TLDR: My paperwork I signed when I started working here says I work from 7 PM to 7 AM, but they require us to sign in at no later than 6:45 PM. At 6:46 PM you will receive a point and at 7 points you get fired. Since the paperwork I signed and they signed says 7 PM (even ADP says 7) but they’re giving out points and firing people for clocking in at 6:46 can I sue them for firing me over it if I get fired for this? What will I need for this to work? I left my family for this crappy job…
I am a Flexographic Print Press Operator and I’m not bad at it either (I tend to care too much and work too hard).
Last November I started working here and I was originally hired on for a non printing role because I was only planning on working here for 1-4 months and I just needed weed money.
Well after I told the lead operators what they were doing wrong I got promoted to a lead operator position with no pay increase. I was told that there was no pay difference so I just accepted the promotion and continued on with the original plan.
But I started to really enjoy this place and the people I work with and my pay.
I later found out when they hired new print operators they started them off $3 higher than my pay and they have no experience (I have 4 years of experience across multiple departments for this line of work). At first I didn’t care because I just started working slower and doing less than everyone since they wanna pay me less. But now they’re making us leave the print department and go to the extrusion department where I have 0 training or knowledge at and they just throw me out there expecting me to make gold outta s**t. The extrusion machine is broken so when it’s starting up (which takes a few hours bc it’s broken) you’re just inhaling the fumes from melting plastic. After my first 4 hours of constant exposure I started having issues breathing and was feeling lightheaded and dizzy. I now no longer wanna work here but my family already moved away and I stayed bc of the job bc prior to this I was planning on retiring here and everyone here knows this. Now I just feel like an underpaid jackass that everyone steps on.
When I got hired I was told the hours were 7-7 but after my first week I got a point and was told I have to clock in at least 15 mins early or I get a point. The paperwork I signed and ADP all state my hours are 7-7. If I clock in at 6:46 a few more times and get fired can I sue them for loss of wages since everyone knows I’m planning on retiring from this place?