One of my former employers lied to me constantly for the two years I worked for her.

It started small, with stuff like giving us excuses or blaming others for why a product delivery was late. (The truth was she was behind on payments to our dealers.) She also claimed she “didn’t know” why the store’s phone and Internet kept getting cut off. (She was behind on her payments to them, too.)

Then, our paychecks started coming in late. We were supposed to be paid on the first and the fifteenth of every month, but we rarely were. My manager actually had to start reminding [Owner] on payday to send the checks over before we closed the store. And even then, she rarely got them to us on time. Every time a check was late, it was always the same excuse: “I forgot.”

Then, our paychecks started bouncing. The first time it happened, I got hit with overdraft fees — which [Owner] promised to reimburse me for but never did. She assured me that it was a mistake, but after my manager’s paycheck also bounced, I decided to start cashing my checks instead of depositing them directly into my own bank account.

A few months later, another paycheck was no good. Then another a few months after that. Every time we informed [Owner] that the checks were no good, she insisted that it was all the credit company’s fault because they hadn’t credited the business account with all the money we were owed. I found that reasoning highly suspicious because: A) if there wasn’t enough money in the account to pay her employees, then she should never have written those checks in the first place, and B) if there was a problem with the credit company, it should have been straightened out after the first incident, not six-plus months and three to five bounced checks later.

After the first year, the bouncing paychecks issue stopped, but the lateness issue got worse. My manager and I eventually figured that the late checks and the bounced checks were probably connected. The business wasn’t doing so hot, so we figured [Owner] was deliberately keeping our checks late until she was sure there was enough money in the bank. But the late checks didn’t bother us so much as the dishonest excuses. If [Owner] had come to us and said, “These checks won’t be good for a few days, so don’t cash them until then,” we would have understood. H***, we would have understood even if she had given us post-dated checks. We both knew the business wasn’t making very much money; in fact, we probably knew it better than she did since we were the ones standing around with nothing to do and no customers to serve during the majority of our work hours. The fact that [Employer] insisted the late paychecks were just due to “forgetfulness” rankled us both to the core.

Eventually, I found out that the financial problems that I had sensed actually ran far deeper than I ever suspected. And all of them could be traced back directly to [Owner]’s inept business management. During the two years that I worked for her, we went through three different dealers and two different telecom companies. The reason for this, as I later found out, was because of [Owner]’s “negotiation” tactics. Apparently, she would stretch out her bill payments as far as possible, and when creditors started calling asking why they weren’t being paid, [Owner] would tell them that she was “very sorry” and the money was “on the way”. The money wasn’t actually on its way (and I don’t think she was sorry at all), but it usually got them off her back for a few more weeks.

When they refused to get off her back and insisted that she pay off her outstanding balance, [Owner] would attempt to intimidate them into giving her more time by delivering ultimatums. The problem was that ultimatums don’t work so well when you’re negotiating from a position of weakness. When [Major Phone & Internet Provider] told us they would be cutting off our phone and Internet service if we didn’t make a payment by Thanksgiving, [Owner] told them if they did, then we would no longer be a customer of [Provider].

Sure enough, no payment was delivered by Thanksgiving, so [Provider] cut us off without a second thought. I don’t know what [Owner] was expecting. [Provider] is a multinational corporation, and we were a small start-up business less than a year old at that time. Whatever money we were paying them would be a drop in the bucket, or at least it would have been if we were actually paying them.

The exact same thing happened with three of our product dealers, as well. I remember one time when our sales representative from our third dealer came in to deliver some product samples. We struck up a conversation with him — [Owner] was far away from the store at the time — and he told us that he hated having to deal with [Owner] because of her tendency to threaten him with an ultimatum whenever she didn’t get her way.

Eventually, her intimidation tactics extended to her employees as well as her creditors. I still remember the exact moment when I decided that I would be leaving this job the moment I found another one. I had been cut back to part-time hours at that point, but [Owner] came to me and asked me if I would be willing to work a full-time schedule and stay late for a few weeks to help her complete a big project.

