Well-informed employee calls owner's bluff after he was told to work on a holiday for half the pay

Knowing employment rights is a game-changer; it not only allows you to stand your ground but also to create a healthier workplace for you and your coworkers. A man (u/bahodej) working at a pawnshop can vouch for it, as his knowledge of the labor laws helped him stand against the undue exploitation at work. The story was shared on Reddit in August 2023.

The worker joined the pawnshop franchise as a teenager. He said the workplace was extremely unfair, as people weren't paid for overtime, nor did they have proper breaks, nor were they paid properly for working on holidays. At 25, the man was promoted to manage the company's most important store. However, before starting his new role, he decided to learn about the management and workers' rights to avoid breaking labor laws. "I wanted to make sure I didn't get the store fined at the labor board for not providing something mandatory that was missed," he added. Moving on, the man shared that the store he was managing allowed a half-hour paid lunch break, but they had to stay nearby in case they were needed. "This was legal, but people would scarf down their lunch and be back in less than half an hour. I encouraged everyone to cut that shit out and take their break; if I needed them, I would call. It was never an issue and never abused," he wrote.

One day, the owner confronted the man and complained that the workers were using the entire half-hour break. The employee heard him grumble but politely explained to the owner that it was fair and within the law. The owner then threatened to make the lunch break unpaid, but the employee called his bluff, knowing he would never close the store and lose business. "No way in hell, frozen or not, was this man going to hire more to cover breaks either," he added. As the employee began solving the owner's responsibilities, he also took over payroll. The store owner insisted they start opening on holidays despite the employee warning him against it. However, when the workers got small checks (only for half a day's pay) after working on a holiday, he immediately called the owner. "That's not how that works. I get both; you have to pay me to sit on my a** at home for the stat. You want me to come in for half my usual rate on a holiday? Not happening," he confronted the owner.

Besides, he told the owner that he had already explained to all other workers about how he had been exploiting them. The owner was shocked and agreed to cancel holiday shifts. "When I got smart and finally moved on to a role I was worth. He cried, talking about how he had plans to make me a partner, [It was the] first [time] I had heard of this. I think he was just upset that he would actually have to work again," the employee wrote. According to a study by Melbourne Law School, unfortunately, a third of workers (under the age of 30) experience workplace exploitation. Now, this might also be because they aren't aware of their rights at work and hence silently endure the injustice. A survey from UIA Mutual found that young people (aged 18–30 in the UK) aren't taking steps to read about their workplace rights before starting their jobs. In fact, 51% of participants didn't even check whether they were being paid at least the legal minimum wage, and only 37% of respondents checked if their working hours were within the legal limits.

Reacting to the outrageous story on Reddit, u/addecent9906 commented, "Super impressed with how you educated yourself and stood up for employee rights. Many managers don't do this — they just go along with owners or 'how things were always done.' I hope your new role is fantastic, and I appreciate how conscientious you are at your job!" u/accomplished_emu_658 said, "I never understood owners who act like this." To this, u/crosstheriver replied, "Don't you? They are parasites. Worthless consumers of people and things. Well done to the OP for standing up for themselves and others to these pieces of shit."

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