LarryW21 Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 Hey guys, Basically I worked a very limited part-time job this summer for over a month (I was busy with a lot of other stuff). I made around $1000. However, my employer has paid me less than half and still owes me $578. I emailed her several times asking for the money but got empty answers every time and eventually she got irritated and fired me. I was sort of an assistant to a businesswoman and handled all the little tasks and did research for her. What should I do? I still have a copy of our contract, all the emails sent back and forward and the cheques. I don't really want to hire a lawyer because it's not really a large sum of money, but it'll pay for my textbooks next year. Should I contact the Ontario Ministry of Labour? Anyone else have similar experiences? Thank you for the feedback, - Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 File a complaint with the Ministry asap. You don't need a lawyer. You go one way or the other, you cannot go both ways but the Ministry will take care of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 Threaten to contact the Ministry of Labour or bluff legal action to see if she pays up. If she doesn't, contact the Ministry of Labour. There are penalties involved for an employer not paying proper dues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronjw Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 Small claims court if your best option. You dont need a lawyer for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Takes too long compared to the more direct option available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronjw Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Takes too long compared to the more direct option available. Really? And if said employer still doesnt pay up? Im not saying not to explore the direct option but invest a couple hours of time in the small claims option as a backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkles3288 Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Does your boss have a boss herself? perhaps go to a higher up than her and say what the situation? If there is no one higher up, then I agree to go to the ministry and file a complaint. Small claims is not a bad option either, however it may take a while to get the ball rolling.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Really? And if said employer still doesnt pay up? They will then be fined! I operate always on the basis of: Keep It Simple Stupid known as K.I.S.S. Small Claims Court is far more time consuming and complicated. I had a friend who recently went to this Court, in Quebec, and it took a year and a half to actuallt get to Court. Finally, there was a 2 hour hearing in this small matter that involved $350. The Judge took four months to render a judgment - which was that she declined jurisdiction on a tiny point and the only recourse my firend had was to refile in another manner, and try to get jusdgment if she was lucky 2 years later. She decided not to waste her time further and ate the loss in the end. Here, experienced beaurocrats who deal with these matters as a regular routine will deal with it fairly and far more quickly. It is up to the OP to choose his poison. I know what I would do. It is a no-brainer. Moreover, it will be far easier to collect payment this route than by seeking to execute a judgment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 I (my company) recently went through small claims court to collect $2000 from a customer who didn't pay his bill. The unpaid bill was from 2007, and we were finally awarded the full amount of $2000, plus $40 for every hour we went to court (settlement hearing, went to court once and he wasn't ready although he claimed he was, blah blah blah). He will be paying us $50/month until he has repaid the full amount. It doesn't sound like too much fun, but I approached it as a learning experience where I got to see how the court system "worked". If I ever have to go to court again, I'll have a bit of a better understanding of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryW21 Posted August 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Thank you guys for your quick and helpful replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Let us know how it goes. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 something tells me if they're screwing you they're breaking some other labor laws, people usually don't like to get investigated for 500 dollars, so just threaten them. when my first job refused to give me my last check i reminded them that as non contract managers each of their shift managers we're actually entitled to be paid for the half an hour prep and close before and after shifts and that they can be forced to retroactively pay up to 6 months at all 4 locations they owned. thats: 5 full time shifts per week * 1 hour * 8 managers * 26 weeks * 11 dollars * 4 stores = over 40 g... needless to say i got my check the next day... just call up the labor hotline, they deal with stuff like this all the time Hey guys, Basically I worked a very limited part-time job this summer for over a month (I was busy with a lot of other stuff). I made around $1000. However, my employer has paid me less than half and still owes me $578. I emailed her several times asking for the money but got empty answers every time and eventually she got irritated and fired me. I was sort of an assistant to a businesswoman and handled all the little tasks and did research for her. What should I do? I still have a copy of our contract, all the emails sent back and forward and the cheques. I don't really want to hire a lawyer because it's not really a large sum of money, but it'll pay for my textbooks next year. Should I contact the Ontario Ministry of Labour? Anyone else have similar experiences? Thank you for the feedback, - Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misskris Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Definitely call the ministry of labor. My dad works there (albeit the NL version) and the biggest part of his job is working with things like this. They will be on your side, they know the laws, and generally they can deal with it pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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