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Advice needed: Employer not paying wages
Slavo
Posts: 14 Forumite
Hello all,
In order to help ourselves financially now that the children are old enough to let themselves in from school, my partner decided to look for work.
Found a job advertised, went for an interview and got it. However... things didn't quite go as straight forward.
The employer (Property Safe Inventories - http://www.propertysafeinventories.co.uk) was 'supposed' to give the interview at a coffeeshop (seems weird already). The interviewer didn't turn up, so my partner phoned and they eventually met up.
She was given the job on a trial basis, though in 3 weeks the following happened:
week 1: Worked for 2 days, considerable amount of driving included no mention of mileage allowance. At end of the week, the employer said that they would get onto their solicitor to draw up a contract of employment.
week 2: Only work for 1 day. My partner asked about mileage, she was told that she would be paid a mileage allowance (sum not disclosed) and for my partner to create her own mileage claim form and timesheet template and send it to the employer completed (this was done).
week 3: No work. No pay. No contract of employment.
Following a request for pay during week 3, the employer said that she has yet to read the submitted timesheet, but my partner would be paid by cheque. As I felt this was getting more fishy by the minute, I told my partner to request the cheque be handed over in person (so it doesn't get lost in the post). They arranged to meet in our local Town centre where the employer "forgot" her chequebook. At this time, my partner was asked to work Monday to which she replied 'Sorry, I've found a different job which is more reliable / more frequent hours'. The employer then stormed off without saying a word.
Moments later my partner received several interrogative phone calls asking questions like 'Where are you working now?', 'What are they paying you?'. My partner, being polite and not wanting to rock the boat any further fully obliged with the answers.
They then arranged that the employer would come to our house on Saturday (yesterday) and give the cheque / cash. The employer had not arrived by 2pm, so we phoned. They took our postcode, and said they would be on their way. At 4pm no sign, we phone again, we get told she's doing an inventory and that she would be 1.5 hours. 6pm, we phone again, someone else answers and says she's just finishing the inventory, could we call back in 15 minutes. We do. No answer.
30 minutes later, we receive a phone call saying she will come round tomorrow (today, still no sign or phone call as yet). I take the phone from my partner and request that we meet that evening, but she (employer) refused. I offered to go to her house, at which point she said that if I went anywhere near her house she would drag her feet with the payment as long as she could and that I would see her in court and I was by no account to visit her house as she would not be there, but her husband and several other men would be. Her excuse for not turning up was that she had to wait for a gas man to come, she claimed she tried ringing twice (in a whole day) but couldn't get through to us.
Apologies for the long thread, is there anyone that could suggest what we can do?
Where we may stand legally?
Should the employer turn up today with the money, we will just put this one down to experience. Otherwise I would like to pursue this matter as far I may.
Thanks in advance for your replies,
Slavo
In order to help ourselves financially now that the children are old enough to let themselves in from school, my partner decided to look for work.
Found a job advertised, went for an interview and got it. However... things didn't quite go as straight forward.
The employer (Property Safe Inventories - http://www.propertysafeinventories.co.uk) was 'supposed' to give the interview at a coffeeshop (seems weird already). The interviewer didn't turn up, so my partner phoned and they eventually met up.
She was given the job on a trial basis, though in 3 weeks the following happened:
week 1: Worked for 2 days, considerable amount of driving included no mention of mileage allowance. At end of the week, the employer said that they would get onto their solicitor to draw up a contract of employment.
week 2: Only work for 1 day. My partner asked about mileage, she was told that she would be paid a mileage allowance (sum not disclosed) and for my partner to create her own mileage claim form and timesheet template and send it to the employer completed (this was done).
week 3: No work. No pay. No contract of employment.
Following a request for pay during week 3, the employer said that she has yet to read the submitted timesheet, but my partner would be paid by cheque. As I felt this was getting more fishy by the minute, I told my partner to request the cheque be handed over in person (so it doesn't get lost in the post). They arranged to meet in our local Town centre where the employer "forgot" her chequebook. At this time, my partner was asked to work Monday to which she replied 'Sorry, I've found a different job which is more reliable / more frequent hours'. The employer then stormed off without saying a word.
Moments later my partner received several interrogative phone calls asking questions like 'Where are you working now?', 'What are they paying you?'. My partner, being polite and not wanting to rock the boat any further fully obliged with the answers.
They then arranged that the employer would come to our house on Saturday (yesterday) and give the cheque / cash. The employer had not arrived by 2pm, so we phoned. They took our postcode, and said they would be on their way. At 4pm no sign, we phone again, we get told she's doing an inventory and that she would be 1.5 hours. 6pm, we phone again, someone else answers and says she's just finishing the inventory, could we call back in 15 minutes. We do. No answer.
30 minutes later, we receive a phone call saying she will come round tomorrow (today, still no sign or phone call as yet). I take the phone from my partner and request that we meet that evening, but she (employer) refused. I offered to go to her house, at which point she said that if I went anywhere near her house she would drag her feet with the payment as long as she could and that I would see her in court and I was by no account to visit her house as she would not be there, but her husband and several other men would be. Her excuse for not turning up was that she had to wait for a gas man to come, she claimed she tried ringing twice (in a whole day) but couldn't get through to us.
Apologies for the long thread, is there anyone that could suggest what we can do?
Where we may stand legally?
Should the employer turn up today with the money, we will just put this one down to experience. Otherwise I would like to pursue this matter as far I may.
Thanks in advance for your replies,
Slavo
0
Comments
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It all depends on whether there is anything in writing, if there isn't it will effectively by your partners word against theirs.
I find a lot of the things hard to believe...by that I mean you weren't wondering about it earlier.
This may not apply as what was apparently 'earned' wouldn't be enough...but how would this work when it comes to tax and HMRC? No reputable employer pays this way...if it was an attempt at cash-in-hand work then hopefully next time you'll be more careful.0 -
Don't bother messing about. Work out what you're owed with mileage claim being at 40p per mile and put in a claim online at the Small Claims Court. Don't forget to include claiming for time spent claiming and going to the hearing. A notice for a hearing landing on the doorstep lets people know you're not messing about.0
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Thankyou both for your replies!
Whether or not you believe me daveboy is up to you. I thought it was fishy right from the start, but my partner assured me that this person was genuine. So I said it was up to her. Had I had my way, she wouldn't have done a minutes work until there was something in black & white.
We were / are not trying to get a job 'cash-in-hand'. This is illegal.
My partner now has two other jobs, both of which are 100% legit whereby the employer is a lot more organised.0 -
I've seen something similar recently - different company, but seems to operate in the same area http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/property-concepts-uk-c39147.html. You could try Citizen's Advive Bureau (CAB), but wouldn't have great hopes of getting anything, sorry. Hope the new jobs work out better.0
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