...an oxymoron

First, let me say that I am a serious introvert who’s had to be an extrovert for my career. Hard to do. I come to this forum every day to read what you write. Most of you are so witty and help me laugh. You are my friends. I know that I’m a little obtuse. Chalk it up to being an introvert. I love all of you.

So, I live in rural Utah. The kind of place where if I drive from my small town to another small town and stop for gas, the cashier could tell me that Joe from a third small town heard from someone that my bathroom light wasn’t on at 4:30 am and do I have bowel issues. If so, there’s an oil for that and would you like to be in my MLM downline? It’s pretty here, though.

I worked for a company here that has struggled to make money for years. Everything in this county depends on the company. If it fails, this county would become a giant ghost town.

The company was out of money by this fall. A family from another state (two states west of here that starts with the letter C) bought them out. Similar business model. None of us knew it.

Last Thursday I got a text telling me to show up at 7:00 Friday am to discuss job duties. Lie #1. We showed up to be introduced to the new owners (father and son) and their CEO of other ventures. The owners gushed about how TBM they were and how spectacular it was to buy a business in this wonderful TBM valley. I thought the two of them were having a shared orgasm over it.

Anyway, we were sworn to secrecy about the purchase. Was pretty much the oath slitting promise from the old temple days. Why? Because they are involved in scandals from the other un-named state and didn’t want it to follow them here.

A man in back asked if they were changing the company name. Lie #2. They said abslutely not. As of Wednesday if you call, the receptionist uses the new company name. Come on.

Wednesday I was summoned to my boss’s office and discharged as part of a downsizing. OK, I get that. Understandable. Business is business.

However, those let go had vacation due and would have been paid it along with other benefits. The new dudes said they declared all of that null and void. Sent us all out the door without any compensation. See ya. Wouldn’t wanna be ya.

Hope it works out. The company pays so little that they import folks from Africa and south of the US border who are paid small wages and housed in the county. Indentured servants. No one here could afford to work for the wages. Hence, Africa and other third world countries.

Didn’t have anyone to talk to but you folk. Thanks for letting me spew. Had worse. Will be OK - hopefully.

TBM’s to the rescue...

Wow. Sorry to hear you've been canned!

As for ethics...I would simply surmise that their religion, though touted as part of their business, clearly doesn't give them any business ethics. Unless you count lying & cheating as ethics, in which case it did :(

In some states (mine, for example), not paying you for earned vacation time would be against the law. I don't know about Utah. But it's worth looking into.

Hang in there!

You know what H2K? Sometimes you piss me off. Then, I walk away for a while and realize how wise and insightfull you are. Thank you for just who and what you are. You are one of the folk here that I would dearly love to know. Gracias, my friend.

Gracias a ti también!

My very best friends sometimes piss me off. That's OK. I usually learn something from the times that happens! And it doesn't mean we stop being friends.

If you ever are in San Diego, let me know...I'd be happy to get together and piss each other off over a cup of coffee :)

Wish I could still golf. Used to three days a week. Sucks. Gave my custom clubs away to a teen on the HS team. Thank you for the invite. Please know that if you come to UT for the sights that we can sit by my creek (like I own it :)) and enjoy a fire and great talk. You are welcome here.

I think talk that pisses me off is always the best. Makes me look at another side of the six-sidded pencil. Gracias!!

:)

By the way, I checked -- sadly, Utah is not one of those states.

"Twenty-four states have laws that focus on unused vacation time, and you have the legal right to said accrual in your final paycheck if the employer has promised it. These states include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island (after one year of employment), Tennessee, West Virginia, Wyoming, as well as Washington D.C."

I have a feeling that even if you don't tell anyone about the new owners, the scandals will find them in Utah too. Just your few paragraphs tell that story about them.

Glad you don't have to work for these people, and hope you can find a new job soon.

I worked somewhere once that 'informed' us were obliged not to go to the press with stories about our company (sky customer services) - rival media organisations paid big apparently. I was a bit slow off the box to pick up the phone on a story - moral dilemma held me back - and someone else beat me to the punch with a big scoop and earned a years wages in payment from the rival's newspaper.

I'm telling you this because that father and son combo have 'scandal' in another state and are committing employment crime in your state - take the opportunity and milk it.

Get on the phone and find out which paper would pay the most for a scoop on whichever company it is - you may just earn everyone their holiday pay through the media highlighting the situation in the other state. Find out the biggest newspaper to run stories on this father and son concerning the 'scandal' and call the news desk telling them you have a story about such and such and can they put you through. Play poker for a bit to get a good payoff before you spill details or you will be dropped as they could find out themselves.

The scandal will out one way or another and someone will make money from it - make yourself some money before someone else does.

I agree. They let you go - I don't think you have to honor the "oath" they made you take. Call the press.

Thanks anonuk!

you are very welcome

Remember. When a Mormon is shaking your right hand he is sticking a knife in your back with his left. Never forget this.

Yup. I say go for the jugular. Thee guys sound like they're doing a Joseph Smith--leave town from one scandal and start up somewhere else.

My first commercial in the LA area was a non-union gig, and after many phone calls with no luck, I finally tracked the guy down to his house and he hmmm'd and hawed and I never did get paid; I gave up because he was a pathetic blow-hard who turned out to be a whimpering simp.

yeah, he was mormon.

Only union jobs from there on out.

Generally a company owes vacation. It's a liability on the books. If the company filed bankruptcy, that liability may have been dissolved. But maybe not.

This is one reason companies are now going to the "take as much vacation as you want" if your job is getting done model. No accrued liability.

Get Gephardt.

That is definitely something I will consider. Good thoughts. Thank you.

"Never do business with Mormons."

