculating the cost savings of not working this job like gas, etc.  Not to mention a lot less stress.  DH is 63, he was hoping to make it to 65 but in the last few months started realizing the end of his current employment might come sooner.   He's got a couple of other income streams that he could devote more time to.  He still plans to keep an eye out for job openings as he is willing to take the right opportunity if it presents itself but it's not urgent. 

Funny that they noticed that DH is not particularly upset.  Someone asked if he won the lottery or something.

Might he be eligible for unemployment (even if declining this "opportunity")?

[BlueHouse]

I thought I'd share an FU money story that is my mom's.   She was reliving it again to me, when I finally saw it for what it is:  an FU story. 

Now, I'll start by saying that mom did not actually have FU money, but she did eventually learn her worth in the market -- and that became her FU currency. 

Background:  Mom is widowed with 5 children to feed.  Money is extremely tight in the household.   Certified as a teacher, a teachers' strike makes finding a job impossible, so mom begins baking cakes and selling them to local restaurants.  After 5-6 months, she has 4-5 fancy restaurants on her daily rotation.  She's making 15-20 cakes and pies per day out of our home kitchen. 

One of her restaurants is a mob-run place at a racetrack.  She despises working with them because they treat her badly and wait weeks to pay her what she's owed -- very difficult when trying to buy supplies. There is a miscommunication over an error and the big boss mobster fires mom -- but makes the bookkeeper do it.  Mom was secretly relieved.  The mobsters were not professional and always ran on emotions. 

4 days later, the bookkeeper comes sniveling back and says the big boss wants her to come back and bake the desserts again. Mom raises the price on some of her desserts and then says she never wants to have to ask to get paid again.  All money is due at delivery or she's taking her cakes with her and never stepping foot inside again. 

I was about 11-12 when this happened, and I still remember the worry she had over how to pay bills and how empowered she was when she came home that day after setting her foot down. 

[saguaro]

Not an epic story but it appears DH's days are numbered at his current job.  It's not completely unexpected.   In a nutshell, the company has not been doing well in recent years, in part due to being in a declining industry but also some really bad management decisions have not helped.   Just about every day someone from one of the offices is let go and management pretty much is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. 

DH was pulled into a meeting, being advised that the company is "restructuring" for the umpteenth time but this time, they want to move him into another position instead of changing bosses.  The job involves working nights and weekends, doing some work that he isn't remotely qualified for (editorial work for a newspaper, he's one of their web developers for the online editions), in an nearly empty building in an industrial area with no security, all for the same pay he is making now.   He actually had to "interview" for this job.    He doesn't think he will get it nor does he want it, though he's concerned they might insist that he try it out for a few weeks.  He mentioned the security concerns as well has he has limited night vision for driving at dark.   He's fully prepared to leave today if they tell him. 

Thanks to FU money (plus DH is eligible take his social security though we won't need it right now) so we will be all right.  In fact, over the weekend he started calculating the cost savings of not working this job like gas, etc.  Not to mention a lot less stress.  DH is 63, he was hoping to make it to 65 but in the last few months started realizing the end of his current employment might come sooner.   He's got a couple of other income streams that he could devote more time to.  He still plans to keep an eye out for job openings as he is willing to take the right opportunity if it presents itself but it's not urgent. 

Funny that they noticed that DH is not particularly upset.  Someone asked if he won the lottery or something.

Might he be eligible for unemployment (even if declining this "opportunity")?

He is hoping to get out of there being eligible for unemployment.  He's not sure how they got the idea that he could do this job as it requires a whole different skillset from anything he has done during his career.  Working editorial on the high school newspaper was a loooonggg time ago.   His hours are limited to daylight hours because of issues with night vision, meaning his hours shift with the fall Daylight Savings time change.     

HR was at this first meeting.  Welp, he just learned the sole HR person is out of the office for 2 weeks so maybe he gets to stick around a bit longer. 

[mm1970]

Funny that they noticed that DH is not particularly upset.  Someone asked if he won the lottery or something.

It is insane that normal the expectation now is that someone 2 years out from normal retirement age would be stressed about a layoff.

In my company we have many people of this age. 

Half wouldn't give a shit.
The other half would be freaking out.

It comes down to medical.  Those eligible for Medicare, or with a working spouse with insurance?  Don't care.

Those with pre-existing expensive conditions?  They care, but mostly for medical reasons.

[SwordGuy]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

[Sugaree]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms. 

[AMandM]

BlueHouse, that is epic. I am full of admiration for you mother!

[TomTX]

He is hoping to get out of there being eligible for unemployment.  He's not sure how they got the idea that he could do this job as it requires a whole different skillset from anything he has done during his career.  Working editorial on the high school newspaper was a loooonggg time ago.   His hours are limited to daylight hours because of issues with night vision, meaning his hours shift with the fall Daylight Savings time change.     

