When Your Boss Steals Your Wages: The Invisible Epidemic That’s Sweeping America‏

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by sarahlm

 

I understand that the article is about Wal-Mart, but in other sectors, piece rate work brings in better pay than a hourly wage.

I’d like to observe this place and see how lazy or not the workers really are.

right....because as everyone knows, the ONLY REASON workers don't make enough money and complain about it, is because they are lazy....sure...that's it..... i would strongly suggest that the wealthy change directions, quickly, mobs with nothing to lose usually don't negotiate.

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by ItsEvolutionBaby

 

You're right on the money, OP. Too tired to post any relevant links, but yes its part of the attack on workers. All handed out in various ways. Should be obvious by now.

So improving productivity is an attack on workers???

Wait until the Obamacare taxes hit businesses this year! You may be begging for that job you complain about today.

of course, you threaten working people that need more pay to live on, by threatening to fire them. and then you wonder why there are labor strikes and riots. in Russia, the plight of the poor got so bad that the people killed the Tzar and all of his family. you would think that people of wealth, would be able to comprehend a history book pertaining to this.

Originally posted by jimmyx

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by sarahlm

 

I understand that the article is about Wal-Mart, but in other sectors, piece rate work brings in better pay than a hourly wage.

I’d like to observe this place and see how lazy or not the workers really are.

right....because as everyone knows, the ONLY REASON workers don't make enough money and complain about it, is because they are lazy....sure...that's it..... i would strongly suggest that the wealthy change directions, quickly, mobs with nothing to lose usually don't negotiate.

I did not say that they were lazy. I said lazy or not. Read the full sentence please.

People all around the world think that they are not being paid what they are worth. Just look at Occupy, with their designer clothes and IPhones and Tablets, etc, etc. Wal-Mart is a ruthless place to work for, which is just one of the reasons I don't shop there.

If you are thinking that a workers strike is going to happen anytime soon, I'd take that bet against you. It's sure money.

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by Danbones

 

I am going through this as we speak
last employer /Manager deducted payroll taxes and did not remit them to the government took 3 months to get unemployment while the government figured it out now my tax return will take ages too, while the government figures it out

Your employer wasn’t defrauding you; he/she was defrauding the government. You would have had those deductions regardless.

current manager lied about starting wage
he has a deal where he gets a percentage of what he saves
sitting at home while the owner figure it out.

Unless you have an employment contract he/she is only required to pay you minimum wage. If you don’t have it in writing that’s your fault.

the op about is how they steal your wages
those are concrete examples

sorry to blow up your opinion Seabag:
but you aren't correct

the owner has already agreed I had a verbal agreement bargained in good faith
he is trying to figure out if he should keep the manager.
and what my back wages and adjusted deductions have to be ( the figuring out I mentioned )
he is also trying to see in what other ways is the manager shunting funds to his percentage deal.

The deduction im my first case are mostly returned through my tax return so the GOVERNMENT is treating as fraud with myself and REVCAN as plaintiffs

I'm in Canada as my AV states
we may be in general ( the odd PR notwithstanding) a little more civilized in some ways up here

meanwhile lucky me
I get to go pike fishing this aft

reply to post by Danbones

the op about is how they steal your wages
those are concrete examples

sorry to blow up your opinion Seabag:
but you aren't correct

The difference is the fact you live in Canada as I’m not familiar with Canadian labor laws. I live in an at-will employment state in US and unless you have a contracted wage the only requirement is minimum wage. It’s not my opinion…that’s how it is here.

the owner has already agreed I had a verbal agreement bargained in good faith he is trying to figure out if he should keep the manager. and what my back wages and adjusted deductions have to be ( the figuring out I mentioned )
he is also trying to see in what other ways is the manager shunting funds to his percentage deal.

It sounds like he likes you and is trying to make you happy so you stay. I can totally understand that but here he would be under no legal obligation to do so. It makes good business sense to keep good employees happy but that has nothing to do with legal obligation.

I'm in Canada as my AV states
we may be in general ( the odd PR notwithstanding) a little more civilized in some ways up here

More civilized?

Maybe so!

meanwhile lucky me
I get to go pike fishing this aft

I’m at work!!

I am familiar with this practice. It almost happened to me about 14 years ago.

I was a mechanic (Exhaust Technician, to be specific, with ASE cert in Brakes, and working on 2 more certs). The wage I was making was $275/wk +5% commission. The new owner had waited until the previous owner was in the worst spot possible and bought the franchise for bottom dollar.

The new owner decided to try to put me on straight 15% commission. In the winter, that would put me at 50 hours for only $50 a week. I tried to argue for a flat $275/wk and anything I make over that in commission, but he decided to just fire me.

Sadly, it all came down to my age. I was too young to be a good worker in his eyes. As testament to my ability, several years later I went back to that shop to have some tubing bent for a custom exhaust job I was doing for a friend. As soon as the guys there found out who I was, they started trying to get me to come back. I hadn't even met them before, they just knew me from customers and seeing jobs that I had done. They even tried to pay me top dollar.

reply to post by Earthscum

The new owner decided to try to put me on straight 15% commission. In the winter, that would put me at 50 hours for only $50 a week. I tried to argue for a flat $275/wk and anything I make over that in commission, but he decided to just fire me.

Often new owners come in and make big changes because they think they know what’s best. Sometimes it works better and sometimes it doesn’t but it’s ultimately their decision, is it not?

In his defense, why in the world would he pay a full time employee to stay around all week if there is not enough work to keep the employee busy? Typically the owner would perform some type of Cost benefit analysis to see if it the benefits of paying that wage and keeping the employee there would outweigh the cost, and by how much. If it’s not profitable for the company then it’s stupid!

