This was many many moons ago. 1985ish. I was a chem lab tech in a privately owned metallurgical testing lab. I made standardized acid solutions of metal samples submitted. I was the only one that could do a few metals (titanium for example). Boss even volunteered a raise ($1/hr on top of $15).
I enjoyed a terrific relationship with even in the building. But the owner was a prick. Now I am young and had some money issues. This job was helping me get caught up. I was still paycheck to paycheck and rent had to be carefully planned. On too of all this there were rumors of ash flow issues in the front office.
Friday comes, its the 31st. Remt due tomorrow. I’m handed a nice paycheck. I drive to his bank to cash so I can pay rent on time in cash. They say “sorry, this account has no funds”.
Owner arrives at 8am like clockwork every day. I show up at 7:30 with a cuppa tea and awaited his arrival. Work boots on his desk. He walks in “whats up with this”?
I respond by tossing his rubber check at him and ask the same “whats up with THIS?”
He looks at it, realizes his problem, pulls out his wallet and peels off my paycheck plus $200. “This should cover it”.
It did, i folded the dough into my pocket walked out and never looked back. Never heard from anyone at the company. I did notice the building up for lease the next spring.