Monday

Back Wages

So my family owes me a LOT of money. They had said I would get it when she got her bonus in August before we went away. Now we are away and I still have not been paid for all of the extra services. And I am away, working 14 hours a day 7 days a week, instead of 11/5.

They didn't acknowledge it or address it at all. I think they just think I will get tired of bringing it up.
Because we are now away and they need me, I want to ask them for the money.

I have a couple of questions:
If they fire me for asking to be paid back wages, then I am fired without cause and can file unemployment?
Is there any reason I should ask for anything but complete payment to bring them current with me? I fear they will offer a partial payment.

Facts:
They owe me $1100 in babysitting from overtime and weekends, since January.
They live in a 5 million dollar house.
The house we are renting on the beach is 10K per week.

Again, they owe me $1100.

10 comments:

Nan said...

I'm sorry to say that this is your responsibility as well. No way would I let a family owe me hundreds! Once they owed the first week, I wouldn't keep going. Either they cannot pay- in which case they can no longer afford me- or they won't pay- in which case, I'd take measures to get paid. You let this go on too long. I'd refuse to do more work until I'm paid. If you're away from home, go home and file a small claims case.

I must be a bit$h cause I cannot imagine continuing with a family who can't/won't pay!

Anonymous said...

That was my thought too. Why would OP continue to let herself be treated this way?! Stand up for yourself from the beginning. Then you won't be taken advantage of. Shocks me how some nannies act.

As for what to do next. Quit. They aren't going to pay you and you know it. Then, take them to small claims court. Hopefully you have some sort of proof of these extra hours worked (email, texts, etc) and that will make the process go easier.

Not sure about unemployment. You can always try though.

Sara said...

Agree with both of you. Being owed a week sometimes happens but not this amount. Why would you keep quiet????

Anonymous said...

Agree, you left it wayyyyy too long!

Sit down with your bosses ASAP. Explain them that this is your live hood and that you cannot afford to work for them if they don't pay what they owe on time you will have to work for another family .

Nannies need to be firm about that. And even if you allow them to delay the payment , always sign an agreement about it that they owe x amount to be reimbursed at x time.

Experience taugh me to be meticulous about that kind of stuff because of the stingy families that tried to rip me off previously.

Good luck

Me! said...

^^^^^ This times a hundred!!

Anonymous said...

This happened to me. I was young in college and very close to the family, so I just let it slide because I didn't really need the money right away and I knew they'd eventually pay me. But in the end it was a bad decision. They didn't catch up with paying me until months after I quit working for them after college. I should've stopped working for them way sooner.

Anonymous said...

Send them an invoice by Email every.single.day. Mention it, every.single.day. Hound them. Either they will fir you or pay up. And in the future, when you are due extra, negotiate pay terms up front, and put it in an Email immediately. You should be paid every Friday for the prior week. Bill Tuesday to Tuesday, and that gives them three days notice to arrange for payment. During those three days, send an email stating how much is due Friday, and mention it, every.single.day. You owe me x dollars this Friday. I know this from having my own business. At the very beginning, I had to sue a non payer. From then on, no problem getting paid. You have in insist. FYI the rich always get rich and richer by stealing from others, you in this case.

Anonymous said...

I agree with everyone else. Get this taken care of now. Otherwise youll be like me who is owed at least three years back pay...its my own fault for not quitting in the beginning but unfortunately I got too attached to the kids.

RBTC said...

the anon above who says invoice them every single day is absolutely right and this has happened to me before also and it's something you just have to learn - if you want to keep the job - invoice them with a smile and say with a giggle - " well it's time to be paid!!"

also - by invoicing them - that's brilliant because if you have to take them to court - they will have to show that they emailed you back that they do not owe it - and when you invoice go into EXTREME amounta of detail as to when you worked and the times that you did not get paid - keep us updated

when this happened to me - my mother gave me a really good piece of advice - bugging them multiple times a day is not legal - that is "hounding" - but once per day is professional - and in my case - it worked, i was not a live in though

Anonymous said...

Are you on the books? If not, you are likely SOL.