HR was at this first meeting.  Welp, he just learned the sole HR person is out of the office for 2 weeks so maybe he gets to stick around a bit longer.

I think "applying for" or accepting the crap job is bad move. If they don't want him, they can fire him, and he should ask for significant severance.

Then file for UI.

[Trifle]

BlueHouse, that is epic. I am full of admiration for your mother!

+1.  Your mom showed epic backbone @BlueHouse.  And what a fantastic example for her kids.   

[Sugaree]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms.

Quoting myself to say that they gave him the choice to take minimum wage with no benefits or be "laid off."  He chose laid off.  Unemployment payments are crap here, but he should still get one more paycheck before we have to worry about that.  In theory, he has a week of PTO that should be paid out too, but I'm betting we will have to fight for that and I don't know if it will be worth it.  He has some side gigs lined up already, so I think everything's going to be okay.

[Pooperman]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms.

Quoting myself to say that they gave him the choice to take minimum wage with no benefits or be "laid off."  He chose laid off.  Unemployment payments are crap here, but he should still get one more paycheck before we have to worry about that.  In theory, he has a week of PTO that should be paid out too, but I'm betting we will have to fight for that and I don't know if it will be worth it.  He has some side gigs lined up already, so I think everything's going to be okay.

Just make sure one of you reports the wage theft. It may take a while, but he worked hard for that money... and if they're doing that to him, he's probably not the only one. There can be a finder's fee as well depending on the circumstances. Another agency that might be interested is the IRS (or the state equivalen). When someone messes with wages, there's a decent chance they're also screwing with taxes.

[Trifle]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms.

Quoting myself to say that they gave him the choice to take minimum wage with no benefits or be "laid off."  He chose laid off.  Unemployment payments are crap here, but he should still get one more paycheck before we have to worry about that.  In theory, he has a week of PTO that should be paid out too, but I'm betting we will have to fight for that and I don't know if it will be worth it.  He has some side gigs lined up already, so I think everything's going to be okay.

Just make sure one of you reports the wage theft. It may take a while, but he worked hard for that money... and if they're doing that to him, he's probably not the only one. There can be a finder's fee as well depending on the circumstances. Another agency that might be interested is the IRS (or the state equivalen). When someone messes with wages, there's a decent chance they're also screwing with taxes.

Agree.  Sounds like a phone call to your state Department of Labor (DOL) is in order.

[Sugaree]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms.

Quoting myself to say that they gave him the choice to take minimum wage with no benefits or be "laid off."  He chose laid off.  Unemployment payments are crap here, but he should still get one more paycheck before we have to worry about that.  In theory, he has a week of PTO that should be paid out too, but I'm betting we will have to fight for that and I don't know if it will be worth it.  He has some side gigs lined up already, so I think everything's going to be okay.

Just make sure one of you reports the wage theft. It may take a while, but he worked hard for that money... and if they're doing that to him, he's probably not the only one. There can be a finder's fee as well depending on the circumstances. Another agency that might be interested is the IRS (or the state equivalen). When someone messes with wages, there's a decent chance they're also screwing with taxes.

Yep.  He wants to wait for the letter or recommendation from his manager.  I think that's a mistake given how much she seemed to dislike him, but whatever.

[BlueHouse]

BlueHouse, that is epic. I am full of admiration for your mother!

+1.  Your mom showed epic backbone @BlueHouse.  And what a fantastic example for her kids.

Thanks AMandM and Trifele! 
This was back in the late 70s.  People have a hard time understanding just how difficult it was for women to stand up for themselves in those times.  So witnessing her feeling as if she had some control over her own business was incredibly eye-opening for me as a pre-teen girl.  She always told me I could be anything I wanted to be, but I also watched her struggle, so I do believe that small wins like that make a difference. 

[fuzzy math]

BlueHouse, that is epic. I am full of admiration for your mother!

+1.  Your mom showed epic backbone @BlueHouse.  And what a fantastic example for her kids.

Thanks AMandM and Trifele! 
This was back in the late 70s.  People have a hard time understanding just how difficult it was for women to stand up for themselves in those times.  So witnessing her feeling as if she had some control over her own business was incredibly eye-opening for me as a pre-teen girl.  She always told me I could be anything I wanted to be, but I also watched her struggle, so I do believe that small wins like that make a difference.

That is not a small win! Your mom told the mob to accept her terms or shove it. She might have the most epic story here!

[radram]

BlueHouse, that is epic. I am full of admiration for your mother!

+1.  Your mom showed epic backbone @BlueHouse.  And what a fantastic example for her kids.

Thanks AMandM and Trifele! 
This was back in the late 70s.  People have a hard time understanding just how difficult it was for women to stand up for themselves in those times.  So witnessing her feeling as if she had some control over her own business was incredibly eye-opening for me as a pre-teen girl.  She always told me I could be anything I wanted to be, but I also watched her struggle, so I do believe that small wins like that make a difference.