I suggest people start looking at things from a business perspective rather than an employee perspective. This would help people make sense out of decisions like this.

reply to post by seabag


I'd invite you over for pike fillets if I could, they are in the shallows and easy to get with a good ol' red devil

I think there is a certain type that likes to run things for power and gain
as much as there are people who like to have a class operation

I think those that value class will have more profits and less headaches in the long run...
I am starting to think its the not so bright managers that try to take the easy way to gain

Its also possible that Canada SEEMS more civilized because there are slightly less people to beef with and not so many illegals under cutting the citizens and driving things down hard
I don't want to say its better here cause that is certainly NOT always true

Say,how come we don't have a fishing forum?

I would just like to add that while there are some companies that may be "screwing" their employees, you have to hold the government responsible too...both the federal government and in many cases (like here in Washington) the state government. There is a good reason why so many companies are fleeing Washington state (such as Boeing moving their corporate offices). This state, on top of the crippling federal taxes, is literally taxing companies (especially the small companies like I work at) out of business. A small example would be what Washington state calls "excise taxes". This lovely little state sponsored thievery taxes only your companies billings/income without any regard to overhead, the cost of products/materials, shipping fees and all of the other costs of running a business. In my company, I am the person who files and pays this "excise tax" and as an example - in January we had a net loss of a little over $39,000.00. That is negative $39,000.00. Washington feels that this loss of money equals an excise tax due of over $2,000.00! Just for the month of January. So profit or loss, the state is going to tax you on top of all the other taxes, fees, dues, licenses (for state, county and city), etc. etc.

I feel that the majority of the blame should fall on the government for the overwhelming tax burden put on corporations. Give companies (especially smaller ones) a little bit of a break and maybe they can hire more and pay more.

Originally posted by GeorgiaGirl
I'm a teacher, and we have been told for years that we should just be "thankful you have a job." All while being furloughed and being asked to do more and more for less pay. Most teachers now work late into the evening and on weekends just to keep up.

So yes, it is definitely happening in all types of jobs now.

But hey-- if we don't like it, we are reminded of the lines of people who are waiting for our jobs. Awesome for morale.

Most teachers I know work at least 70 hours a week. We've also not had a pay raise or even a cost of living increase in five years.

reply to post by sarahlm


It's called "harmonization" in Free Trade Agreements.

S&F&

I had this happen to me once, Company denied me 30 hours of OT.

Promptly quit once it was clear they wheren't giving it to me, lucky I was at a place in my life where quiting wasn't going to hurt me to bad.

I was getting paid under minimum wage for a few weeks at a job I had.

It was a mom and pop place. They tried to scam me. I damn sure did the math and it was not adding up.

But anyway, capitalism always steals the workers wages. The capitalist owner leeches off the workers actual labor. You don't earn the amount you work, you earn the amount the owner lets you take home.

reply to post by WaterBottle



Your experience with a mom and pop is not indicative of most corporate structures.

Wages are determined on a ratio basis. The majority of the time, that is based on an industry standard. For example, you know that a housekeeper in a hotel should average about 30 mins per room cleaning.

Labor typically takes up about half of the operating revenue. Most businesses yield between 15-25% gross profit. If you have a $1.5mil/year bar, that is $250k in profit. Yes, it is a healthy income for a bar owner. But not extravagent, considering that bar owner takes on all the risk associated with it.

the companies need to make profit in order to pay everyone, supplies, material.. etc.. the employees need to earn an honest days wage to feed their families. companies sometimes practice less than honorable but sometimes there's lazy employees who don't deserve half of what they get on their pay so it's a viscous cycle, them trying to get over on you and you trying to get over on them, either way sucks. what's missing in the world is moral value so just be grateful for what you have because it's only just going to get worse.

by the way this is definitely nothing new and a lazy employee is stealing from a company every bit as much as a bad employer cheating their staff and that's nothing new either so the door swings both ways.

the line between a livable wage and inflation are eons apart and there's no hope whatsoever of ever even getting close and all you hear is "people just don't want to work" so i ask.. where is the motivation?

i'm a product of the old way where you literally broke your back no matter what your job was and here i am now.. a lifetime of construction and my body is broken and beaten, barley able to get through the day so what do i have to show for it? nothing. i don't want to come of sounding like a complainer because God gives me what i need but but for anyone reading this i say.. get what you can when you can! use your head not your back because no one will be there for you when you're in need.

reply to post by sarahlm

Youve got employers stealing your income, the government stealing your income, why work at all?

I suspect that a relative of mine is a victim of wage theft.

He worked for a contractor based out of Massachusetts that works for one of the most recognizable shipping companies in the world.

He was frequently denied overtime pay and was paid under the table in which taxes were not paid on said wages. He was getting short-changed bad and when he spoke up, they let him go.

I would like to help this relative but I am not sure if there are any resources in my area?

companies need to kill more people like they do in bangladesh, or like they did before unionization in the early 1900's in America, before anything will get done. anyone that thinks they are going to stop the wealthy from crapping on the rest is delusional. the decline of the middle class has been going on for decades, and will continue. actions speak louder than words.
1...corporations don't want to pay you more
2...corporations don't want you to have benefits
3...corporations don't want workers to have rights
4...corporations don't give a damn about your loyalty, experience, wisdom, or work ethic, they care about the bottom line only,

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

Your experience with a mom and pop is not indicative of most corporate structures.

I understand that.

I'm talking about capitalism as a whole.