Robbed by my boss?
I was living in my car in a McDonald’s parking lot – the McDonald’s where I worked. My two children were staying with my parents, but I could barely afford to keep them fed. And the whole time, I believe my boss was robbing from me.
Not by force. By payroll tricks – tricks I believe are illegal: They deducted breaks from my timesheet – breaks I never took. They withheld overtime pay. Or they simply left hours I worked off my paycheck.
If I stole $20 from the cash register, I'd be fired and my boss would not hesitate to call the cops. If McDonald’s steals hundreds from me, they can get away with it. That’s why I and the thousands of fast food workers like me, who may be robbed on the job every day, are calling on McDonald’s to ensure that no employee ever has their wages withheld illegally.
Last year, I estimate I lost about $1,200 to these types of practices at McDonald’s. That’s the difference between a deposit on an apartment and living in my car. That’s money for gas. That’s food for my children.
Every day, workers at fast food chains across the country share their stories about being robbed by their employers. Ask Alvin Major. He says that he worked an average of 68 hours per week at KFC’s with never a dollar in overtime. Or Vicente de Jesus Garcia, a delivery driver at Papa John’s, who claims he repeatedly received checks totaling below the minimum wage.
We’ve had enough – that’s why we’re taking action. Just a few days ago, McDonald’s workers filed a lawsuit against the company over these illegal pay practices. And Congressmen from Connecticut and California are already questioning CEOs from the biggest chains, but this isn’t enough.
Thanks for standing with us. We’ll be in touch with what’s next.
Amanda Weninghoff
McDonald’s Employee, Kansas City, MO
Low Pay is Not Ok
P.S. Find out if you or anyone you know may have experienced wage theft by answering a couple simple questions on our new Robbed on the Job survey!