That is not a small win! Your mom told the mob to accept her terms or shove it. She might have the most epic story here!

Agreed. In fact, I think this story is in the wrong thread. It is one thing to say shove it because I have some money and don't have to take any crap (true epic FU money stories). It is another thing entirely to have NOTHING, need EVERYTHING, and STILL say FU ...... to the fucking MOB!

Just WOW. How incredibly inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

[saguaro]

BlueHouse, that is epic. I am full of admiration for your mother!

+1.  Your mom showed epic backbone @BlueHouse.  And what a fantastic example for her kids.

Thanks AMandM and Trifele! 
This was back in the late 70s.  People have a hard time understanding just how difficult it was for women to stand up for themselves in those times.  So witnessing her feeling as if she had some control over her own business was incredibly eye-opening for me as a pre-teen girl.  She always told me I could be anything I wanted to be, but I also watched her struggle, so I do believe that small wins like that make a difference.

@BlueHouse  What your mom did was indeed epic.   And I agree, back in the late 70s it was not easy for women to stand up for themselves, it was overcoming a lot of societal programming.  At that same time, my mom had just gone back to work and she had her moments of having to stand up to doctors (who were pretty much male) as a nurse (who were still generally female).  It was not easy for her but she did it.  Good for your mom!

[Zamboni]

@BlueHouse

Your mom's baking must have been great . . . I'm sure that mobster was kicking himself pretty quick as soon as he was missing the taste of the pie (not to mention that I bet a bunch of customers were complaining that the good cake and pie had disappeared!)

Proud of her for sticking up for herself.

[okits]

BlueHouse, that is epic. I am full of admiration for your mother!

+1.  Your mom showed epic backbone @BlueHouse.  And what a fantastic example for her kids.

Thanks AMandM and Trifele! 
This was back in the late 70s.  People have a hard time understanding just how difficult it was for women to stand up for themselves in those times.  So witnessing her feeling as if she had some control over her own business was incredibly eye-opening for me as a pre-teen girl.  She always told me I could be anything I wanted to be, but I also watched her struggle, so I do believe that small wins like that make a difference.

That is not a small win! Your mom told the mob to accept her terms or shove it. She might have the most epic story here!

Agreed. In fact, I think this story is in the wrong thread. It is one thing to say shove it because I have some money and don't have to take any crap (true epic FU money stories). It is another thing entirely to have NOTHING, need EVERYTHING, and STILL say FU ...... to the fucking MOB!

Just WOW. How incredibly inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

radram is right, @BlueHouse .  Your mom kicks some serious ass.

[saguaro]

Update on DH: his last day in the clusterf**k that is his company is next Friday.   He is leaving with severance plus he can get UI and then social security after that. 

Unlike 10 years ago, when he lost his job in the thick of the Great Recession, this is not a shock.  He's been prepared for the possibility and he is looking forward to working his income streams and get some work done around the house that he's put off because he was too tired and stressed out.   He will look for work just to see if there's something he might be interested in but this time around find a job is not something he's going to be desperately hoping for, it will be a bonus and something he wants to do, not needs to do.   He's on my health insurance so that's not a problem.
 
Interesting that there was nothing more about this so-called "opportunity" that he interviewed for.  And more interesting that there is no talk about getting a person at the management level taking over his responsibilities and then some.  Nope, no sign of Superman, as he calls it.  One of his coworkers called BS on them hiring anyone to do anything.   They just simply lay off people and spread the work to everyone else.   Another funny thing, he was seen as "critical" to the organization so there's a bit of shock that they are actually letting him go.   There are some people who told him they would jump ship if he ever left.  So I think some will be making for the lifeboats if they can find one with their name on it.
 

 

[Sibley]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms.

Quoting myself to say that they gave him the choice to take minimum wage with no benefits or be "laid off."  He chose laid off.  Unemployment payments are crap here, but he should still get one more paycheck before we have to worry about that.  In theory, he has a week of PTO that should be paid out too, but I'm betting we will have to fight for that and I don't know if it will be worth it.  He has some side gigs lined up already, so I think everything's going to be okay.

Just make sure one of you reports the wage theft. It may take a while, but he worked hard for that money... and if they're doing that to him, he's probably not the only one. There can be a finder's fee as well depending on the circumstances. Another agency that might be interested is the IRS (or the state equivalen). When someone messes with wages, there's a decent chance they're also screwing with taxes.

Yep.  He wants to wait for the letter or recommendation from his manager.  I think that's a mistake given how much she seemed to dislike him, but whatever.

I would snip, but would mess up the formatting somehow.