She couldn’t actually pay me for those extra hours, but she said she would be willing to compensate me in “comp time”, meaning every extra day that I worked could be used as a paid day off in the future. She specifically said it would be my choice to work those extra hours or not. I agreed to do it, not because I wanted the paid days off, but because the project she wanted me to work on was long and annoying, and I hoped that if I managed to finish it, I wouldn’t have to hear about it again for a while.

So, I came in those extra hours and worked for forty-plus hours per week — but only being paid for about twenty-four. That is until one day when the co-owner of the business and [Owner]’s boyfriend came storming into the store and started screaming at me, accusing me of slacking off and not working fast enough. He was completely wrong, and my manager (who was with me every single day) told him so, but he refused to apologize for what he did.

I called [Owner] and told her what happened, and I informed her that until [Co-Owner] apologized for what he said, I would no longer be working any unpaid extra hours. I also reminded her that she herself had said it would be my choice whether to work those extra hours. She agreed, at least at the time.

But then, a few days later, when [Owner] and I were in the store working on that big project, she told me she wanted me to stay after closing time and help her finish. I reminded her that I had previously told her I would not be working any unpaid extra hours until [Co-Owner] apologized, but she tried to make me stay late anyway, saying it would be “a very bad move for you” if I didn’t stay late with her. She sounded like a Hollywood mafia gangster trying to sell a protection racket. “Real nice job you got there. Sure would be a shame if something happened to it…”

About six months later, I found another job, and I haven’t looked back since.

I found out later that not only was [Owner] lying to me, but she was also lying to the Mississippi Department of Revenue. When I attempted to file my income taxes after leaving this job, I was informed by the MS Department of Revenue that I would not be receiving my tax refund from them because, apparently, they had never received the withholding that my employer reported on my W2.

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I work for a call center. We get a call from someone who claims he is a representative for [Client]. [Client] has no representative listed.

Representative: “[Client] asked me to call because he is sick. He wants a copy of his contract. When can I pick it up?”

Me: “I’m sorry, but you are not listed as a representative. I can, however, make a copy of this contract and have it mailed (post) to him. He would have it tomorrow, then.”

Representative: “No, that won’t do. I need it to process an application for him, and I can’t visit him because he’s sick.”

Me: “I’m terribly sorry to hear that, but unfortunately, I cannot give copies to people who are not listed as legal representatives. This is why I offered to send it by mail.”

Representative: “That’s ridiculous! I help [Client] all the time! Fine, then just mail it to me.”

Me: “I can’t do that, sir. The [privacy law] makes it very clear that this type of contract may only be given or sent to the person on the contract, or their legal representatives.”

Representative: “Fine, I am his legal representative.”

Me: “Could you send me the legal proof through email?”

Representative: “Why are you being so difficult?! What harm can it do to send me a sheet of paper?! Just do it!”

Me: “Well, sir, if I would send you this contract, I would not only put my job on the line, but I would also be personally legally liable…”

I just throw in some legal-sounding things because I don’t know the exact legal terms, but I do know that it would get me into a lot of legal trouble and could result in very high fines.

Me: “…if anything happened to the document without the client’s written and legal consent. So, that’s the harm it could do, sir.”

He hung up. I mailed the contract to the client (with a letter explaining why) and made sure to make a note in the client’s file.

CONTENT WARNING: Violence
 

I was a shift manager working my last night at this location of a fast food restaurant. We had been dealing with a guy who would constantly call to speak to his girlfriend while she was working. Recently, we had begun to refuse to put him through to her.

On this night, I was called into the drive-thru. I opened the window and saw that same guy. I told him that his girlfriend was working, and he would have to wait until her shift ended. He spat in my face.

I closed the window and started to walk away. He jumped out of his car and began smashing the window with his bare fist. I could see blood on his fist and on the window.

I hurried back to the manager’s desk, picked up the phone, and dialed 911. The next thing I knew, he had ripped the phone off the wall and was beginning to throw a punch at my face.

Unfortunately for him, he was standing in front of our maintenance man, who outweighed him two to one (all muscle). The guy found himself forced to the floor with his arms pinned behind his back.

