Received Monday, September 22, 2008. - Perspective & Opinion
I worked as a nanny for this family for the pass 2 years. This very well known family (CEO for huge company) fired me because i requested time off. My husband got very sick and he needed my assistance. Since they paid me under the table all this time there is nothing i can do. They held money for my savings wich they didn't pay me (1,500.) and also i didn't get my last pay check. I loved this family and their children, at the end they turn things around. The way they fired my was unfair, by text message. Can anyone tell me what i should do?
47 comments:
I am so mad after reading your post, OP. How dare they keep all of your money like that. I know since they paid you off the books, you could report them to the IRS, but that might open you up to some problems with them. Have you tried calling a lawyer? Or going down and filing a lawsuit yourself? I think it only costs like $25.00 or something. Maybe somebody else here will know for sure that's been through this themselves, and they can tell you what they did. Either way, I hope you don't let these parents get away with stealing your money like this, because that's just what they did!
The fact that they paid you under the table is their problem, not yours. File a small claims lawsuit, definitely.
Happened to me, too.
They stole $4,000 of my "savings" and I ate it.
What else could I do?
Take him to Judge Judy.
Let them know that you WILL NOT REST until they give you the money they owe you.
And also?
Trust no one.
Ever again.
You can still report them to the IRS. You will be responsible for paying those back taxes but in my opinion it will be well worth it to stick it to these people. Please report it. And let it be a lesson to you to never work under the table.
That is a major disadvantage for working under the table, that if anything goes awry, such as unlawful firing and stealing, there may not be much you can do about it. I myself work off the books, I am only doing like 8 hours per week, but I know there probably would be no legal recourse if they screwed me over. I guess, everything has a price tag.
But ethically, they should not have done that. To withold money from you after you earned it! What nerve! This angers me as well!
You may have some recourse legally, for example if you have any previous paychecks to show you indeed worked for them. You may get in trouble w/the IRS...no jail time, you will simply have to pay back taxes. But like the last post stated, it might be worth it just to stick it to them! I cannot stand people that do things like that...after you cared for their precious child!!
I wish you luck and I am sorry for what happened to you. Don't worry, what goes around comes around and no one, even CEOs, are immune to karma!!
Did you save the text message? I'd definitely save it as that is proof that they fired you and therefore that you worked for them. I'd call them or show up at their door and tell them you expect to be paid the money they owe you (last pay and savings) and if they don't you will be going after them in court. If he is a big CEO for a company I don't think he will want this coming out. Speak to other nannies who saw you working for them who would be willing to vouch for you that you were employed by them. Tell your former employer that you are gathering evidence of your employment with them (get bank statements if you made weekly cash deposits for example) and that you will be taking them to court and reporting them to the IRS if you don't get your money. I'm sure that will do it for you. If you needed more time off than they could give you and fired you for that, there isn't really anything you can do about that. You are an 'at will' employee (as are most employees) and can be fired or let go for any reason unless you have a contract that states different. So the best you can hope for is the $ due you (which you do deserve). If they are as big as you say they are, I'm sure they don't want trouble, so simply asking for the $ they owe you should work. (put it in writing in the form of a letter so they know you are serious)
HOW DARE you for being paid under the table! Do you not see the critical state of our country right now? How about try and be a responsible American! It's called Karma and it just bit your ass! PAY YOUR TAXES PEOPLE!!
That is just horrible that someone with that much money is not paying a nanny their salary. $1500 is probably chump change to this guy! Just be glad you are not working for this family anymore.
First of all, let this be a lesson on working off the books. You should be paying taxes like every other job-having person in America is supposed to do. You'd be able to file for unemployment, and maybe even stick it to them HARD without punishment for yourself. Karma indeed.
That being said, I also think you should go after them. But, maybe do it less tactfully, like call a newspaper or TV station and tell them what this supposed "well-known" person has done to you. Anonymously, of course. Or, wait until they hire a new nanny (off the books, probably) and then call the IRS, tell them they are paying their nanny off the books and relish in the fact that their life has been turned upside down with auditors, etc. OOhh! And hope she's illegal so they get in trouble with immigration too! I mean, you already did something illegal yourself, by not paying taxes, so of course it's appropriate for you to be angry that they also did something illegally... stealing from you. I see no difference in what they did and what you did by not paying your taxes.
I have no sympathy for people who steal. Whether it be from the government or from the nanny.
no one is "Stealing" in this case. I know tons of nannies, myself included that get paid under the table. It's childcare, we shouldn't have to pay the government.
OP, I feel for you. You did NOTHING wrong, although some people on this blog feel as though you did. They are probably jealous that they have to pay taxes.
Expose this guy. Don't give him any warning, just do it. Tell him that you are going to ask him one more time for the money and if you don't receive it you're going to have to go to higher authorities. Did you sign a privacy contract when you started? If not EXPOSE his butt.
