Imprisoned Employee?

[Glasher]

In Georgia, I have an out-of-state in-law that was in need of a job and was without a home. He was hired by a motel that offered him a room and $50.00 a week for housecleaning+. Being desperate, no job and nowhere to live, he accepted the job. He's been there a year come this March. He's tried more than once to work a second job part time to save money to move out and do better for himself. He did find work for a very short time until the motel people found out and told him to either quit the other job or he's fired and have to leave. So naturally, no money and no roof, food or phone and no real choice, he had to drop the part time job each time.
He is expected to work 8-10 hours a day, 7 days a week and is on call the other 16-18 hours of the day. If injured, on the job, he is to claim he is indigent at the hospital. Any possible prescriptions associated with the injury must be paid by him. Any cost of medication would be taken out of his $50 a week pay (No, meals are not included as compensation either). The room he is provided is on the 3rd floor above the customers that are paying $195.00 per week for the same room. He is not given a check nor any kind of documentation for pay. Only a little black book kept by the employer(Warden).
While working, he was bitten by a spider. Afraid to go, and no way to go to the hospital, he stalled until fear forced him there, where the doctors informed him of fatal seriousness if he had not come in when he did. Another time, while working, he fell on the stairs. He hurt his back pretty bad and needed medical attention. He was refused a ride to the hospital and was warned about calling an ambulance. Finally, finding a way, he was able to get to the hospital. There he received prescriptions for the pain and physical therapy.
The prescriptions for both the spider bite and the fall was unaffordable. the employer paid for the prescriptions, but was noted in the little black book and taken out of his meager pay. The physical therapy? he was told to forget it.
I don't know if this is the right forum to find help for my in-law. Whether he is owed for underpayment or if what they are doing is legal. It couldn't be!. But our family is not in the best of situations to pull him out of this right now. Times are tough for the whole family, otherwise we could support him for a short time till he was able to stand alone. I can see how one could get stuck in a situation, alone and no family close to help him. I'm surprised that a motel chain would use these methods. Any thoughts of help???

p.s. I don't know if this would've been asked or needed info, but yes he is a U.S. citizen, and was born and raised in MI.

 

[pattytx]

BTW, his citizenship status is irrelevant.

He is not "imprisoned". He does have a choice, no matter how distasteful that choice may be.

There are so many violations of law here, I can't begin to address them. The bigger problem is that Georgia's Dept of Labor is virtually useless. Although the federal DOL can accept claims for unpaid wages and failure to pay minimum wage, and the state Insurance board can take complaints for failure to provide Worker's Comp coverage, these government entities, as you can imagine in this economy, take a lot of time.

I would recommend he contact the closest Legal Aid Society for assistance. I'd want to sue the pants off this employer.

 

[Glasher]

Thanks pattytx

I appreciate your answer and I know what they are doing is illegal and should be brought into court. Unfortunately there are a couple of issues that he is dealing with that make it all the more difficult to just pack up, grab the free bus ticket that would be waiting for him and leave.

First; He went South to be closer to his girlfriend, who is unavailable at the moment to put him up. That is it's own story, but is why we can't convince him to come back North to regroup.

Second, A few months prior to his leaving he was mugged and beaten to a pulp. The multiple kicks to the head was shown to have caused a TBI. With our two decades of experience with such an injury, we've seen his thought processes are a bit off along with his ability for decision making.

We were finally able to to get him, willingly, to the hospital where they hurried him in for surgery for the head injuries. Living with us afterward made it easier for him to recoup and find a means for therapy, but the draw to be with his lady was to strong for us to convince him to stay.

Being a half dozen States away, as well as the employers not allowing certain family members from contacting him through their phone system any more, is making it very difficult for us to lend him a hand. Meanwhile I'll try to figure out the best approach to find him some help without putting him on the street or worse. I'm in complete disbelief that they are willing to risk so much. Until I can find someone that may be willing to step in, I/we will start with your thought about the Legal Aid Society. I believe steps taken though need to be very careful though.

Thanks again.