I have worked remotely for a family company for seven months. They have paid me 12 an hour despite saying they would pay me 15, saying that I haven't earned it yet.
My only job is to spam a salesy script that they write, and to spam 800 people a day. No one responds, and the rare people that do I book on the calendar so they can try and make that person a client.
I started doing my own script this past two weeks because I've been frustrated with zero response, and these past two weeks it has resulted in 5 people booked on the calendar a day.
It was my fault for taking initiative apparently, because they are now saying that they are disappointed I haven't had this earlier.
They are also upset that I have streamlined this so instead of spending 40 hours spamming people, I only have to spend 20 hours doing it. I have been getting more bookings, so I figured this was fine.
Now he is saying that this company is losing money and it's all my fault for not having these results earlier.
That clearly I was only working 10 hours a week before and now owe them hours.
And that from now on he's only going to pay me for 15 hours a week, but I am “allowed” (which means expected) to work 40 hours a week but only get paid 15, to “make it up to them for robbing them.”
It isn't my fault that every client I have gotten them the last seven months has left after only a month or two seeing how terrible of a marketing company they are. They have no idea what they are doing.
There's only one employee who actually knows what he is doing, and he's the only reason why clients stay, because he's great at paid ads.
So the family is scapegoating me for the company going under, and are now demanding that I work 25 hours for free.
Obviously I am not doing that. What he doesn't know is that in the past two months I have been creating my own business and getting my own clients that adore me and continually pay me more money, to the point where losing what he would pay me sucks because less money toward student debt, but doesn't actually impact me negatively overall.
I didn't sign a contract saying that I would work for free, but I am wondering if he can somehow bite me legally for the hours I “owe” him. When he has no idea how many hours I've worked and haven't worked for the past seven months.
I just want to make sure I'm covered before quitting. I'm just going to work until payday, send over my documents and spreadsheets, and quit right after being paid. Thank you for the help