pail Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 I know I could maybe just Google this, but I've looked into payment obligations in the past and it made my head spin. Yesterday, I received a paycheck and I was shorted $40. I'm hoping that my boss is just an idiot and can't do basic math, and I'll be compensated for the error. The only reason I'm questioning the error is because I have reason to believe it could be more than just a mistake on my employer's part. On Thursday, one of my supervisors threatened to dock my pay if he were to find, or even simply suspect, that I wasn't manufacturing a product properly. I'm not sure why he was getting on my ass, specifically because the product is usually manufactured by two or more workers operating in tandem. I reassured him that the other workers and myself were, and have been, routinely performing quality checks every several minutes to ensure the products were meeting their standards. Anyway, like I said, I and the other workers are pretty on top of quality control. So, I hope the difference in my pay and amount of hours worked is just a result of my manager being unable to perform basic math. The only issue I have with this is that if my pay was deliberately "docked", I was not informed as to why. Also, my technical relationship with the company is that of a private contractor. This is where I need help understanding things. If, in fact, my pay was shorted for some transgression that I was not made aware of, is that technically a legal action the company has the right to exercise? Like I said, I don't know a lot about legal matters regarding work and compensation. But I would think, that, as a private contractor, my compensation can't be altered unless agreed upon by both parties involved. I'm going to talk to him about it Monday and try to resolve the issue, but I would like to confront him with some facts to back up any arguments that may arise if he confirms that my compensation was reduced for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunkenwarrior Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Fuck you think this is? Reading Rainbow? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginguy Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 It depends on the terms of your employment contract honestly. If your terms of employment dictate that your pay can be docked for any, or no, reason, then you have little recourse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuggnificent Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 last night i had a nightmare that i worked in a factory preparing jeans and collard greens. other girls were trying to sign off on my "runs"(?) as theres. then they asked me to scold this fellow guy jeans maker. oh back to you i dunno of my 20 years of working ive never been shorted. i am not the one. i would flip that factory upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pail Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 6 minutes ago, Ginguy said: It depends on the terms of your employment contract honestly. If your terms of employment dictate that your pay can be docked for any, or no, reason, then you have little recourse. This company doesn't know it's ass from its head. They treat the workers like private contractors and employees at the same time. For instance, a few months ago it was mandated we show up and start working a half an hour earlier, so we can have a 30 minute lunch break. None of the workers signed off on that. Just new policy, out of the blue. Another time, few months ago, my manager called me into his office to discuss garnering my pay so the company could afford a healthcare option for me. I just told him I'd consider it, then never brought it up again. That's employee territory, and I'm not an employee. This particular manager is really dumb and not qualified for his position though. And as far as I know the working relationship is a set amount of financial compensation per hour worked. I'm honestly not very worried at this point. I plan on saving up some buffer money and exiting this circus within the next few months. I was just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pail Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 22 minutes ago, Drunkenwarrior said: Fuck you think this is? Reading Rainbow? Dunno what you're getting at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginguy Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 1 hour ago, pail said: This company doesn't know it's ass from its head. They treat the workers like private contractors and employees at the same time. For instance, a few months ago it was mandated we show up and start working a half an hour earlier, so we can have a 30 minute lunch break. None of the workers signed off on that. Just new policy, out of the blue. Another time, few months ago, my manager called me into his office to discuss garnering my pay so the company could afford a healthcare option for me. I just told him I'd consider it, then never brought it up again. That's employee territory, and I'm not an employee. This particular manager is really dumb and not qualified for his position though. And as far as I know the working relationship is a set amount of financial compensation per hour worked. I'm honestly not very worried at this point. I plan on saving up some buffer money and exiting this circus within the next few months. I was just curious. This all seems fishy. Did you ever sign anything like an employment contract, because if not then they have to adhere to the basic standards/laws of employment. If you are an at will employee then things might be different, but without some kind of contract that gives them the ability to do so, I doubt they can dock your pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkajellyshot Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 you being a contractor ..are you paid per item you manufacturer or paid