artarecords
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WA
My husband and 2 partners incorporated and bought a bar, with my husband being the GM. Initially, I was helping part-time for free as a good-will act (I did want their business to succeed!); but when I ended up working double-shifts 5 to 7 days a week, I submitted a W4 form and got my first paycheck. The money was very tight though, the partners had to add some funds to the business account, so I kept postponing sending my hours to the CPA reasoning that I can give them the credit of time. We had to pay the cook, bartenders, get the inventory, do all those repairs and maintenance, pay the huge rent... I could wait, I thought.
Later the corp decided to change the business direction (and pour a lot of extra money into it) which my husband couldn't agree with, so he withdrew from it (the details of his compensation are being still worked out...). As for me - I was told since there was no initial agreement(?) that I would be paid, they owe me nothing - despite them seeing me working there daily, my W4 filed with their CPA, and my paycheck on their papers during the spring audit.
I tried to present (in writing) my reasonable expectations of being paid for over half-year's work to the owners; I also suggested that they could pay me in installments not to strain the business budget with a lump sum. To no avail... They keep claiming they didn't know I was _working_ for them (what else was I doing there for 14 hours a day?), or that I would require being paid for it. They seem to consider me a 'package deal', since my husband was a member of the corporation.
I still can not believe that they would just flat refuse to pay me anything! Not even talking overtime, or the fact that I was doing much more for them than just being a bartender... In retrospect, I understand that being too emotionally involved in the success of that business was what set me up for the problem I'm facing now. I was making my decisions at the time having their business success in mind too much, prioritizing it over my cash flow. But I didn't realize it would end up leaving me with nothing at all...
By my calculations, I am owed between 16 and 20K. What do I do? Any input would be more that welcome!
My husband and 2 partners incorporated and bought a bar, with my husband being the GM. Initially, I was helping part-time for free as a good-will act (I did want their business to succeed!); but when I ended up working double-shifts 5 to 7 days a week, I submitted a W4 form and got my first paycheck. The money was very tight though, the partners had to add some funds to the business account, so I kept postponing sending my hours to the CPA reasoning that I can give them the credit of time. We had to pay the cook, bartenders, get the inventory, do all those repairs and maintenance, pay the huge rent... I could wait, I thought.
Later the corp decided to change the business direction (and pour a lot of extra money into it) which my husband couldn't agree with, so he withdrew from it (the details of his compensation are being still worked out...). As for me - I was told since there was no initial agreement(?) that I would be paid, they owe me nothing - despite them seeing me working there daily, my W4 filed with their CPA, and my paycheck on their papers during the spring audit.
I tried to present (in writing) my reasonable expectations of being paid for over half-year's work to the owners; I also suggested that they could pay me in installments not to strain the business budget with a lump sum. To no avail... They keep claiming they didn't know I was _working_ for them (what else was I doing there for 14 hours a day?), or that I would require being paid for it. They seem to consider me a 'package deal', since my husband was a member of the corporation.
I still can not believe that they would just flat refuse to pay me anything! Not even talking overtime, or the fact that I was doing much more for them than just being a bartender... In retrospect, I understand that being too emotionally involved in the success of that business was what set me up for the problem I'm facing now. I was making my decisions at the time having their business success in mind too much, prioritizing it over my cash flow. But I didn't realize it would end up leaving me with nothing at all...
By my calculations, I am owed between 16 and 20K. What do I do? Any input would be more that welcome!
