Noah BogiesNov 13, 2023
Quenby

The counter girl hopped right up when I walked in and was clocking in to help me.

Me: were you on break? I can wait until it's over I'm not in a hurry.

Her: no, we're supposed to clock out when there aren't customers

Me: oh no, honey, no. That's illegal.

Her: 😳

Me: not for you, for your manager or whoever told you to do that.

Her: it is?

Me: it's called wage theft when your boss doesn't pay you what you earned. when your boss requires you to stay here, he needs you pay you for your time.

Her: oh.

Me: here, this is the office number to an employment lawyer, call her and tell her you need to come in to talk about this

Her: I don't have any money

Me: we're gonna get your money, you already earned it sweetie.

Edit message to include a link to info about worker's rights:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/workers

Worker Rights

The Wage and Hour Division mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation's workforce. We are committed to ensuring that workers in this country are paid properly and for all the hours they work. , Quick Links Essential Workers β€“ Essential Protections Resources for essential workers who are keeping our country moving forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential Workers, Essential Protections - Restaurant Industry (YouTube) An overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Garment Workers' Rights How to File a Complaint We have offices throughout the country with trained professionals to help you. Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors Workers Owed Wages If you think you may be owed back wages collected by WHD, you can search our database of workers for whom we have money waiting to be claimed. Worker Resources A library of resources WHD offers to ensure that workers understand their rights under these laws and that they receive the wages and the protections to which they are entitled. Resources in Other Languages Find help in 20 languages. Timesheet Mobile App This app helps track regular work hours, break time, and overtime hours. , The right to fair pay The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting most full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. The right to take unpaid leave Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligible employees of covered employers have the right to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. Young Workers' rights Federal child labor laws ensure that when young people work, the work is safe and does not jeopardize their health, well-being or educational opportunities. Farm Workers' rights The Wage and Hour Division helps all workers in the United States. We enforce the law without regard to a worker’s immigration status. H-2B Workers' rights The H-2B provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provide for the admission of nonimmigrants to the U.S. to perform temporary non-agricultural labor or services. Restaurant Workers' rights The restaurant/fast food industry includes establishments which are primarily engaged in selling and serving to purchasers prepared food and beverages for consumption on or off the premises. */ Γ— DOL-Timesheet App Track your regular work hours, break time, and overtime hours. Learn More

DOL
Nov 9, 2023 at 8:57pmWeb
Show threadChip UnicornNov 9, 2023
@Quenby Not all superheroes wear capes.
Show threaddeilann v -0.2.1.  Nov 9, 2023
@Chip_Unicorn @Quenby I want to filk YMCA for FLSA now
Show threadCactuar JoeNov 9, 2023
@Quenby Set them on fire <3
Show threadWokebloke for DemocracyNov 9, 2023
@Quenby
Good lord! Did she mention how long it took her to put in an eight hour day?
Show threadglasspshrNov 9, 2023
@Quenby holy f*cking sh*t. Thank you. I’m shocked that this is happening, and yet…I guess I shouldn't be shocked?
Show threadloptaNov 9, 2023
@Quenby My boss rounds down our hours to 7.5 per day, regardless of the work we do.
Show threadMirishuliNov 10, 2023
@lopta @Quenby Well that stops today. Dm me the name of the place and I’ll put in a call. That shit is illegal.
Show threadWokebloke for DemocracyNov 10, 2023
@lopta @Quenby
No matter why he/she does it, it's illegal. Talk to somebody. Look up labor relations in your city/state and go talk to them.
Show threadloptaNov 10, 2023
@dougiec3 @Quenby He's in another state and I'm from another country. The company, at least in North America, seems to be quite inept. I would like to improve things for their other employees but I can't do that now.
Show threadExindivNov 9, 2023
@Quenby
Bless you, you fantastic person, you.
Show threadZigZagginNov 10, 2023
@Quenby What is the punishment for that? Even when she gets her back wages, the employer committed theft and it should be punished as theft.
Show threadlegumancer DavyNov 10, 2023
@zigzaggin @Quenby wage theft falls under civil rather than criminal law, which of course has nothing at all to do with how lawmakers are more likely to be employers than employees.
Show threadQuenbyNov 10, 2023

@zigzaggin
It's a civil thing, so the punishment is money. Sometimes they will have to pay you 2x or 3x what they stole depending on circumstances and how egregious their actions were.

(He's also probably going to get in trouble with the IRS for not doing his employment taxes right, but that's a separate thing from the wage theft. Only commit one crime at a time πŸ™ƒ)

All of this is mostly just going to cost him money though

Show threadHolir_Nov 10, 2023
@zigzaggin @Quenby Some states, like NY, I believe tack on interest & penalties. Over all the design is to mostly let companies get away it as long its not too egregious. While allowing employees who enforce their rights, which is the lesser amount, to have some avenue of compensation after the fact.
Show threadNov 10, 2023

@Quenby

Bravo burn whoever the thief is

Show threadSteve's PlaceNov 10, 2023
@Quenby I worked as a contractor for a company that required I claim no more than 40 hours a week despite working 60+ always. There are a lot of companies like this. I hope she takes you up on that, as I should have.
Show threadstrangetownNov 10, 2023
@Quenby What an arsehole. I hope he gets taken to the cleaners.
Show threadJeff ByrnesNov 10, 2023
@Quenby @alice good on yah πŸ‘πŸ»
Show threadAutumn RookNov 10, 2023
@Quenby Wow...just wow. Thank you for helping her and her co-workers too. That employer needs to be legally smacked into next Tuesday.
Show threadDawn TΓ₯ke πŸŒ™ Nov 10, 2023
@Quenby
✊
Show threadAlexisDyslexicNov 10, 2023
@Quenby Bed Bath & Beyond used to pull this. It was super validating when I got a check from a class action lawsuits a decade later. The money wasn't much but the dignity of your time being respected was awesome.
Show threadHugo ι›¨ζžœNov 10, 2023
@Quenby Thanks for doing this! β€οΈπŸ™
Show threadEdwardo LoboNov 10, 2023
@Quenby nice of them to do wage theft in a highly documentable manner.
Show threadThis is HellNov 11, 2023
@Quenby @Cassandra 🀬🀬🀬
Show threadsalguod, man πŸ‚πŸ lazysupperNov 11, 2023
@Quenby
WTAF?? I have so many questions.
@pippa
Show threadAral BalkanNov 12, 2023
@Quenby πŸ’•
Show threadScott 🏴😷Nov 12, 2023
@Quenby hell yeah
Show threadRandall LeeNov 12, 2023
@Quenby bosses need to be criminally prosecuted and face losing their business to the workers they stole from
Show threadYaoi Box BalloonNov 12, 2023
@Quenby Lack of knowledge and lack of funds seem to be the biggest obstacles to people actually exercising their rights. Especially lack of funds.
Show threadChookMother πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ΊπŸ¦˜Nov 13, 2023
@Quenby Ye gods and little fishes!!! Where is this happening and how on earth are employers getting away with it?
Show threadMartijn VosNov 10, 2023
Unfortunately while wage theft is illegal, it's not actually a crime. Maybe it should be. Employers would stop these sort of shenanigans quickly if they all start going to prison.
Show threadCeremusNov 14, 2023
@Quenby Hear this with retail workers all the time. My sister dealt with this when working for Victoria Secret. They were made to clock out at the "end" of their shift at closing, but their manager made them stay beyond that time for store cleanup.
Show threadPJ "Vote Green" CoffeyNov 16, 2023

@Quenby
I need a better phrase that means "you're doing God's work" but without the ickiness.

Please accept the sentiment of doing valuable things for a greater good and ignore the theocratic overtones.