DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Mancino's Pizza and Grinders... Poor Employee Treatment

Is offiially the worst place I ever worked! Now, let me just give you some quick background on me. I'm a 19 year old, and I'm finishing up my senior year in high school. I'm a good, competent worker, period. This is my second job that I picked up after football season ended. That's all fine and dandy. However, some things at the place have been poor. First off, the minimum wage in the state of Michigan is $7.15. They have been paying me $6.15 an hour. That's beef number one. Secondly, they haven't been paying me for all the hours that I work. They only pay what they schedule us for, and within the past 2 weeks, I tallied up they cheated me out of 2 hours. Lovely, I know. They will not pay me for those hours that I worked. So today I went in and gave them my 2 weeks notice and told them about my issues... to which the owner was a hardcore you know what, telling me that I am only entitled to $6.08 because I'm a high school student and that there was no way in hell my work would be worth $7.15 as a high schooler, and that if I want that maybe I should worker harder. As for the thing about time after, she told me that if you want that you have to change the schedule and right in the extra time you worked (which is BS because one worker did that and they just crossed it off). This was the first time ANYONE working there has heard of this "procedure", and they don't give out a handbook so they just made that up on the spot. I told her that this was a load of crap and that the way you're running this business is unfair to the people here, and walked out.

Let me explain that this is independently owned place, they run it their way. Not all Mancino's places do this, but aren't these shady business practices? Technically they might only have to pay me 85% of the minimum wage just because I'm a student, I don't feel good about that but whatever it is I can live with. However to cheat us out of the time we have to stay after, due all to customer demands and not pay us for that. I mean I'm just so mad about this, glad I found another job where I'll be treated better, but wonder from you guys... what do you think? You think I have anything I could bring against these people?

(Last example of how classy the ownership is... they actually wrote a note asking all the employees who the lazy effing *actual f-bomb* arse *actual a-word* who left a box in the freezer? Throw the crap *not actual word used* away)

I'm just angry... let me know what you guys think? I would love to take this place down or expose them to the public (via newspaper) as was done by a similar business earlier.

FYI, as of July 1, 2007 you are entitled to $7.15/hour if I'm reading the Michigan law correctly.

Michigan employers employing 2 or more employees who are at least 16 years old are required to pay the Michigan minimum wage of $7.15 per hour beginning July 1, 2007. The federal minimum wage is set to increase to $5.85 per hour July 24, 2007, but is less than the required Michigan minimum wage; where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wage rates.

Link

I haven't gotten into the specifics of the minimum wage rules, however, just reading the above, as long as they employee more than 2 people and the employees are over 16, the minimum wage is $7.15. And, while the Feds Minimum Wage is currently at $5.85/hour it is stipulated that the employee is entitled to the higher of the 2 wages...in your case the $7.15/hour.

I'm no lawyer, so I can give no legal advice, however, the "you're a high schooler" reasoning sounds like pure crap to me. If you know someone in your area that can decipher this stuff better than I can, I'd talk to them. At the very least, for clarification.

BTW, that 85% of minimum wage thing you refered to in your post only applies to minors ages 16-17.

Will open a .pdf file about the 85% pay

Hopefully you have some documentation, especially the note and pay (if the previous posts are correct about it only applying to 16-17 year olds).

However I would absolutely call the BBB (Better Buisness Bureau and the Michigan State Attorney General's office and file a formal complaint. An additional call to Mancino's head office as well, since you indicated this was a privately held location under their franchise name. They would not be happy to get this information, that their name is being poorly represented.

If you don't have documentation still filing a report will help and avoid others from getting treated as you were, and/or have a record on file with both organizations should someone else get so mistreated and file a report later.

Another thing: try to maintain your emotions when doing so, don't come across too bitter because then they may think it's just a 'p-o'd' former employee. Be professional, don't say the swear words, intimate them, or spell them out, similiar to your post. Be concerned, conduct yourself as you think one of your parents would. Best way to be taken seriously is to be respectful of those you are talking to and those you are talking about.