Anyway, a family member's former employer was screwing up the wages/overtime/etc rules for years. Someone reported it to the state's DOL, and while I think it took a year or more, all the impacted employees eventually got back pay (up to $20k for some), then they all got recategorized so that they're getting salary + overtime pay. (Please don't ask details, I have no idea.) Messing up wages is a big deal. If it's deliberate, even more so.

[Trifle]

I would snip, but would mess up the formatting somehow.

Anyway, a family member's former employer was screwing up the wages/overtime/etc rules for years. Someone reported it to the state's DOL, and while I think it took a year or more, all the impacted employees eventually got back pay (up to $20k for some), then they all got recategorized so that they're getting salary + overtime pay. (Please don't ask details, I have no idea.) Messing up wages is a big deal. If it's deliberate, even more so.

+1.   In my experience (former employment law attorney) state DOLs always investigate these complaints and take them seriously.  They have specific departments for 'Wage and Hour' complaints, and this is why they exist.  Please do report it @saguaro.

[Unique User]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms.

Quoting myself to say that they gave him the choice to take minimum wage with no benefits or be "laid off."  He chose laid off.  Unemployment payments are crap here, but he should still get one more paycheck before we have to worry about that.  In theory, he has a week of PTO that should be paid out too, but I'm betting we will have to fight for that and I don't know if it will be worth it.  He has some side gigs lined up already, so I think everything's going to be okay.

Not sure what state you are in, but there are specific rules in PTO payout also.  DH's former company (global 50k employee corp) tried to tell him that they did not owe him for PTO, but he had the original hire paperwork that showed otherwise.  In NC, vacation pay needs to be paid upon termination unless there is a written policy that states that vacation pay will be forfeited.  Each state is different, but that is another claim to your state DOL.  Check your state rules and if they don't pay it, I'd report them. 

[ducky19]

Posting up my DW's story. My wife is a preschool teacher at a private center. She's been working for this place since last August, and has been miserable nearly the entire time. She has been labeled by her boss (the owner) as "confrontational". When asked why, she claimed it was because she questioned the practice of the boss sending out a group text each night with the next day's schedule, then requiring everyone in the group text to reply to the group text. They held it against her for not updating the Facebook site for months, even though she told them back in August that she didn't have admin rights and that they needed to grant those to her if they wanted her to update it (never happened). Since she is salaried, any time off had to be made up - fine. But she was only allowed to count certain hours, the majority of the extra time she put in was not considered eligible. The final straw came yesterday though when she was called into her boss' office and told she was being written up for "missing too much time". Her boss had documented all of the time she claimed my wife missed, but would not let her leave with the sheet without signing it. My wife wanted to cross reference it with her own records and refused to sign it, so they finally gave her a copy. She came home at lunch and found numerous errors/discrepancies that she produced documentation for and copied to the back of the sheet (so it couldn't be misplaced). She took it back into her boss and said, "here is the form, I've attached corrections on the back and signed it, and the sheet below it is my resignation". Her boss wouldn't even look at her and just said, "ok". My wife said, "I'll give you two weeks notice, but I will understand if you don't want it and will leave today if you prefer". Her boss, still not looking at her, said "ok". My wife said, "so.... which do you prefer?" and was finally told she'll take the two weeks. It sucks for my wife's coworkers, because the boss won't hire anyone else and will just expect them to fill in for her. She's already gotten a lot of supportive texts from her coworkers and parents, so she feels validated that not everyone thought she was doing a terrible job (even had some tears from some of her coworkers). I feel for them, but DW has to do what's right for her. She already had another job offer, but we could survive indefinitely without her pay. Just glad she finally put an end to putting up with this one's shit!

[Dicey]

Posting up my DW's story. My wife is a preschool teacher at a private center. She's been working for this place since last August, and has been miserable nearly the entire time. She has been labeled by her boss (the owner) as "confrontational". When asked why, she claimed it was because she questioned the practice of the boss sending out a group text each night with the next day's schedule, then requiring everyone in the group text to reply to the group text. They held it against her for not updating the Facebook site for months, even though she told them back in August that she didn't have admin rights and that they needed to grant those to her if they wanted her to update it (never happened). Since she is salaried, any time off had to be made up - fine. But she was only allowed to count certain hours, the majority of the extra time she put in was not considered eligible. The final straw came yesterday though when she was called into her boss' office and told she was being written up for "missing too much time". Her boss had documented all of the time she claimed my wife missed, but would not let her leave with the sheet without signing it. My wife wanted to cross reference it with her own records and refused to sign it, so they finally gave her a copy. She came home at lunch and found numerous errors/discrepancies that she produced documentation for and copied to the back of the sheet (so it couldn't be misplaced). She took it back into her boss and said, "here is the form, I've attached corrections on the back and signed it, and the sheet below it is my resignation". Her boss wouldn't even look at her and just said, "ok". My wife said, "I'll give you two weeks notice, but I will understand if you don't want it and will leave today if you prefer". Her boss, still not looking at her, said "ok". My wife said, "so.... which do you prefer?" and was finally told she'll take the two weeks. It sucks for my wife's coworkers, because the boss won't hire anyone else and will just expect them to fill in for her. She's already gotten a lot of supportive texts from her coworkers and parents, so she feels validated that not everyone thought she was doing a terrible job (even had some tears from some of her coworkers). I feel for them, but DW has to do what's right for her. She already had another job offer, but we could survive indefinitely without her pay. Just glad she finally put an end to putting up with this one's shit!

