my mom is not getting paid

[thestepmom]

CA-
1. my mom has worked for her employer for 1 year. (since the birth of the business)
2. My mom has only been paid for 1 week of work in the past 8 weeks.
3. Her boss was supposed to pay her, and another employee today.
4. Boss says she can't pay them today because she had to give two other empoyee's 2 weeks worth of pay or they would quit. ( she is behind in all her bills including all her empoyees)
5. My mom has been looking for another job to no avail now for 3 months.
here's my question Does my mom and this other employee have the right to sue thier empoyer for not getting paid? Can they sue for pain and suffering? (I'll explain my mom is diabetic. She works over time because nobody shows up to relieve her without food, and no other co-workers are on her shift to go and get her anything. Boss turned off her pager, and has no phone to be reached. My mom had to ask for help from friends just to be able to eat 2 weeks ago.)
Boss is on drugs, along with her family. Funny part is boss has no money to pay empoyee's but her family has food, and drugs. I am getting fed up of watching my mom go through this. Please help me help her.
Thank you for your help.

 

[buddy2bear]

Tell your mother to quit and go file for unemployment. Tell unemployment that she quit because she was not being paid. Let the unemployment agency go after your mother's x-boss -- and they will go after them -- not only unemployment, but the State and IRS will also because if they are not paying their employees, then they certainly are not paying the taxes.

 

[thestepmom]

good point!

I wish she would quit, but since her boss hasn't paid taxes, or for that matter any money out that she is supposed to. So, my mom doesn't think she'll be able to get unemployment. Can you collect unemployment if employer hasn't paid any money out? My mom has been looking for a job. However, she doesn't know how to use a computer, ( I have been trying to teach her basics), She has been doing the same type of work now for going on 9 years and had little work experiance before that. She also has no college education. She feels so defeated, and I am having to push her to try to get a new job. I want to give her boss a piece of my mind so badly.

 

[buddy2bear]

Call the unemployment office and ask them if she would be able to collect unemployment. Also, the unemployment office might be able to offer your mother some kind of paid training if she qualifies. Your community colleges would also be able to offer training and she might qualify for grants that would pay for it. You won't know until you go looking and asking questions.