Good Luck.

Do what most Americans would do; sue them.

Dude, your gonna run into places like this for the rest of your life. Whether it be a small franchise, or a mega corporation, if you have scumbags at the top, they are going to take advantage of you every chance they get. The important thing is to recognize when you are being taken advantage of and then either quit, or document your grievance and submit it to an HR representative. - You see, documenting your greivance and submitting it to HR is a beautiful thing, because once this happens, and continues to happen, the scumbag at the top will either have to change his/her ways, or get fired.- Why you ask? Well, if there is an established paper trail, and the company does nothing about it, if somebody sues them, the first thing that's going to get brought up is the paper trail, and why the company didn't do anything about a scumbag that repeatedly was complained about.
While going to college, I worked at a restaurant, a roofing company, a painting company, Wal Mart, and Home Depot. - Karma dealt with the scumbag at the top of the roofing company, as I found out a couple years ago that he was put in jail for writing bad checks. When I was at Wal Mart, there was a scumbag district manager who had several complaints documented against him when he came into my store and got into a cashiers face for the way she was putting clothes into bags,( he was about an inch away from her face) - she complained, the home office had enough with him, and fired him. The same thing used to happen at Home Depot all the time.

First off, all the ACLU, then call the BBB. Also, If you fax/write a letter to the home office of that pizza joint, and then follow up on it with a phone call to the home office, I guarantee you, something will change in franchise you worked in.

Sounds to me like these people are wasteing their talents running a mom and pop operation. They should be running a fortune 500 company so they can screw workers on a much bigger scale. Maybe they should teach at Harvard Business. Seriously, welcome to the working world kid. Remember this when the teachers pile on the homework. It'll help you get though it.

Heart goes out to you; welcome to the real world. When you get into authority, remember this. I agree with the others that if it is a franchise, the front office is worth a chat. Mention you are seeking legal advice; confirm that what was said to you is accurate policy or made up, in this case laying the ground work for the other contacts to come higher and later. Write it all down, start a file while it is fresh. "Bringing them down" just causes other workers money who may need it; get yours, but respect theirs as well. If you have the notes, etc. put them all in one place. Then decide something; if it falls your way, either as legal stuff or behind the scenes, you may be asked what it will take "to make you whole" in this. What would make it right? What would it take to happy you up and help your buds at werk? I suggest you may be able to go higher, get a lump, etc. If they assure you that your job is secure, do you wish to continue working here? Need to decide. IMO the amount of wrong here to you is lousy, handled badly (little people with big heads in tiny jobs do this), and for the most part, there are not much damage stuff to get, but miles of satisfaction. As you talk to higher ups, try to show control and stay bigger than the situation. Anger and volume are OK sometimes; this may not be the one they serve best. I agree; talk to the right people in logical order. Let someone who counts more than you carry the water to your fire. Good luck!

Dem Browns are coming to get ya!

Yup, I've worked at a lot of pizza places before, and man tell me about it. Churning out over 100 pizza's an hour, sweating up a storm, answering 9 phone lines on superbowl night, having the oven back up, getting burnt, having people get stone in the back of the store while your busy, I could go on FOREVER.

To anyone who is reading this:Never get a fast food/pizza job for as long as you live, it's total hell. I worked at the local Dominos through through my first three years of highschool, whew, that place was beyond bad.

Forget the ACLU unless you are a minority with some demonstrable disadvantage.

I would write the Home Office of this company and document your issues with dates,times and names plus names of witnesses.
Then contact a local TV news department and describe the problem to them...if they can look themselves look good they will help you case.

That's a good idea,if the upper corporate people won't help getting the media involved will sure get their attention.

You need to contact the BBB. It sounds like ownership is cheap, and obviously don't give a damn about their employees. That's a shame. They're just setting themselves up there.