Hooray! I love this story. Erm, well, not quite. I'm sorry she was in such a miserable situation and glad she's found the exit door.

[MissNancyPryor]

I think I remember reading this somewhere here but it is a great reminder to get the FU money going immediately in life. 


https://www.thebillfold.com/2016/01/a-story-of-a-fuck-off-fund/

[WhiteTrashCash]

I think I remember reading this somewhere here but it is a great reminder to get the FU money going immediately in life. 


https://www.thebillfold.com/2016/01/a-story-of-a-fuck-off-fund/

As someone who lived a version of what happened to that poor girl in the story you shared, I endorse your post. Having FU Money is essential for a person's well-being and reaching that level requires eliminating all the voices that prevent you from saving and investing to make it happen -- which means getting rid of advertising, nexting spendypants friends, and learning to take as much pleasure from watching your money grow as you did from some shiny new gazingus pin.

[Capt j-rod]

The lovelyDW works in medicine. She switched jobs and life has been much better than the previous workplace. We have made an amazing discovery... No one is in charge! There are lots of big job titles, TONS of meetings where nothing gets done, and no one has the authority to do anything. They complain constantly about everything... They try to get you to work over. They try to switch the schedules. Finally the DW pulled out her contract and asked where it was agreed upon that these things could be changed. No one could get an answer. She politely refused to do what was asked and they threatened to "write her up". She replied that unless she signs the papers that the procedure can't be billed. She suggested three days off without pay, which would happen with more write ups... The problem is that the office manager can't see patients, or perform surgery. No doc, no charges, no surgeries no income to the big machine. Finally administration got involved when the managers called them in. After a quick review of the emails, requests, and other stories... They are currently hiring a new manager LOL. FU money and borderline FIRE give you muscles you never knew you had. She pointed out that an employed physician is very different than a partner. As an employee, you show up, work your shift, do what needs done and go home. They want you to be a part of the practice, but they won't pay more and nothing can quench their thirst. After the meeting they have moved onto others who have no choice but to do what they're told. She is in year 2 of a 3 year contract. They are worried that she doesn't want to renew... They are right!

[Freedomin5]

The lovelyDW works in medicine. She switched jobs and life has been much better than the previous workplace. We have made an amazing discovery... No one is in charge! There are lots of big job titles, TONS of meetings where nothing gets done, and no one has the authority to do anything. They complain constantly about everything... They try to get you to work over. They try to switch the schedules. Finally the DW pulled out her contract and asked where it was agreed upon that these things could be changed. No one could get an answer. She politely refused to do what was asked and they threatened to "write her up". She replied that unless she signs the papers that the procedure can't be billed. She suggested three days off without pay, which would happen with more write ups... The problem is that the office manager can't see patients, or perform surgery. No doc, no charges, no surgeries no income to the big machine. Finally administration got involved when the managers called them in. After a quick review of the emails, requests, and other stories... They are currently hiring a new manager LOL. FU money and borderline FIRE give you muscles you never knew you had. She pointed out that an employed physician is very different than a partner. As an employee, you show up, work your shift, do what needs done and go home. They want you to be a part of the practice, but they won't pay more and nothing can quench their thirst. After the meeting they have moved onto others who have no choice but to do what they're told. She is in year 2 of a 3 year contract. They are worried that she doesn't want to renew... They are right!

:D I like this story. I hate it when management tries to get me to do something that is not in my contract or that is unethical.

[Sugaree]

I don't know if this is actually epic, but here goes.  My husband's job...sucks.  He does groundskeeping for a 180 unit apartment complex.  He likes the job, and it paid decently well.  His boss has hated him ever since he was offered (and turned down) the GM job at another complex.  She has done everything she can over the last two years to make him quit.  Changing his time card and cheating him of time?  Check.  Making him buy back vacation days in cash only days before the start of scheduled trip and still telling him that they couldn't guarantee that he'd have a job when he got back?  Check.  Suspending him for two days because he couldn't/wouldn't rake leaves in a thunderstorm?  Check. 

So, it turns out that she was trying to get him to quit because the company is trying to cut payroll.  It was announced Friday afternoon that everyone was being cut to minimum wage.  That's something like a 40% pay cut for everyone.  Effective today.  He'll be tendering his resignation this morning and we have every intention of fighting them on a constructive dismissal unemployment claim.  They're lucky I can't prove the wage theft. 

