Current Events > Why don't more employees sue their employers for illegal things they do?

(+) Yeah! (+)

especially in places like retail and fast food, employers there do illegal things all the time

When I worked at the supermarket, they tried to make me do overtime unpaid and they threatened to fire me if I dont do it. All I had to do was threatened him with a lawsuit and they let me go home

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TheVipaGTS posted...

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This. Hard in most cases to fight against a large corporation that can afford tons of legal and get these trapped in the courts.

A lot of employees are under contracts that bar them from doing so:
https://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/womens-rights-workplace/supreme-court-favors-forced-arbitration-expense-workers

TheVipaGTS posted...

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Arent there lawyers available who will work on the terms that they only get paid if they win the lawsuit?

A lot of people are very conflict-adverse and won't do anything to defend themselves. I have a union job, the company does things they aren't supposed to do but 90% of the staff would rather complain and grumble about it than file a simple grievance form much less sue and go to court.

AzNDarkSamurai posted...

Arent there lawyers available who will work on the terms that they only get paid if they win the lawsuit?

It also takes time that costs someone money, and even if they win, they won't get a payout until it's over, so a lot of people still wouldn't be able to afford to do it when they have to work another job in the meantime.

I wonder sometimes just how many businesses, or how big a part of the economy, simply isn't viable/profitable without a bottom line subsidized by worker exploitation or other illegal practices.

If you make cement and glitch the board, someone will think you want them to eat cement

Mearcstapa posted...

I wonder sometimes just how many businesses, or how big a part of the economy, simply isn't viable/profitable without a bottom line subsidized by worker exploitation or other illegal practices.

I would imagine it's a very small number. Business aren't exploiting workers to break even, they're doing it to funnel money upwards.

Xavier_On_High posted...

I would imagine it's a very small number. Business aren't exploiting workers to break even, they're doing it to funnel money upwards.

Yeah, I'm sure most of it is just plain greed.

I can't really fathom how they would even communicate that time, overtime or regular, would be unpaid. If I am at work I am clocked in. That's been the case at each job I've had and they've always made a big deal about people clocking in before they start working.

Real life isnt the caricature r/antiwork would have you believe it is

Relient_K posted...

I can't really fathom how they would even communicate that time, overtime or regular, would be unpaid. If I am at work I am clocked in. That's been the case at each job I've had and they've always made a big deal about people clocking in before they start working.

Consider yourself lucky because what I described happened in 2 different jobs I worked in the past

Because they fear for their jobs. Sure their are laws against retaliation but most people aren't perfect at their jobs. Boss wants to fire you they can find reasons. If they can't they can ensure your work life becomes hell until you quit voluntarily.

A lot just don't know any better. Others simply don't care. When you realize a dead end job is doing something illegal that you don't like it's often simpler to just leave and find a new one

AzNDarkSamurai posted...

Arent there lawyers available who will work on the terms that they only get paid if they win the lawsuit?

It's in your best interest to not trust an attorney that has a commercial.

Axiom posted...

A lot just don't know any better. Others simply don't care. When you realize a dead end job is doing something illegal that you don't like it's often simpler to just leave and find a new one

I remember having a job where the boss took advantage of the fact fast food workers typically don't know labor law. I'd just say that's against labor law and get my way when I was actually wrong about it lol. They didn't know labor law any better than I did

DrizztLink posted...

It's in your best interest to not trust an attorney that has a commercial.

huh?

But I know for sure those kind of lawyers exist though