After reading all the posts I have, I am wondering. Do employees have any kind of rights?

Thanks!

Sheryl

Employees have lots of rights. What seems to annoy many people is that employers do also.

No... What I think that's annoying people is not that the employers have rights, it's that employers seemed to almost be protected if they want to completely financially abuse their employees.

I am working at a place where no one, except the general manager who is salaried, has been paid in over 6 weeks and the owner of the company regularly raids the cash drawer for any bill over a 50.

It seems, based upon many of the responces I have seen here, that the only right that employees have is to file suit but when you're 6 weeks behind on your pay, to file a lawsuit would mean taking money from your food/gas fund to do so and maybe, you'll see a portion of what's owed to you in 6-8 months and definitely, you will loose you job.

In other states, there are agency that you can report this type of activity to who will intervene on behalf of the employees who are being treated unfairly. Apparently, Florida sees no such need.

In other states, there are agency that you can report this type of activity to who will intervene on behalf of the employees who are being treated unfairly. Apparently, Florida sees no such need.

And such is the biggest problem (although it's not as much "unfairly" as "illegally"). You're certainly welcome to lobby your state legislators.

It can't be called illegal activity if there are no laws to protect the employees from this behavior. Frankly, I think personally that it's fraudulent to employ and represent a salary and pay frequency to someone who you have no intention (or no means) of paying. It should be at minimum a 4th degree felony. It no different that me writing a check to someone from an account that has no money in it and I have no means or plan to put money in it. If I did that in the state of Florida and the check were over a certain dollar amount, I would be charged with a felony.

It IS illegal to refuse to pay employees.

You can go to the US DOL or file a civil suit.