In March of 2020 I started working a part time job as a doorman in a fancy residential building in Manhattan on the weekends, this was fortunate because by the end of the month I was out of my bar manager job with no avenue for UI since I was paid cash. So this job became my only source of income. In September that year I started working full time after another employee retired early due to issues with an owner and how he was spoken too. His shift was offered to me as is, which included at 16 hour shift (7am-11pm) on Sunday after an 8 hour shift evening (3-11pm) on Saturday. No overtime. No meal allowance, this was the offer and I lept at the opportunity as I had been forced to live with my parents as I was taking in 1,000 a month and I have medical expenses. In New York City.
Flash-forward to present day, 18 months later, and I too am having issues with a resident speaking to me with disrespect and have decided to leave the job, because frankly my hours suck and I don’t get paid enough to be someone’s emotional punching bag. I over hear that there is an issue with my replacement. Apparently the shifts are being changed and one of the guys I work with doesn’t want that to happen and so he’s gone to the building board to request that his shift remain the same. So the new guy coming in is being forced to take my shift as is, double on Sunday, no overtime. No meal allowance. And this is guy isn’t having it because it’s a violation of union rules…… something I wasn’t aware of until now. My last week. I worked it out and I’ve lost out on 12 hours overtime ever week ( ~$200 after tax) plus a $15 meal allowance for the last 18 months. That’s about $15,000.
So I want my money but here’s the thing. The person who is my boss is also my step father. He worked with these rich people in the building to underpay me by THOUSANDS of dollars over the past 2 years, to say nothing of the previous employees who worked this shift before me. So I spoke with a union lawyer today and it’s a pretty open and shut case of wage theft. But if I sue for my stolen wages my boss, my step father, will almost definitely lose his job 2 years before he’s due to retire, because he falsified the pay roll to under pay me, and ~100,000 in expected income. Which my now retired mother will likely have budgeted her retirement around. I brought this up to him and he kinda just laughed in my face and said I can visit him in Florida once he’s retired if I don’t sue. Which is a fuck you if ever I heard one.
So I’m not sure what to do, do I sue my employer and get my step father fired thus ruining our admittedly strained relationship, and consequently tanking my relationship with my mother as well as injuring her financially? Do I eat shit and somehow try and act like this didn’t happen and he didn’t conspire with a bunch of millionaires to screw me out of 15,000 in the middle of the pandemic? Or do i press him to pay me the money I’m owed so he can keep his job and we both get to leave with a bag?
Idk, I’m not even sure I want advice but I just needed to put all this in writing because my head is spinning tryna keep it straight. Thanks to whoever actually read this far