Have you ever been cheated?

[LilyAldrin]

Ten years ago when I was 17 years old, I was cheated for part-time work at a restaurant. Where I work part-time, I worked there for 4 months. When I worked for 2 months, I asked for a salary but he had enough reason to cheat. Because I was young then, I believed and worked hard for another 2 months after that. But you know what, he sold the restaurant without even telling me. After selling the restaurant, he ran away without anyone knowing his whereabouts. It was a memorable first lesson for me.

[Nutria]

Are you saying that you worked without income for four months at age 17 because you were naive?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

If you are in the US, you might want to get an appointment with Social Security and tell them about the situation. If they did not pay you, I'm sure they did not submit your Social Security, withholding, and medicare taxes. I don't know what documentation they might ask for-- perhaps testimony of friends or family or co-workers is enough. Perhaps you kept some of your own personal records of times worked so the damage can be demonstrated.


I bring this up because my father, who mostly worked in public service with a separate, non-social security pension, was in a similar situation to you early in his professional career. He did not get paid by a start-up petroleum company! He reported them. Decades later, when he was retiring, it first appeared to Social Security Administration that he did not have enough credits to receive any SS. However, to his surprise, later someone looked personally at his file and saw that he had reported the company (and FBI had pursued them for other fraud). Because of that report, he was able to receive a small amount of SS in his retirement. He just got it by the skin of his teeth.

I think about this, too, when I hear of people choose to work for cash only or under the table in order to avoid taxes. Sometimes it might be a disadvantage in their senior years.

[myrdale]

The whole situation is nonsense.

The OP wasn't cheated, they worked for tips. They were denied a request to be salary. Who would be salary at a part time job anyway?

The owner then sold the store or shut down. Its not the employee's concern that the owner wants to sell his business. That the owner just disappeared is nonsense also.

[ua_guy]

That's the service industry for ya. It earned its reputation and there's a reason why those jobs go unfilled in a good economy.

[kork13]

Go to many (most?) other countries, and it becomes clear how screwed up the US restaurant industry is, at least regarding employee pay. Japan is a great example -- their restaurant employees are paid hourly, regardless of customer traffic or their purchases.... And tipping? It's actually considered offensive in most cases.

I've never understood why restaurant owners are allowed to get away with only paying their employees a minimal base and rely upon tips to cover the remainder of what an EMPLOYEE should otherwise be earning from their EMPLOYER. I know it's more complicated than that, but I don't understand why it should be.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Go to many (most?) other countries, and it becomes clear how screwed up the US restaurant industry is, at least regarding employee pay. Japan is a great example -- their restaurant employees are paid hourly, regardless of customer traffic or their purchases.... And tipping? It's actually considered offensive in most cases.

I've never understood why restaurant owners are allowed to get away with only paying their employees a minimal base and rely upon tips to cover the remainder of what an EMPLOYEE should otherwise be earning from their EMPLOYER. I know it's more complicated than that, but I don't understand why it should be.

Most other countries don't tip. I don't get it at all either why they can't raise prices to include paying the staff a reasonable minimum wage and then not have to tip. I don't find it at all offensive in other countries to pay more for it. i like it alot better

[RachelA]

Unfortunately, young people are often deceived, they have no experience and they are still poorly versed in people. When I was a first-year student, I was also deceived several times on part-time jobs.

[myrdale]

Unfortunately, young people are often deceived, they have no experience and they are still poorly versed in people. When I was a first-year student, I was also deceived several times on part-time jobs.

If you're going to keep making accounts to respond to your own post, at least consider changing your grammar slightly. All of your post from the dozen accounts you've created read to much a like. Its boring / predictable.

Fifteen accounts with Forum Posts <3 is really suspicious. Consider responding to the member comments with the account you used to start the thread.

Also consider adding a profile picture to your account. You might consider adding a bio and put some work into it. I mean really sell us on it. I want to believe.

And last don't post such outlandish claims. I have a hard time believing that spamming / scamming some random personal finance website is all that rewarding. You might as well get some useful advice out of us while we endure your continued onslaught of random post.

Best of luck, I hope that helps.

[Drake3287]

When I was younger I worked for a private ambulance company which happens to be one of the worse employer types to work for in case you didn't know already. Eventually years after I left the company they went out of business. Years later when the Social Security started sending those yearly statements, I noticed that my ambulance employer never paid into my SS account. At this point I have almost 3 years showing no employment.

Luckily for me, my future Public Service career never belonged to SS so I don't need those missing SS years after all. Lucky for me but I still wonder about the others who also got screwed over before they went out of business.

[myrdale]

When I was younger I worked for a private ambulance company which happens to be one of the worse employer types to work for in case you didn't know already. Eventually years after I left the company they went out of business. Years later when the Social Security started sending those yearly statements, I noticed that my ambulance employer never paid into my SS account. At this point I have almost 3 years showing no employment.

Luckily for me, my future Public Service career never belonged to SS so I don't need those missing SS years after all. Lucky for me but I still wonder about the others who also got screwed over before they went out of business.

I know it's a long shot, but do you still have any pay stubs or your W-2's?

Also the emergency services in my home town.... just wow! In one case two competing ambulance services got in a fist fight at a wreck on I-65 about who was taking the injured to the hospital. In another case the police department got into a shootout with a deputy, only for him to be rehired a month later. There was a rumor the Sheriff and her girlfriend burned down a truck stop the girlfriend owned for insurance. Lastly I caught a dead tree on fire and called 911, and when the fire department showed up, their truck caught on fire (bad wiring). I ain't kidding, those people are crazy!

[james.hendrickson]

I know it's a long shot, but do you still have any pay stubs or your W-2's?

Also the emergency services in my home town.... just wow! In one case two competing ambulance services got in a fist fight at a wreck on I-65 about who was taking the injured to the hospital. In another case the police department got into a shootout with a deputy, only for him to be rehired a month later. There was a rumor the Sheriff and her girlfriend burned down a truck stop the girlfriend owned for insurance. Lastly I caught a dead tree on fire and called 911, and when the fire department showed up, their truck caught on fire (bad wiring). I ain't kidding, those people are crazy!

Myrdale, where do you live man? What part of the states?

[Drake3287]

I know it's a long shot, but do you still have any pay stubs or your W-2's?

Also the emergency services in my home town.... just wow! In one case two competing ambulance services got in a fist fight at a wreck on I-65 about who was taking the injured to the hospital.

I thought about trying to dig up those old paystubs but even with them, I wouldn't have enough quarters simply because my later 30+ year employer never belonged to SS. So no SS for me either way. As for private ambulance companies, although it's better now, back in the late 70's early 80's it was the true Wild West. No one would believe half the stories I could tell. Scary to think back to those days.

[myrdale]

Myrdale, where do you live man? What part of the states?

I am currenlty in NW Georgia. Those stories though were South Alabama.