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I have a dilemma that I need some feedback on.

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Anonymous

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I have a dilemma that I need some feedback on.

I am a legal professional working at a small specialty firm. This is the second firm I have been at with this particular specialty, seven (7) years at this firm and eight (8) years at the prior firm. 15 years total experience in the field.

For a number of reasons, that are very obvious to me, financial issues have been plaguing the firm. Payroll is now overdue for the first half of this month and its not looking too promising for the payroll due this coming Friday.

I have tried to address this issue and have been met with excuses and demeaning responses. Meanwhile, all employees have been coming into work, regularly, on time and completing all work assignments in a timely and professional manner. Some have been purchasing their own office supplies as well. Can anyone please provide some advice as to how to address this lack of pay situation ?

There are way too many false promises regarding this deferment of income and I'm getting uncomfortable with the entirety of the situation. I'm trying to be understanding but I don't work for free and I do not want to run up a compensation receivable with this firm that will most likely be unlikely to collect on.

That said, I have been searching for new positions for a few months now and have had great feedback on my CV from potential employers so I am in the process of moving forward.

Thanks in advance.

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  1. Anonymous

    Yep move forward as soon as you can. We don’t work for free and if the firm doesn’t have it another firm will. Get out soon as it’s too risky to waste your time when they are not gauranteeing paychecks.

  2. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Cut your losses before they owe you even more money. If you can financially afford it - leave asap.

  3. Anonymous

    Continue your search, and hope someone snags you quickly. If you leave with unpaid back wages, ensure you have all your time sheets and pay stubs and report the firm to the DOL. Also, please take a copy of your employee handbook so you have their internal policies for separation pay (unused PTO, for example.) You may need to sue them for back wages and separation pay if they do not pay you what you are due when you leave. No excuse justifies not paying employees.

  4. Erin Vega

    Contact department of labor and / or employment lawyer. Stop doing any work!

  5. Susan Heidi Wolman

    Just say to HR that you don’t want to cause trouble but if you don’t get paid you will have to report them to the department of labor.

  6. GirlBossanova934974

    Sounds like you have already answered your own question. You are in the process of finding a new position at a new law firm. I would intensify the effort. From what I have seen, most law firms are doing well these days. It is hard to figure out what is going on at your law firm. I see plenty of jobs open at various law firms in my area. I just interviewed at 2 of these firms.

  7. Anonymous

    Please focus on finding something as soon as possible, fervently ♥️ not a law firm, but this is exactly what happened to me at my last position, and I’ve now been out of work for 10 months. I hung in there because I’d been there for a long time, and our CEO kept telling us projections looked great regardless of the evidence. I chose to believe him. The day after Christmas, he asked all of us not to clock in. A week later he laid everyone off but me and one other coworker, and he limited our hours to 10 or less per week. It all crumbled, and it left a lot of people in awful positions.

  8. Anonymous

    If payroll doesn’t come through on Friday, file a claim with your state’s department of labor immediately.

    I’d also consult with a lawyer to see what other options you might have, because they might try to retaliate if you stop working, and you want make sure you’re covered.

  9. Colleen Hanson

    If your payroll is already behind you need to file a claim for lost/unpaid wages with your state's Department of Labor. I believe that you need to let your employer know that you are going to do this and allow them time to make it right (in my state we have to inform our employer that we are going to file a claim and allow them 3 days to rectify the situation). Please check with your specific state to find out what their requirements are. Once you file a claim, they will immediately contact your employer and start looking into it.

    I would also contact an employment attorney immediately.

  10. Anonymous

    Contact the DOL, FEHA, EEOC, and do not work one more day without being paid. It is illegal to work without pay. Legal firms should know this.

  11. Anonymous

    As someone who was in accounting, payroll and HR, I can tell you that if they’re unable to make payroll even once, that is the death knell of a company. Make a hasty exit and do not look back. I mean, like get the hell out of there now lol do not wait.

  12. Deb Allen

    I have been there, payroll is delayed for a few days or a week here and there. It never gets better, file a claim for unpaid work with your state department of labor and document everything you can about what work was done and not paid in this period, including any due bonus or incentives. It would be nice to warn others to do the same but you might not want to sound the alarm to management.

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