Business Owner Holds Back Ex-Staff's Pay For Ingeniously Exploting Company Policies, Faces Potential Clash With Labor Regulations

How a savvy employee's maneuver left a business owner feeling outplayed and vulnerable.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• January 3, 2024

Our narrator (OP), a 48-year-old small business owner, juggles the demands of running his company with a hands-on approach. Among his team of six, a recent hire—a 25-year-old eager beaver—caught everyone's attention.

Interestingly, OP didn't hesitate to invest a few hundred bucks to get the newbie the necessary certifications for the job. In all, everything aligned perfectly with their salary expectations and preferred hours.

But here's where it gets spicy: In just three months, this employee savored four days of their two-week paid vacation, relished five company-paid holidays, and even pocketed a generous cash holiday bonus. Talk about living the dream!

However, just when the holiday spirits were high, they dropped a bombshell—submitting a two-week notice right as the business was closing for a two-week paid holiday break. Their reason? They got a new job closer to home.

OP, accepting the resignation, decided that very day would be the employee's last. But wait—what about those two weeks of paid vacation? Should the employee get paid for them even though they're leaving?

Well, OP resolved to hold on to the payout, as he feels taken for a ride in this situation. As it stands, he's eager to get a second opinion on the matter from Netizens.

Who's the real A**hole here? OP for cutting off the vacation pay? Or the employee for seemingly gaming the system? Get ready to join the debate that's got everyone clicking, sharing, and weighing in with their hottest takes!

Let’s dig into the details

a bit of background

The new employee resigned out of the blues, which OP was quick to accept

However, OP withheld their two weeks of paid vacation. Apparently, he felt taken advantage of in the current situation

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

“NTA since they clearly were trying to take advantage of a system.”

“Regardless of the employee’s shitty behavior, you may be required to pay it out.“

“Well they took advantage of you! So learn from this mistake. It's now time to change your business policy on hiring.”

“This is the wrong question to be asking. Doesn't matter if you're TA or not, if you're in America, this is a massive labor violation.“

“If you don't pay it out you open yourself up to lawsuits.“

“In Georgia you only have to pay it if your employee contract stipulates you will.”

“NTA. You have been more than fair, and he was not being fair at all.“

“But in all honesty, you were taken advantage of. He knew what he was doing. And he even planned the 2 weeks thinking he'd get paid.“

The Reddit community has hailed the employee's move as cunningly smart. In addition, OP has been cautioned to release the money or risk being sued for a possible breach of labor laws.

This situation serves as a wake-up call for the owner to reassess and tighten his company policies, ensuring such loopholes are sealed.

We'd love to get your thoughts on this story. Join the conversation in the comments section.

Jesse