The FU part comes in because we don't actually need his job to pay the bills.  The lights aren't going to get cut off.  We're not going to eat ramen noodles for three meals a day.  We probably won't even adjust the amount going into my retirement accounts.  The only part that sucks is that for all their BS, they had a decent 401(k) plan with low-cost Vanguard funds and they matched 50 cents on the dollar up to 16.66%.

You don't have to prove the wage theft yourself. You report it and the state (or federal, depending) agency will investigate on your behalf. I would report it anyway.

@Sugaree , just want to up the odds that (a) you see this so you can take action and (b) to help you stick it to the man, because this particular employer deserves it.

I totally agree.  It has been one thing after another for months now.  This probably isn't even the half of it.  What sucks is that he really liked his job.  The hours were good.  He loves the tenants.  He liked most of his co-workers.  But local management was allowed to run roughshod over their little fiefdoms.

Quoting myself to say that they gave him the choice to take minimum wage with no benefits or be "laid off."  He chose laid off.  Unemployment payments are crap here, but he should still get one more paycheck before we have to worry about that.  In theory, he has a week of PTO that should be paid out too, but I'm betting we will have to fight for that and I don't know if it will be worth it.  He has some side gigs lined up already, so I think everything's going to be okay.

Not sure what state you are in, but there are specific rules in PTO payout also.  DH's former company (global 50k employee corp) tried to tell him that they did not owe him for PTO, but he had the original hire paperwork that showed otherwise.  In NC, vacation pay needs to be paid upon termination unless there is a written policy that states that vacation pay will be forfeited.  Each state is different, but that is another claim to your state DOL.  Check your state rules and if they don't pay it, I'd report them.

Wanna take a guess who didn't get his last paycheck today like he was supposed to? 

[saguaro]

@Sugaree that's terrible.  I echo all the others on reporting them.   

Also want to update all that DH's day of freedom from the clusterf**k is here.  He is leaving with vacation time, severance pay (a big deal since they are known not to give severance per other employees) and.....money refunded because they charged him for health insurance that he opted out of because they messed up the paperwork.

He has learned more about their umpteenth, gazillionth throw something at the wall and see what sticks er, restructuring and this person who is coming on board to take over his job in addition to a bunch of other things (a deal with the devil if you ask me) they will dream up on the spot.   Seems that an ex employee is coming back on board, someone who, incidentally, has come and gone multiple times.  Not sure why this person is giving it another go, even if they need $$.   According to DH, this person knows a lot of the business however, he's not sure about knowledge of the complex software he uses.  He's also been training some other coworkers in the past week and their heads are exploding.   Yep, they are letting someone go without totally knowing what that person does.

At any rate he's leaving on good terms, he has some contacts that might pan out when they all jump ship (he got a lead on another job already), some extra money, plus eligible for UI, plus then SS.   This is better than when he was planning to retire next year. 

[Unique User]

@Sugaree  That just sucks.  They think they will get away with it, probably because no one has every called them on it. Internet stranger here, but I'd write up a letter with everything you are owed, including paid PTO time and send to the employer.  Look at your state and see what penalties they face for not paying on time and include in your notice.  Give them a time limit and let them know you will go to your state's DOL to collect after that time.  Formal written notice is crucial in this type of situation.  I've had it happen twice and each time I received everything I was owed within 24 hours. 

[Dicey]

@Sugaree  That just sucks.  They think they will get away with it, probably because no one has every called them on it. Internet stranger here, but I'd write up a letter with everything you are owed, including paid PTO time and send to the employer.  Look at your state and see what penalties they face for not paying on time and include in your notice.  Give them a time limit and let them know you will go to your state's DOL to collect after that time.  Formal written notice is crucial in this type of situation.  I've had it happen twice and each time I received everything I was owed within 24 hours.

While I agree with most if this,  I have another, more nefarious suggestion. Look up your state's regulations, make up your spreadsheet on what you are owed and then WAIT. It will get a lot more interesting if they violate state law. You don't need the money for this week's groceries, so why not fuck with them right back?

[SwordGuy]

@Sugaree  That just sucks.  They think they will get away with it, probably because no one has every called them on it. Internet stranger here, but I'd write up a letter with everything you are owed, including paid PTO time and send to the employer.  Look at your state and see what penalties they face for not paying on time and include in your notice.  Give them a time limit and let them know you will go to your state's DOL to collect after that time.  Formal written notice is crucial in this type of situation.  I've had it happen twice and each time I received everything I was owed within 24 hours.

While I agree with most if this,  I have another, more nefarious suggestion. Look up your state's regulations, make up your spreadsheet on what you are owed and then WAIT. It will get a lot more interesting if they violate state law. You don't need the money for this week's groceries, so why not fuck with them right back?

