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    Employee loses over $2k in wages after boss knowingly implements an illegal practice, they fold when he calls them out: 'We'll no longer be paid for any set-up/clean-up time'

    Author image for JR Atkinson
    JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
    Oct 13, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

    One of the rules of having a job is "if it feels off, it probably is." That's a rule of life generally, but you have to be especially careful in a workplace scenario, because you might be missing out on a lot of money. If you're not mindful of your p's and q's, you might be taken advantage of. This can happen to the best of us. 

    Sometimes employers want to squeeze something out of nothing. Certain employers would shake you down for the change in your pockets if they could. But that's generally frowned upon, so they find trickier ways to mess with your paycheck. They might try to hide it in a policy change so you won't notice, which is why you have to stay on alert. That's what the employee in this story tried to do, and then he uncovered a whole scheme that had been going on for years. He realized that his coworkers had already caught on, and the company tried to hide it from everyone else. So then he took to the internet to tell his story.

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    • Cheezburger Image 10562753536
      via lucas Favre

      The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    • Wage theft is theft, even if it doesn't seem as dramatic. It's not someone breaking into your car to steal your wallet, it happens much more behind the scenes. But it can be even more detrimental and can make you quickly lose trust in the place where you work. Scroll on to find out how it happened in this story and read what commenters had to say. 

    • I got over $2K in lost wages because of an illegal pay practice.

      I'm an hourly employee and, like many roles, I have to arrive before my shift actually starts to do prep work. (Imagine I need to start cooking at noon, but must show up at 11:45 to wash & chop the veggies first.) In 2022, my employer, a non- profit, gave everyone a raise & said we'll no longer be paid for any set-up/clean-up time. The raise makes up for it.
      via u/Pinky-McPinkFace
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    • I didn't question that. Total pay was comparable. THREE YEARS LATER, I learned some colleagues had continued to include set-up & clean-up time on their timesheets for all that time. Those few people realized the practice was illegal, confronted management, and were permitted to accurately account for hours worked. (Note: Only those who complained were paid legally for 3 years.)
      via u/Pinky-McPinkFace
    • • I learned this • Confirmed the practice was illegal • Confronted them • Plead my case - complete with a slide deck, quoting saved emails • Got them to agree to back- pay with an estimated added time for set-up & clean up • Added the hours it took for me to build & plead my case
      via u/Pinky-McPinkFace
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    • They crunched the numbers incorrectly, but FINALLY we agreed on the grand total and I will be getting my money next paycheck. Frankly, I can't believe it wasn't a fire-able offense for those who implemented the policy. I would never expect to keep my job with a mess-up this huge.
      via u/Pinky-McPinkFace
    • Cheezburger Image 10562753792
      via Erik Mclean

      The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    • Commenters came in with their two cents.

      gard3nwitch • 1d ago Wage theft is the most common form of theft. More than robbery, shoplifting, etc. And it's not a crime, it's only a civil infraction. Your employers were knowingly stealing from you, for years.
      via u/gard3nwitch
    • CuriousPenguinSocks 1d ago Now you should report them as well so that they are audited and the rest of the employees will get restitution.
      via u/CuriousPenguinSocks
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    • Appr... 1d ago • Edited 1h ago File a complaint with the labour board and stick up for everyone else who isn't like you and isn't getting back pay.
      via u/AppropriateCase7622
    • Reddtits ACesspool • 1d ago Probably because the owners set it up that way lol
      via u/ReddtitsACesspool
    • . Beneficial-Cycle77... 23h ago If it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't. Wage theft is a crime and it's growing
      via u/Beneficial-Cycle7727
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    • rdubmu 23h ago • They owe you interest
      via u/rdubmu
    • Significant_Net101 • 21h ago Happened to me my first job and worked in a senior citizen home. The manager had all her family there a resident told me the manager had all her family members in supervisor positions and they were all horrible. Well anyway
      via u/Significant_Net101
    • I served the seniors but they wanted us to clock out by 8pm but we cleaned and prepped until 8:30pm sometimes. Well my coworker clocked out and he got hurt. It was a big deal because management corporate wanted to know why people were still there after 8:15
      via u/Significant_Net101
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    • Ok_Frosting_9586 • 21h ago When your mistake saves the boss money I guarantee you won't be fired. Also I doubt it was a mistake just an attempt to pull the wool over people eyes.
      via u/Ok_Frosting_9586
    • Keith JamesB · 23h ago Here's the issue I see. You are doing prep which usually working with knives. What would they do if you cut yourself during this time and needed medical attention.
      via u/KeithJamesB
    • I guess some business owners are dumber than rocks. If a business has any amount of collateral, you're putting it all on the line to save a few bucks? And yes, when you look at total business expenses, ripping off employees for even a few thousand dollars isn't worth it. Of course I am thinking in terms of a legitimate business.
      via u/KeithJamesB
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    • Harbinger_Kyleran 23h ago Glad to hear you got restitution, but you might want to think about finding another job now as your career advancement there may be dead. My wife worked with a man who sued the County Government for a similar type issue, and he won over $4K in a judgement.
      via u/Harbinger_Kyleran
    • My wife didn't sue and always wondered if she should have until... Two years later, the County eliminated both of their positions. (They had been supporting an old, legacy mid frame computing system that got retired)
      via u/Harbinger_Kyleran
    • The County went out of their way to find my wife a new job over in the Animal Control Dept (at the same pay) while they just let the other guy go after 60 days notice. He sued them again for racial discrimination but as far as she heard he didn't win that suit. (He was a black male while she was a Hispanic female)
      via u/Harbinger_Kyleran
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    • TheOldJawbone 22h ago . Good for you for sticking up for yourself. Sounds like a sketchy company.
      via u/TheOldJawbone
    • MrFriend623 · 1d ago easier to get forgiveness than permission lol
      via u/MrFriend623
    • The1Supreme Redd... 23h ago . 13 years and only $2k? How many estimated hours? Sounds like you screwed yourself by not going the official route.
      via u/The1SupremeRedditor
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    • Thin_Rip8995 · 13h ago • You handled that like a pro most people never do. The big takeaway isn't "get lucky" with management - it's build airtight documentation habits early. Mini framework:
      via u/Thin_Rip8995
    • 1. Every unpaid minute logged in a daily tracker - even 5 mins adds up to 20+ hours a year. 2. Keep email trails in one labeled folder called "Policy Changes." Review it every 90 days. 3. When something feels off, verify the legal side within 48 hours. The faster the fact-check, the less emotional energy wasted.
      via u/Thin_Rip8995
    • 4. Run a quarterly self- audit of pay vs hours. Treat it like recon, not confrontation. You just proved execution beats complaining. Do this system once a quarter and you'll never leave money on the table again.
      via u/Thin_Rip8995
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    • SeveralLiterature727 5h ago No fret as soon as my non enforceable non compete I will be calling the labor dept for withholding waves.
      via u/SeveralLiterature727

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    Tags

    boss antiwork workplace-stories wage theft toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss workplace reddit thread bad bosses Reddit theft toxic-work-environment
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