First off, not in the U.S. Secondly, non-English speaker.
My nephew quit his summer job yesterday officially. It was his first job out of high school and it was over payment. And I'm fucking proud of him and furious with his boss and people like him.
He decided in April to spent the summer working as a server on an island. While the pay is enticing (you can make in four months a year's worth of pay, without counting tips), the working conditions can be grueling (14 to 16 hours, 7 days a week under the hot sun). But he wanted to have money for a car down-payment, so I warned him for things to be careful off (since I own my own food business). But I did not expect what happened.
So, the restaurant he was working had a weird system about tips (since we don't have a tipping culture): if the customer pays in cash, any tip goes directly to the server; if the customer pays with a card and tips, the tip goes to a pool which is divided between servers and paid out every 15 days.
My nephew was to be paid his part of the pool on Monday after closing (along with the other servers). But instead of cash, they were given a starter pack of an MLM, because the owner's wife is a “boss babe”. When they asked for their tips, the owner said that the pack was better, because it was an investment!
My nephew took the pack, got to his room, packed his things, slept a couple of hours and first thing in the morning had booked a ticket back home. He called owner to tell him he was quitting while he was on the ship back. The owner had a few “choice” things to say and threatened legal action for “breach of contract”. He (the owner) “graciously” sent some threatening texts.
First thing today, I took him to the Labor office to place a complaint about withheld tips and threats. We are now sitting drinking beers, watching meat cooking, while expecting a call from a friend of mine for an opening (unfortunately, I have a full stuff and can't take him).