Good luck!
Something out of nothing, you're ridiculous. I'm proud to pay my taxes. Instead of feeling jealous I feel pity that you're such an idiot. You probably shop at Wal-Mart in lieu of supporting your local economy too. I loath people like you.
I agree, Regular. I am proud to say (although I am now staying home) that I was a nanny for almost 10 years, and not once did I allow a family to or insist that they pay me off the books. It's STEALING. CHEATING. And LYING. There are soldiers dying in Iraq with no kevlar and children without books in schools because people don't pay their taxes.
If I knew who you were Big Deal, I'd call and turn you in. Childcare is a profession just like being a doctor or a cashier at Walmart. It's a job. You do it, you get paid, and you pay taxes. Every paycheck, every job.
Very well said Melissa.
SO Nothing, since you say that "it's childcare, we shouldn't have to pay the government", you are saying that childcare is just a hobby for you and everyone else who does it? No more important than pulling boogers out of your nose or tweezing your eyebrows? If it's that unimportant, why should you get poaid for doing it?
In general I think many people would feel a whole hell of a lot better about paying taxes if they actually saw a difference over a 10-20 yr period of time. I myself never have! The kids/20 somethings in our city lack education,though they attend school everyday. My son's English teacher speaks Spanglish and uses double negatives.The customer service reps in stores and cafe's say things like"no,you don't gotta order that"! All of our public libraries have been closed.The pot holes on our roadways are so horrid that I have to have my tires aligned more and more frequently.The ESL classes frequent every school yet all of our childrens extra carricular classes have been pulled.Our local Community hospital was almost shut down last year.
I pay my taxes and I hate every minute of it. I have several friends who do not pay their taxes. These are not young whipper snappers trying to cheat the government..they are people who have paid into the system and do not see the results. People who are tired of feeling cheated themselves because they are promised a return for the money but never see it!
It is no different than a daycare who never puts any of it's earned $$ back into the business and soon you have broken toys and dirty furniture and a run down daycare..eventually,people will get disgusted and take their money and children and leave hoping to find a better alternative.
I don't condone what my friends do. Truthfully,I personally would not pay my taxes if I did not have an incredible fear of Murphy's law and if I did not have a desire to retire someday and have use of Medicare..but I do and so I do...I will say,I do understand why people are fed up and why some choose not to claim their income.Some days I wonder if they are the SMART one's?
Melissa, I hate to tell you this but you are very mis lead if you beleive for one second that soldiers are dying and children are without books because of people like the OP not claiming her income.
Soldiers are dying and children are without books because we have crooks running our country.
THEY steal, lie and cheat!!
They ..along with mis guided voters(possibly like yourself,or not.. who blame the little guy instead of opening your eyes up when voting) have caused the current economic situation..not our OP!
We need to end the war,end welfare and clean out death row..within 2 years this country would have $$ galore!
Don't beleive me??..look up CFR..Bohemian Grove..Brother Hood of death..just a few to start..they have this country right where they want it and " you ain't seen nothin' yet!"
Anyone who beleives we could all pay 10-30 % more taxes and get this country back on it's feet..is a fool. We keep paying and they keep taking it. Of course if we had honest people running the country..you would all be so very right!
Career politicians are dangerous..
OP...If you want justice..expose him for the theif and creep he is.
If you want to work in this particular city again..find a new job and apply the unfortunate lessons learned.
If he truly is a big CEO and well known..taking him down might interfere in getting hired in your area.(you would know if this applies or not)
I myself would take him down!
Best of luck!oh,and pay your taxes from now on!
Before attacking this woman about her working under the table, you should really educate yourselves as to where your tax money goes. It might also prove beneficial to study the tax code and learn that there is no law that requires you to pay income tax. It is a voluntary tax. A film called "Freedom to Fascism" details all of this beautifully. Be well.
yes,a voluntary tax that if you refuse to pay will get you 20 to 30 voluntary years!
Silly you can't be serious..
When semantics are applied,the
16th amendment is unconstitutional..just saying
Voluntary tax? Sure, unless you want jail time, fines, interest, and bad credit.
Yeah, they put the amount you owe as a tax lien against you and it shows up on your credit, sometimes until 7 years after you pay the balance. But, sure, let's volunteer for that!
Yes, and submitting to a breathalyzer test is also voluntary. You don't have to let them do it. You can choose jail instead. Really, they have NO RIGHT to interfere with your personal choices by nosing into whether you drank alcohol before driving. If you haven't actually killed anyone then whose business is it anyway?