I like the way you think.  After fines and penalties, they'll be less likely to screw over the next person.   Always try to leave the world a better place as you pass thru it...

[Sugaree]

@Sugaree  That just sucks.  They think they will get away with it, probably because no one has every called them on it. Internet stranger here, but I'd write up a letter with everything you are owed, including paid PTO time and send to the employer.  Look at your state and see what penalties they face for not paying on time and include in your notice.  Give them a time limit and let them know you will go to your state's DOL to collect after that time.  Formal written notice is crucial in this type of situation.  I've had it happen twice and each time I received everything I was owed within 24 hours.

While I agree with most if this,  I have another, more nefarious suggestion. Look up your state's regulations, make up your spreadsheet on what you are owed and then WAIT. It will get a lot more interesting if they violate state law. You don't need the money for this week's groceries, so why not fuck with them right back?

I like the way you think.  After fines and penalties, they'll be less likely to screw over the next person.   Always try to leave the world a better place as you pass thru it...

I'm kind of liking this idea.  It seems that this is all his local management.  She didn't turn in his final time sheet.  But I'm wondering if she really told them that he left because he had some PTO hours that need to be paid out (at least I think they have to be paid out, but it's Alabama and it's not exactly the most worker-friendly state)  It's really a shame (for them) that one of DH's good childhood friends is an employment attorney.  We've already got a call in to her.  I'm not sure she can still practice here (just passed the bar in her new state), but she should still have connections in the city where the corporate office is located. 

[Dicey]

@Sugaree  That just sucks.  They think they will get away with it, probably because no one has every called them on it. Internet stranger here, but I'd write up a letter with everything you are owed, including paid PTO time and send to the employer.  Look at your state and see what penalties they face for not paying on time and include in your notice.  Give them a time limit and let them know you will go to your state's DOL to collect after that time.  Formal written notice is crucial in this type of situation.  I've had it happen twice and each time I received everything I was owed within 24 hours.

While I agree with most if this,  I have another, more nefarious suggestion. Look up your state's regulations, make up your spreadsheet on what you are owed and then WAIT. It will get a lot more interesting if they violate state law. You don't need the money for this week's groceries, so why not fuck with them right back?

I like the way you think.  After fines and penalties, they'll be less likely to screw over the next person.   Always try to leave the world a better place as you pass thru it...

I'm kind of liking this idea.  It seems that this is all his local management.  She didn't turn in his final time sheet.  But I'm wondering if she really told them that he left because he had some PTO hours that need to be paid out (at least I think they have to be paid out, but it's Alabama and it's not exactly the most worker-friendly state)  It's really a shame (for them) that one of DH's good childhood friends is an employment attorney.  We've already got a call in to her.  I'm not sure she can still practice here (just passed the bar in her new state), but she should still have connections in the city where the corporate office is located.

I worked for a large manufacturing company based in another state. They believed they could enforce their state laws throughout the country. My state has a different opinion. When the company said vacation time was "use it or lose it", all it took was a couple of firmly worded emails to HR with a few key quotes from my state's employment code. This resulted in new policies that benefited everyone. In the course of this research, it was also discovered that the task of tracking vacation time is the burden of the employer, not the employee.

Fast forward a few years. A local colleague, a superstar salesperson for decades, was laid off for reasons that looked suspiciously like ageism. The company's severance package was pretty stingy. He decided to go after them for thirty years of unpaid vacation time. Whoopsie! The company did not have accurate records. He ended up with the severance package he was quite happy with. (This is a FU money story, because he didn't need it. He liked working and was great at his job. He was just pissed that they were kicking him to the curb, and making such a paltry severance offer.)

I'm posting this to show that not every case requires a lawyer. Start by reading up on your state's employment code.

[BicycleB]

I came for the stories, and then you educated me!

Well done, @Dicey

[Dicey]

I came for the stories, and then you educated me!

Well done, @Dicey

Thanks. Musta been an accident.

[Unique User]

@Sugaree  That just sucks.  They think they will get away with it, probably because no one has every called them on it. Internet stranger here, but I'd write up a letter with everything you are owed, including paid PTO time and send to the employer.  Look at your state and see what penalties they face for not paying on time and include in your notice.  Give them a time limit and let them know you will go to your state's DOL to collect after that time.  Formal written notice is crucial in this type of situation.  I've had it happen twice and each time I received everything I was owed within 24 hours.

While I agree with most if this,  I have another, more nefarious suggestion. Look up your state's regulations, make up your spreadsheet on what you are owed and then WAIT. It will get a lot more interesting if they violate state law. You don't need the money for this week's groceries, so why not fuck with them right back?

I like the way you think.  After fines and penalties, they'll be less likely to screw over the next person.   Always try to leave the world a better place as you pass thru it...

