Employee faces 'wage theft' after boss withholds salary while demanding an absurd apology

Nobody will say no to making a quick buck on the side. Especially if it involves moonlighting for a few hours, most people will jump at the opportunity to supplement their income. However, things do not always go well. A Reddit user, u/jayzval, shared an eventful story about their secondary job at a local store that went awry. The elaborate post, titled, "My Boss Didn't Pay Me For a Month Because She Didn't 'Have Enough Money'" has gained 1.5K upvotes and 126 comments on the platform.

The individual initially used to repeatedly visit the store as a customer because they loved their products and the "owner's vibe." One fine day, the owner of the establishment offered them a position and they immediately agreed as they had already been looking for a second job. The store had just been opened a year ago and could only offer employees minimum wage, but the individual did not mind that. They underwent training, after which the owner had to go out of state for a certification the owner had been training for. They left the individual in charge of the store during that time.

Both parties agreed that payment would be made every Saturday from that point. A friend of the owner's also took charge on days that the individual was not working as she also needed the money. The individual ended up working for two days a week, totaling 12 hours, with a one-hour unpaid break. They write, "The job itself was laid back. It was a small store and the days were slow."

Two weeks went by and the employee did not receive any payment from the owner. They brought up the issue with the owner and she said she was running low on cash because of the "unexpected amount of money" she paid for the trip. Thankfully, she promised that she would make the payment as soon as she received a check. They say, "I was very understanding and I trusted she would pay me when she could, so we agreed I would get paid the stated date she mentioned, so I would be able to pay my bills on time."

Some more time went by and the payment was not made on the day that they agreed upon. The employee inquired and the owner gave the same excuse of not having the money. Frustrated at not being able to pay their bills, they told the owner about their situation, but she refused to pay them. The individual also mentioned that what they were doing was considered "wage theft."

 Hearing this, the owner automatically assumed that the employee was going to pursue legal means to get their money, which was not the case. The individual even tried to find a middle ground by asking the owner for just enough cash to pay their bills, but she refused. At this point, they prepare to take legal action. The owner's friend, who heard about the entire incident, called the individual and said that the payment would be made if they apologized to the owner. 

Realizing that legal means would take a long time, they decide to apologize and get their money. The individual receives the money and points out why the owner didn't settle with them earlier. They then conclude by saying that they left the job and did not visit the store anymore. People on the platform put forth their suggestions in the comments section. u/kitycat22 commented, "I'm pretty sure you can still file OSHA complaints against them.