This may actually be a fair and effective way to allow the freedom of choice to those who feel strongly that it should be their own personal decision as to whether or not they pay taxes:
When a paycheck is issued and taxes are taken out, a taxpayer # is issued to the employee, like a DL#. Then, it's in a nationwide database for verification. When emergency services or police assistance are required, the number will be verified. So if the number cannot be provided or verified, services will not be provided. If a house is on fire, the fire dept. may hose down the properties next door so as to prevent THEM from catching fire (assuming the residents can provide their tax #'s), but the person who has not paid into the emergency services fund will then have the personal choice of whether to turn on their garden hose or watch their house burn down. Need an ambulance? No problem, just provide your tax #. If you feel the taxes do not adequately fund the schools your kids go to, take a different route. Those without a tax # would simply have to pay a monthly tuition. If the parents are dissatisfied with the service provided, they may pay the tuition to a different school, or keep their kids home and save the money. If you need a drivers' license and have not paid into the tax fund, the state may then charge a flat rate, at their discretion, to all non tax-paying applicants for the services provided. Default on the bills? There goes your credit report, and excessive marks on the credit report would then require payment in advance for any and all services rendered. So you are free to stay home and read books to your kids, being very careful of fire and safety, and walk everywhere you need to go, to make sure you are staying healthy and get adequate excercise.
This would certainly put an end to the "50% working population pays for 100% breathing population" equation, and those who don't like the government intruding on their personal freedoms by requiring them to pay their fare share should be very happy.
Fair, not fare, sorry.
Oh, and "public" libraries of course, would charge a monthly subscription fee to all non tax-paying residents who want to borrow books.
Cali,
And don't forget that they should have a special gas price for those who don't contribute to road upkeep with their taxes.Or better yet, don't allow them to drive on the roads without paying a toll at every intersection. And perhaps since they are unwilling to contribute to the (already truly measley and insultingly low) salaries of the soldiers who fight for their freedoms, they ought to be shipped off to fight on their own behalf.
Cali Mom- You are very witty and obviously love hear yourself talk.
That being said, none of those things are covered by your federal income tax dollars. Perhaps if we spent half as much time researching what goes on in our government as we do going back and forth showing how cute we can be on blogs like this, our children would have a much brighter future. Research is key.
sincerely
could you sincerely kiss my ass?
True, Mom!
Sincerely, you must be sincerely ignorant if you never realized that states receive a large chunk of their budgets from the federal moneys. But to go with your argument, apply this to yourself when you decide to apply for any SSI or other federal benefits. Haven't paid in? Pay your doctor and pharmacy in advance then after you turn 65.
And since you chose not to pay the money to the government, the U.S. Military will then send you a monthly bill for your portion of the operating costs of running their business. You know, salaries, supplies, equipment, utilities and all that. Same for the federal penitentiary. Those folks are't volunteers, you know! And the same for the salaries of all federal employees. Need a passport? The flat rate determined by the feds for a non tax-paying resident would then apply to you, same as whatever the state decides to charge you for a drivers' license. I wonder how much *that* would turn out to be? And what fun at the airport! If you thought going through a security checkpoint was a pain now, just wait till they stop each passenger to verify their tax # and charge accordingly all those who haven't yet paid for the services of the U.S. Customs agents, marshalls, ATS, etc. Can't pay? Stay in whatever country you thought you'd fly home from. They don't want you to stay? Hmmmm. What a dilemma. As soon as the U.S. Embassy is able to verify your tax #, they'll have their people call the other people to work things out. But you'll have to pay in advance for all their services.
calimom,I hate to burst your bubble but sincerely is correct.
and duh,I think both of you reacted the way you did because sincerely was correct and at least one of you felt embarrassed and foolish.
Why not conceed once in a while when you might be wrong? It is called being a good sport and acting like a mature grown-up.
Go Away, I take it then, that both you and Sincerely would not mind having to pay monthly bills to support the US militaries, penitentiaries, embassies, customs, marshalls, FDA, EPA, NSA, and all other government agencies? Did you mean to say that you DO actually pay your state taxes, but it's only the feds you cheat?
Cali Mom- I never said I did not pay my federal income tax, I simply stated that you are incorrect in believing the money from those taxes goes to those services. It actually goes to pay the interest rate on the money printed for us by the Federal Reserve. Look it up. ( No Wikipedia either, do some serious research.) I don't have the time or interest to educate you any further in these things but believe me when I say that I truly hope you will educate yourself, your kids, your friends and your neighbors as to where OUR money goes in the hopes that we can regain the beauty of this country for our children.
Well, if you want to try and convince people that there is NO relation whatsoever between federal and state taxes paid and federal and state services rendered by government agencies, I say go ahead and do whatever floats your boat. Common sense says you are wrong.
calimom,nor did I say I do not pay taxes,indeed I do.
Your info here happens to be wrong.