--quote from my first trainer and mentor in SLC.


This man held a high position in the business world, and is a relative of mine (otherwise, he might not have bothered to teach me so well). He and his family had lived in Utah for many generations, but were not Mormons.

I think Utah allows such abuse of employees. It is a "right to hire" state, which really means, "right to fire."

That quote I quoted, though, is illegal, and I won't ever tell the name of the great man who said it.

I'm sorry you lost your job in such a brutal manner--and it is brutal. You probably would be going the whole town a favor, by shining the light on these Mormon scumbags. IMO, the town has already suffered. It seems like Africans and "south of the border" people have all the jobs, anyway.

REPORT THEM TO US IMMIGRATION!
REPORT THEM TO THE IRS!

Chances are, these people have multiple scams going on, and are the typical type to try to cheat the US Government! Go above their heads!

I agree with the other board members. I would spill the beans on this company in every way possible. I would also ride unemployment for as long as you are able (from what I have heard, this has the potential to drive up the company's unemployment insurance payments.) Apply for unemployment *tomorrow* if you have not done so already. It will take a number of weeks to kick in.

I'm sorry for your troubles, and I hope that you are able to find a better job.

I am not knowledgeable enough about finance to know how this would work, but the scandal ridden father and son buy a company that is going down the drain and don’t want people to know who bought the company. The typical reason to buy a dying company is to sell it for parts. But I wonder if this is a money laundering scheme to get the money out of California and disguise the money as a loss.

I would do the following:
1. Determine if the current owners or former owners are legally required to pay you for the vacation time.

2. I would contact ICE. They just completed raids on many 7Eleven's over undocumented workers who were being paid less than minimum wage as well as other abuses. It isn't just that the workers are undocumented. Not paying them a legal wage is a separate legal offense. Also, ICE is federal and probably won't be swayed by local concerns.

3. I would contact whoever is pursuing the father and son in California, whether it be a prosecutor or plaintiff's attorney. I would specifically tell them that you were told to keep their ownership a secret, because of the California problem. If this is a money laundering scheme to get out of their California obligations, they could face further penalties or prosecution.

I wonder what elderolddog would say about this scenario.

Good luck, and I am sorry that you lost your job.

From the little I know about them, they are already on the watchlist of some environmental groups. I would cherish EOD’s thoughts. But hey EOD, don’t force me to interpret your usual sarcasm (which I dearly love and appreciate) and just tell me straight. :)

I've been in your shoes and am very sorry for what you are going through.
You mentioned several goals here - getting your vacation, alerting the feds to illegal practices, and helping the new owners get what they are karmically entitled to.
It sounds like they did buy the business with the intention of stripping its assets and shutting it down, a common corporate practice.
Do you plan or want to stay in this one-company county, or do you have family here who cannot leave? Are you going to need references to get another job? Do you want to stay in the same industry or can you find something in another area?
I ask because you need to think about how public you want to be with this, and the consequences of being publicly identified as aiding in the downfall of a company that employs so many.
Some tips from a former member of the media:
Never initially give your real name when contacting the media. They are under no obligation to keep their promises about preserving your privacy. Give them a piece of confidential information they can independently verify that will show them you have a legitimate story and aren't one of the many crazy people who plague them daily. Get a burner phone, type all communication and never hand write anything. The new owners have PR resources to spin this to make them look good. Don't let them falsely portray you as being the guy who drove the company out of business. Libraries in other areas are good places to use computers to e-mail. Set up a google account that does not contain your real name in the address. Anyone competent with computers can determine the address of your home computer and with it your identity.
If you want to involve ICE, consider doing it anonymously or call an office in another state. Inquire if there will be a reward and under what circumstances they will disclose your identity.
Loved your paragraph about the bathroom light and the convenience store. Hope your next job is better than the last and that you have more opportunities to share your sharp sense of humor.

You definietly gave things to consider about living in a small area and getting along. Thank you

I only really know about insurance and golf and finding things out. As a PI, I have access to cheap, focused information, and of course there’s a reason the client wants to find that information. Usually it involves finding someone. I don’t have any insights in this current situation.

Here’s what I’m seeing in terms of the facts you’ve presented…

An ailing company found a way to sort of bow out gracelessly. The purchasers apparently feel that they can make some money by dumping American citizens who know about minimum wages and workers comp, etc., and replacing them with really grateful immigrants who have been promised things they’ll never, ever attain.

I’m sorry to say that if the original company was failing (which seems hard to do in the current go-go economy), the successor company can only succeed by lowering expenses, which is why you’re outside, looking in. They were so rude that they didn’t even bother to pay to teach your lower paid replacement!

As an introvert (like me) you’re probably not enthusiastic about being an informant and trying to make some money off your insider knowledge.

So how can we help you find a job? Can you move?


ETA: email me if you want to get down to some nitty-gritty! just add @gmail.com, if you know what I mean.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2018 11:17PM by elderolddog.

EOD, thank you...

incognitotoday Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> So, I live in rural Utah. The kind of place where
> if I drive from my small town to another small
> town and stop for gas, the cashier could tell me
> that Joe from a third small town heard from
> someone that my bathroom light wasn’t on at 4:30
> am and do I have bowel issues.

"wasn't on" ? or was on?

just trying to be sure that I understand how that small town stuff actually works!


> If so, there’s an
> oil for that and would you like to be in my MLM
> downline?

Don't worry, people will readily stick a screw driver or kitchen knife in any other person's back to use as a foot hold to climb over that other person for personal gain .....even in the ultra charming environments of the big city Urban areas!

In a way, on or off doesn’t matter. It’s which ever one that’s typical and wasn’t ‘today.’ Just know the watchers are watching... :D