I'm kind of liking this idea.  It seems that this is all his local management.  She didn't turn in his final time sheet.  But I'm wondering if she really told them that he left because he had some PTO hours that need to be paid out (at least I think they have to be paid out, but it's Alabama and it's not exactly the most worker-friendly state)  It's really a shame (for them) that one of DH's good childhood friends is an employment attorney.  We've already got a call in to her.  I'm not sure she can still practice here (just passed the bar in her new state), but she should still have connections in the city where the corporate office is located.

I worked for a large manufacturing company based in another state. They believed they could enforce their state laws throughout the country. My state has a different opinion. When the company said vacation time was "use it or lose it", all it took was a couple of firmly worded emails to HR with a few key quotes from my state's employment code. This resulted in new policies that benefited everyone. In the course of this research, it was also discovered that the task of tracking vacation time is the burden of the employer, not the employee.

Fast forward a few years. A local colleague, a superstar salesperson for decades, was laid off for reasons that looked suspiciously like ageism. The company's severance package was pretty stingy. He decided to go after them for thirty years of unpaid vacation time. Whoopsie! The company did not have accurate records. He ended up with the severance package he was quite happy with. (This is a FU money story, because he didn't need it. He liked working and was great at his job. He was just pissed that they were kicking him to the curb, and making such a paltry severance offer.)

I'm posting this to show that not every case requires a lawyer. Start by reading up on your state's employment code.

Agree!!  @Dicey - I like your idea of dealing with the company better than mine.  :)

[mm1970]

@Sugaree  That just sucks.  They think they will get away with it, probably because no one has every called them on it. Internet stranger here, but I'd write up a letter with everything you are owed, including paid PTO time and send to the employer.  Look at your state and see what penalties they face for not paying on time and include in your notice.  Give them a time limit and let them know you will go to your state's DOL to collect after that time.  Formal written notice is crucial in this type of situation.  I've had it happen twice and each time I received everything I was owed within 24 hours.

While I agree with most if this,  I have another, more nefarious suggestion. Look up your state's regulations, make up your spreadsheet on what you are owed and then WAIT. It will get a lot more interesting if they violate state law. You don't need the money for this week's groceries, so why not fuck with them right back?

I like the way you think.  After fines and penalties, they'll be less likely to screw over the next person.   Always try to leave the world a better place as you pass thru it...

I'm kind of liking this idea.  It seems that this is all his local management.  She didn't turn in his final time sheet.  But I'm wondering if she really told them that he left because he had some PTO hours that need to be paid out (at least I think they have to be paid out, but it's Alabama and it's not exactly the most worker-friendly state)  It's really a shame (for them) that one of DH's good childhood friends is an employment attorney.  We've already got a call in to her.  I'm not sure she can still practice here (just passed the bar in her new state), but she should still have connections in the city where the corporate office is located.

I worked for a large manufacturing company based in another state. They believed they could enforce their state laws throughout the country. My state has a different opinion. When the company said vacation time was "use it or lose it", all it took was a couple of firmly worded emails to HR with a few key quotes from my state's employment code. This resulted in new policies that benefited everyone. In the course of this research, it was also discovered that the task of tracking vacation time is the burden of the employer, not the employee.

Fast forward a few years. A local colleague, a superstar salesperson for decades, was laid off for reasons that looked suspiciously like ageism. The company's severance package was pretty stingy. He decided to go after them for thirty years of unpaid vacation time. Whoopsie! The company did not have accurate records. He ended up with the severance package he was quite happy with. (This is a FU money story, because he didn't need it. He liked working and was great at his job. He was just pissed that they were kicking him to the curb, and making such a paltry severance offer.)

I'm posting this to show that not every case requires a lawyer. Start by reading up on your state's employment code.

Did we work for the same company?  My old company loved the "Use it or lose it", until they realized that it's not allowed in CA.  Then they adjusted the rule for us to say that you stop accruing after so much time, and adjusted it for their home state to allow them to carry over 40 hours.  Thing is, they often wouldn't allow people to take the time off.  In the end, after about 10 years, I think they adjusted it again to not be use or lose in any sense.

That story about unpaid vacation time was glorious.

[albireo13]

Also, your state's Dept of Labor can be a great advocate if you don't want a lawyer.  It will take time to resolve, if your case is valid but, they can be like a pitbull .... grabbing and not letting go until you submit.
Nothing like getting the state attorney general knocking on their door to make them wet their pants.   
LOL

[Laura33]

@Sugaree:  Please do notify the company, in writing.  The best thing you can do if you want to get your money, go to the state, hire a lawyer, or whatever, is to document document document; otherwise, it's he-said-she-said and bad memories, or looks like you're playing a game of "gotcha."

Yes, theoretically you don't have to, because they should pay your husband what he deserves.  But the reality is that the way to win (or force a settlement, or initiate a DOL investigation) is to create a record that shows very clearly that you have politely and reasonably repeatedly asked for what you are owed.