My sister's work is making her work without pay

[desura]

This is pretty frustrating.

My sister is young. She has her first job at a gas station.

I tried to find her a better job, but anyways.

It has come to my attention that she has been working without pay. What happens is that at the end of her shift, the boss will ask her to stay and do dishes or whatever.

She works off the clock.

She's making like 9 bucks an hour or whatever, and it isn't more than an hour, but still, it's the principle of the thing. This also causes the person who has come to pick her up to wait, often for half an hour or whatever, while she works off the clock.

The problem is that she does this because

1. She's afraid of losing the job. I mean, she's proud of the job.

2. Everyone else there does it.

This is enraging because she's learning all the wrong lessons here. She's letting herself be intimidated, she's going along with the crowd.

What to do?

 

[Fenixgoon]

tell her she needs to stand up for herself. if she is working, she should be getting paid.

 

[mikeford]

Source of the 87% pay gap, find another better job, document and file a claim with the labor board.

 

[desura]

Source of the 87% pay gap, find another better job, document and file a claim with the labor board.

Help me out with the labor board part.

 

[lxskllr]

Not much you can do. She's the one that's gotta live her life.

 

[Bateluer]

I know its unskilled labor at a gas station we're talking about, but generally its illegal to force someone to work without pay.

 

[Pulsar]

It is illegal to ask non-exempt employees to work without pay. They MUST be paid for every minute they work. Look up exempt versus non-exempt workers. It's a Federal law.

 

[OverVolt]

Yea and for $9 an hour its not even that big of a deal. I wouldn't tolerate that shit.

 

[MongGrel]

It is illegal to ask non-exempt employees to work without pay. They MUST be paid for every minute they work. Look up exempt versus non-exempt workers. It's a Federal law.

This.

That or find another job.

If you're not paid it's called charity to the owners, not a job.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Have her contact the NLRB and the United States District Attorney for your State. Tell her to track the hours she actually works. She WILL get paid for them if, she follows through.

 

[Brainonska511]

Have her contact the NLRB and the United States District Attorney for your State. Tell her to track the hours she actually works. She WILL get paid for them if, she follows through.

Yep. Definitely this. She should follow through on this stuff - shitty business owners that steal from their workers should have the screws put on them.

Also consider looking up the labor board for your state (google: wage theft complaint and your state) because they also could step in.

Not much you can do. She's the one that's gotta live her life.

That's pretty cold-hearted. Knowledge and a backbone don't grow on trees. There is nothing wrong with people providing encouragement and a helping hand to someone with less experience.

Yea and for $9 an hour its not even that big of a deal. I wouldn't tolerate that shit.

It might not seem like a lot, but that shit adds up. And as the OP said, 'everyone else goes along with it.' This clown's probably been doing it for years because people don't know that they don't have to put up with his illegal behavior. Wage-theft is a big problem at the bottom of the economic ladder and we should encourage and help more people stand up to their shitty employers. It's already crappy enough working for a low hourly wage - we shouldn't stand by while employers make their lives even worse by stealing from their employees.

 

[RossMAN]

Help me out with the labor board part.

What city/state/province/territory is the employer located in?

 

[Imp]

The problem is that she does this because

1. She's afraid of losing the job. I mean, she's proud of the job.

2. Everyone else there does it.

This is enraging because she's learning all the wrong lessons here. She's letting herself be intimidated, she's going along with the crowd.

What to do?

There are your problems. I did that for the last decade. Looking back, can't believe I'd whore myself out like that just to be a "good employee". But I needed the money... still do.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Tell her to accidentally cut herself on a knife while doing dishes.

Sue the gas station, and let it all come out that they forced her to work off the clock when she would not be covered in case of injury.

 

[smitbret]

Tell her to accidentally cut herself on a knife while doing dishes.

Sue the gas station, and let it all come out that they forced her to work off the clock when she would not be covered in case of injury.

I like this one

 

[Rakehellion]

What kind of gas station has dishes?

 

[notposting]

Have a sister in law who waitresses for a small sports bar/restaurant. They do all sorts of illegal crap. I've documented the state codes for her (easily accessible on the state Dept of Labor site), but she won't do anything, she worries the place would get shut down and she would be out of work. (She could SO get a job anywhere)

Can lead a horse to water, but can't make em drink...

(very frustrating for me, as I ended up in union construction, give 8 for 8, but definitely took some mental retraining to realize who should be #1 in your own situation -- YOU)

 

[Sonikku]

The war on job creators continues.

Instead of complaining about doing some dishes and not making more money, maybe you should tell her she should be be grateful for the great job opportunity she has been given.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The war on job creators continues.

Instead of complaining about doing some dishes and not making more money, maybe you should tell her she should be be grateful for the great job opportunity she has been given.

Maybe you should move to a different country. This is a clear violation of State and Federal labor laws.

 

[1sikbITCH]

The war on job creators continues.

Instead of complaining about doing some dishes and not making more money, maybe you should tell her she should be be grateful for the great job opportunity she has been given.

Yes we should all aspire to work for free. LOL.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

The war on job creators continues.

Instead of complaining about doing some dishes and not making more money, maybe you should tell her she should be be grateful for the great job opportunity she has been given.

lol.

 

[Gardener]

Help me out with the labor board part.

Contact the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Don't contact the labor board, they only get involved in Unionized workforces, or places attempting to organize a union.

Contact numbers for each state are here:

http://www.dol.gov/whd/america2.htm

What you have described is not an uncommon practice, even Walmart has been busted for it. You don't have to give your sister's name, although she should make the call.

They will ask about the pattern, the frequency, and the number of employees.

No employee deserves to be intimidated into working off the clock. She's in fear for her job, so she does it.

 

[mmntech]

The war on job creators continues.

Instead of complaining about doing some dishes and not making more money, maybe you should tell her she should be be grateful for the great job opportunity she has been given.

It's illegal. End of story. This business needs to be reported to the labour board.

 

[OutHouse]

Leave a copy of the labor laws on the assholes owners car windshield.

 

[Mide]

just leave...you're off the clock. can report to state authorities but I doubt they'll care before you lose the job.