My girlfriend quit her job a few weeks ago after not being paid for 8 weeks. They had asked her to work from home after she got COVID, and assured her she’d be getting worker’s compensation and the hours she was working would cover the difference. Worker’s comp never came through, and she never got the pay for the hours she was working.
I told her after two pay cycles (4 weeks) she needed to contact the NLRB and talk to the IO about what was happening. I’ve tried to follow up on this whole thing with her for nearly a month, and finally found out she had contacted the Department of Labor and not the NLRB, and now she doesn’t want to pursue action against the company, effectively putting us out thousands of dollars. The only recourse the Department of Labor suggested was to hire an attorney and take the company to court, but the cheapest attorney wants $4300 as a retainer up front.
Needless to say, my girlfriend is disenfranchised with the whole situation and wants to just let it go. I grew up in a very pro-union household, so this whole situation has me angry because she has no representation to help her. If I had the means, I’d hire an attorney for her but I only have my disability from the VA and it’s not enough to cover the expense, and the clock for the statute of limitations is about six months.
Don’t mess around if you’re not being paid by your employer, contact the NLRB and get in a claim. Don’t be a victim of corporate greed, they will take advantage of your and they absolutely count on you not being willing or able to fight back.