So, I've been working in an overly ambitious startup for a year and a half. Everything was a mess when I joined the team but as a project manager, eventually I managed to set things somewhat straight. After the silent launch, top management started to waste the money invested into the startup without any income. Extra employees, office expansion, sales campaigns, etc. At one point, when investors realized that nothing is really improving, and there are no actual increments(because e-commerce startup with 1 developer is a joke) in the product, they left.
So, as a “cost optimization” a lot of employees that were not really needed from the very beginning got fired. We had to switch to remote work. Team reduced to around 5 people (There were around 20 people at the peak).
Somewhere around April or May, salaries started to come in late but it was not that critical. We were trying to develop stuff, introduce new increments but due to the fact that stakeholders had a very vague vision, there were constant changes and arguments regarding the work not being done correctly. So, now it is September 1, 2022, our payday, and we get notified that salary is going to be a bit late, and the exact date will be announced later. The announcement gets dragged out until October 15.
October 15, we are ignored for the whole day, and in the evening, CEO tells us that with a 100% guarantee, we are going to be paid on November 11, both for September, October, plus compensation for the late payment. I am the only provider in my family, so in order to survive I am forced to get myself into loans.
Okay, fast-forward to November 11. We get only the first half – the September paycheck. We are being told that the rest is going to come in 10 days. Okay, 10 days pass, and we are ignored for the most part of the day once again. Eventually, what we hear is “We are expecting funds from potential investors, so there is no defined date”.
Obviously, I immediately leave the job, even though there were attempts to retain me. I found a better a job, in a much better place. But this does not remove my loans that I have to pay because of my previous company. So, I am somewhat lost right now, and I have no idea what I can do in this kind of situation. The one thing I know is that I definitely want to get my money from my previous workplace but I am not sure what legal ways are there to do so.