at an hourly rate ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pail Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 (edited) 32 minutes ago, Ginguy said: This all seems fishy. Did you ever sign anything like an employment contract, because if not then they have to adhere to the basic standards/laws of employment. If you are an at will employee then things might be different, but without some kind of contract that gives them the ability to do so, I doubt they can dock your pay. I'm not sure what my job is classified as (because why would I need to know?). I have to pay my own taxes, they don't take them out. My mom who's an accountant says I work for them as a contractor. When I started working for them I had to sign some papers but I don't remember exactly which ones. Nothing out of the ordinary, no special documents they writ up specially. Edited December 3, 2017 by pail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornshire Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 15 minutes ago, pail said: I'm not sure what my job is classified as (because why would I need to know?). Because of the situation you're in right now. Or any remotely similar one where the actions of the company affect you adversely, and your rights hinge upon that classification. It's not unreasonable to think such an event would happen, quite the opposite. Companies are motivated to make a profit. They are not motivated to have your best interests in mind. It's naive to think they won't try to dick you over in some fashion, and being ignorant of the terms of your employment makes it all the more probable they will succeed in doing so. Generally, if you signed something, you should have received a copy of it. You should also have retained that copy. But given your purported apathy towards your self-interest, that seems unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pail Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 1 hour ago, Kweerie said: Because of the situation you're in right now. Or any remotely similar one where the actions of the company affect you adversely, and your rights hinge upon that classification. It's not unreasonable to think such an event would happen, quite the opposite. Companies are motivated to make a profit. They are not motivated to have your best interests in mind. It's naive to think they won't try to dick you over in some fashion, and being ignorant of the terms of your employment makes it all the more probable they will succeed in doing so. Generally, if you signed something, you should have received a copy of it. You should also have retained that copy. But given your purported apathy towards your self-interest, that seems unlikely. Victim blaming, huh. This particular company might make more profits if they treated their workers with a little more humanity. Or am I just being naive? You sound like a Grade A sociopath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naraku4656 Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 1 hour ago, pail said: I'm not sure what my job is classified as (because why would I need to know?). I have to pay my own taxes, they don't take them out. My mom who's an accountant says I work for them as a contractor. When I started working for them I had to sign some papers but I don't remember exactly which ones. Nothing out of the ordinary, no special documents they writ up specially. do you mean you get a 1099 instead of a W2? you're most definitely considered a contractor then (or you do sales). i don't know anyone hourly or salary that gets a 1099 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pail Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 Just now, Naraku4656 said: do you mean you get a 1099 instead of a W2? you're most definitely considered a contractor then (or you do sales). i don't know anyone hourly or salary that gets a 1099 I get $10 an hour. Their business practices are skeevy at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naraku4656 Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 what is it exactly that you do there. i suspect that they consider you a contractor. not that there's anything inherently wrong with being a contractor, but this doesn't sound kosher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornshire Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Credit is given where credit is due. It's not your fault that they're trying to dick you over. It is your fault that you are not better equipped to deal with it. 12 minutes ago, pail said: This particular company might make more profits if they treated their workers with a little more humanity. If that were actually the case, and they are not doing so, then it demonstrates either incompetence or extreme maliciousness on their part. Potentially both. To hold that particular view is more cynical than it is naive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pail Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 2 minutes ago, Kweerie said: Credit is given where credit is due. It's not your fault that they're trying to dick you over. It is your fault that you are not better equipped to deal with it. If that were actually the case, and they are not doing so, then it demonstrates either incompetence or extreme maliciousness on their part. Potentially both. To hold that particular view is more cynical than it is naive. My main supervisor/manager is a 10th grade dropout, "reformed" drug addict that wouldn't be qualified to operate a fry cooker at McDonald's let alone his family's business. But pops has already had a few strokes, is on the way out and signed most of the company over to him in his infinite wisdom. His eventual suicide after collapsing his father's company is the only net gain I'm going to get out of this. It might take a few years, but I can be very patient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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