Years ago I secured a job working at a boardgame cafe. I was excited to work there as I had barista experience and liked nerdy things. Quickly though I found the management to be questionable as they didn't really check in with staff and also for some reason didn't advertise at all that they were opening, hoping that their reputation would be enough. Obviously this didn't work out and they fired half of their small staff a week after opening, myself included.
Now I was already a little annoyed at the manager as they hadn't paid me properly. For one where I live, you must pay a minimum of 3 hours even if you worked less. Which they did not. Also they refused to give us our tips until we met their “standards” in properly making drinks. To top this off, because we served alcohol they were allowed to pay below minimum wage because WE COULD GET TIPS.
On my final paycheck they never gave me my tips because they said I didn't meet their standards or pay me properly for the 10 hours of training because they did 2 hours at a time (and had to pay me for 3 still). Eventually once I sent them an email saying how worker's rights required them to pay me a minimum of three hours they did pay me properly. They said they had “misunderstood” but still never gave me my tips and I'm guessing no one else. Which I now recognize as wage theft since they were therefore paying below minimum wage illegally.
Also this business encouraged us to come in and learn games when we weren't working and wouldn't get paid to do it.
Realized I dodge a bullet but really wish more of the young people working were educated on worker rights or spoke up.