The police showed up not two minutes later. After an extensive conversation with me, they carted the guy off to jail.

And me? I got to spend my last night there waiting for hours for the window repairman to arrive. Of course, I was on salary, so I didn’t get overtime.

My wife and live in an apartment. Because of the circumstances, we allow our elderly widowed neighbor to use our Wi-Fi connection. We’ve always gotten along really well with [Neighbor], and her kids and grandkids live on the other side of the country because of work or other pursuits, so we’ve become a sort of “apartment family” together.

My wife just bought a new phone after her old phone crashed. After getting her new phone connected to the Internet, I go into our account to remove her old phone. When I see the list of connected devices, there are four devices I don’t recognize. I immediately change the password to our connection and remove all of the devices except my own computer.

My wife and I get our devices set up, and since [Neighbor] is out shopping, we set a reminder to go over and help her reconnect when she gets home.

About ten minutes after I change the password, I start hearing a lot of banging and shouting from the hallway. I open the door and see the man who lives across the hall from [Neighbor] pounding on her door.

Me: “Hey, [Man]! [Neighbor] is out right now. What do you need?”

Man: “My kids are over, and [Neighbor]’s Internet just went out. I’m trying to get it fixed before my kids throw an even bigger tantrum.”

His kids are all preteens, and they don’t live with him full-time; he only gets custody of them every other weekend.

Me: “What do you mean, ‘[Neighbor]’s Internet’?”

Man: “She said I could use her Internet when my kids come over. I only have a cell data plan, so having that many devices would cost me a ton of money.”

Me: “I know that’s not true, [Man]. [Neighbor] doesn’t have her own Wi-Fi.”

Man: “Sure, she does. I saw her password for it when I dropped off her mail yesterday.”

Me: “What time was this?”

Man: “I don’t know, maybe 2:00 pm.”

Me: “[Man]… [Neighbor] was over with [Wife] and me all day yesterday. How exactly did you get into her apartment?”

Man: “She had a package in the mail room, so I grabbed it. And her apartment was unlocked when I tried to give it to her, so I went in and left the package on her couch. Her Wi-Fi password was sitting on the end table next to her laptop, so I know she has her own account. I just need her to reset her Wi-Fi so my kids can get back on their phones.”

Me: “You do realize that nothing you said is good, right? I know [Neighbor] didn’t ask you to collect her mail for you because if it was big enough that she couldn’t carry it up herself, she would have asked [Wife] or me to help her. That’s mail theft, which is a federal crime. You also entered her apartment uninvited. I’m sure that’s another crime by itself, regardless of whether or not the door was unlocked. Finally, [Neighbor] doesn’t have her own Wi-Fi; she uses our Wi-Fi. And since [Wife] and I did not give you permission, and [Neighbor] would never give you permission without our permission, you’re stealing our Wi-Fi.”

Man: “Okay, then you need to reset your Wi-Fi.”

Me: “That’s not going to happen. What will happen is that I’ll be going to [Apartment Manager] on Monday to let him know about all this.”

[Man] screamed at me, but I just stepped back into my apartment and closed — and locked — the door. After a minute or so of screaming, I heard him go back to his own apartment and slam the door.

I did tell our building manager about the incident. I did not wait until Monday, as he’s actually a great guy who doesn’t mind being called in during his free time for major issues like this. The manager thanked me for the information, and although he couldn’t say it outright, I’m sure my call and the security camera footage from the hallway of the various incidents were enough to start eviction proceedings.

My wife and I met [Neighbor] when she got home, helped her get back online, and gave her a gentle reminder to ALWAYS make sure her door is locked unless she’s actively using the door.

[Man]’s eviction was completed a few weeks after this incident, and the new tenant is already much friendlier than [Man] ever was.

Client: “My blog needs to have a picture that can easily be taken from Google Images or other free sources.”

Me: “Hate to break it to you, but you can’t legally use Google Images for free photos.”

Client: “Uh, yeah, you can. Just right-click and click ‘Save Image As’. I shouldn’t have to tell you this. You’re supposed to be the graphics expert.”