THE PAYCHECK I.O.U.

July 20, 2016

Christopher Anderson

What happens when the company you work for tells you that they are not going to pay you until the company gets paid?

“We are so sorry but because the company has not gotten paid yet, we can’t pay you at this time.  As soon as we get paid on this contract, we will make it up to you.  We appreciate your patience and understanding.  Thank you for being such a loyal and valuable employee.”  Sound familiar?

You’re an understanding person, of course. Maybe there have even been times in your life where cash was tight and you had to put off some bills or delay paying back a friend…It’s not a pleasant position to be in, but you get it, and you’re reasonable…

“OK,” you say, “I’m a team player, I’ll go with the flow…” So you put your head down and get back to work.

Unfortunately, as “loyal” as this may seem, all too often it ends very badly! Wake up and smell the coffee! This tactic is illegal and your employer is taking advantage of your good nature. If this were happening to your mother, or nephew, or significant other, would you tell them to trust the employer and just let it happen? If you worked for a more well-known, “established” company with millions of dollars in revenue, would you think it was “understandable” or “reasonable?”

Simply put, your employer is required to provide you with appropriate wages for ALL the hours you work, paid on time and in full—no exceptions.

If a parent is broke and doesn’t have the money to feed her children, does it make it any less neglectful when the kid goes hungry? Of course not.  If you wanted to volunteer to provide your time and effort without pay, there are probably worthier causes you could devote yourself to.

Your employer has a RESPONSIBILITY—both morally and legally—to pay you appropriately. If your company can’t afford to send you a paycheck, they can’t afford to have you do work for them. Do not allow them to get away with I.O.U’s. The good news is, you DO have several pragmatic options about what you can do in situations like these.  Contact the attorneys at AndersonDodson today to set up a free, confidential consultation. #notonmyback