Like many you are misinformed when it comes to taxes.Instead of repeating what you have learned from others or heard you should research the information for yourself. what is there to lose?
You will learn quite a lot.
You're "common sense "remark was rude.
So was assumming we cheat the feds.Just a rude comment.
Sincerely IS still correct.
Neither I nor anyone else has to read the line by line breakdown of the U.S. federal budget to understand that taxes paid = services rendered. You DID say that you only pay your taxes so that you can someday apply for Medicare, so you must at least have a suspicion that such a connection exists.
Calimom,just got back to reading this blog and it was me(BLB) who stated that the reason I,begrudgingly pay my taxes is that I intend to someday use the Medicare system.
For the record,I am in favor of tax money going to soldiers & their families and such but I do agree that the money is not spent where it should be and thus my disgust with the the entire tax system.
Sorry, I somehow got posters confused, it seems.
You'll get no argument from me about our tax maoney being sadly misspent. But unfortunately, it does not change the fact that those of us who DO pay taxes are covering the asses of those who DON'T.
Technically, everyone is right. There are different proportions of your taxes going to different aspects mentioned, such as federal interest, transportation services, and the military, as well as education, agriculture, gas, etc. As a proud military wife, I'd like to point out that although I am happy with the tanks and bombers that are keeping my sweetie safe overseas right now, I'd also love a basic pay raise or housing allowance increase as well. So all of you not paying taxes, BITE ME.
Check out this fun little breakdown if you're interested. I promise it's not from Wikipedia...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18098378/
:)
Melissa,I wish your husband a safe return and soon. I want to let you know,despite my veiw on taxes and hating that the monies are so grossly mispent,I would in a heartbeat submit to a tax increase if the money were going to go to our Military families.
I have old B& W pictures of my grandfather and grandmothers embrace as he returned from the war. I have old ration books that were passed down. I see Military wives on a daily basis and though there husbands are oversees,they keep going strong. All of these things often bring me to tears.I cannot even imagine my husband being gone for a week let alone for a war.
You and many others inspire me.
I think our Governmaent has done a great injustice to the Soldiers in this country and their families..you all should be treated like the heroes that you are and that means financially as well as anything else!
A suggestion to all..
My family and I adopted a soldier several years ago.
Some soldiers never receive any mail or care packages and as you can imagine this is bad for morale.
My entire family has enjoyed this. We send a monthly package and everyone has fun picking out something they think our soldier would like or can use. We have also received several email from our soldier with personal requests.
We adopted out soldier through adoptaussoldier.com but there are many sites that offer this program.
I know times are tough,people are being laid off and money is tight but this is one of the best ways you could spend your money right now.
Use a flat rate box when shipping..you can cram so much into one of those and it keeps the shipping cost to a minimum.
my kids send home-made pictures and paper hats.lots of baked goos and fun novelty items. We also send a true care package every 3 months with tp,shaving items,on the go drinks like coolaid,tang,crystal light and such.Lots of snacks that travel well like Beef Jerky and gum are very welcomed.
Sorry to derail or hijack this thread..I hope that you get a chance to do this..it is something your whole family will enjoy and when your soldier emails you, I gaurantee..you'll cry..I did!(my husband teared up a bit too but we'll just keep that between us!)
Cheers!
I forgot to mention..no pork,US flags or religious items can be sent to the soldiers..BLB
If your employers made a killing on Wall Street in the past 10 months, I encourage you to steal from them.
How long can we let this go on?
BLB
My Family also Adopted a Soldier! :)
We would write letters every week and send big care packages every month. We wrote for almost 2 years. It's been a long time since we lost touch with him and I often wonder how he's doing now. (When he got out he married a wonderful girl and they had a baby).
I think part of the reason that paying care providers informally and off the books is so routine is because care work is not regarded as a legitimate profession, with roots in a social mentality that also devalues the unpaid care work of mothers. For that reason I wouldn't necessarily immediately castigate anyone for operating within this informal system - employer or employee. I don't pretend to thoroughly understand it but I sense it is kind of a bigger and more complicated issue very much connected with patriarchy.
"Hi MPP" Thats awesome!! I knew there was a reason I luved ya so much! I love that we have something in common too..cool!
Thanks Moniker and MPP...
So happy that their work is not going overlooked.
Princess, you're right. Childcare is not seen as a "real" profession, so the normal job things like taxes and benefits get swept under the rug. It's a shame, really.
Awww, BLB, you are too sweet... we love you, too!
And to Melissa.... THANK YOU!
sell their secrets. blackmail them. hopefully you protected yourself by taking photographs of their personal effects. an organization in nyc called the BNG represents nannies who are shat on like this and helps them get revenge. warning: you cant play fair with cheaters.
saddle up, the ride is bumpy, but where there's $$ there's $$$.
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