With Holding Paycheck

Have you called, or stopped by the office? I would try the accounts payable or payroll department to see if at minimum, a request has been put in.

Is the school part of a township? If so, call the main administration office and ask them. If not, go in (in person) and inquire as to the status. If you worked, you get paid. Doesn't matter if you went back or not.

In Texas, we have the Pay Day Law. If an employee quits, I have until the next pay period to send them their check; however, if I terminate them, I must have their check to them within 6 days.

Go on line and check your labor laws in your state. Then, once armed with the information, send a letter to the principle/HR and site the law and let them know that they have not complied and you would like the check cut to you immediately.

Last time I checked, most people don't work for free! $50 is a lot ot money!!!!

I'm just wondering if all your paperwork was completed before you began your one day job. Otherwise i would think they would be paying you by now.

Some schools only pay once a month so six weeks isn't horribly long but yet, you need to be paid. Being the end of the year principals are really busy and an email may slip through the cracks. Go in to the school and politely inquire if there is paperwork you need to finish or anything else that may be holding up your pay for that day. Keep in mind the check may be handled by a business office in another part of the district and it could be out of the principal's control.

$50 fo rme right now is: a full tank of gas, a splurge at the thrift store, groceries for the week (I live alone), mani, pedi and several bottles of new nail color, a visit to Walgreens to pickup film that I found and wanted developed, etc.

You get my drift. Get your money!

Talk to your state's department of labor. Most likely they will send a letter of warning to the school and you will get your check shortly thereafter.

The principal is not the person to deal with. Contact the treasurer of the school district; some districts also use the title of chief financial officer. This person is the supervisor over the payroll department. Explain your situation, definitely don't let it go. You are due 1 day's pay regardless of the what the amount is.

Updated

The principal is not the person to deal with. Contact the treasurer of the school district; some districts also use the title of chief financial officer. This person is the supervisor over the payroll department. Explain your situation, definitely don't let it go. You are due 1 day's pay regardless of the what the amount is.

Keep your documentation.

I sub at a public school and I have always been paid just like clockwork every 2 weeks, direct deposit for the last 10+ yrs.

If it is a very small private school, they may handle things differently.

Don't just let it go.. they owe you for the day's work.

It's a $50 lesson. The lesson is to ensure payment, show up personally.

Oddly, the class is refunded in full if you pass. :)

If it is a public school don't write it off just yet. From my experience after working in a college it can take a LONG time for one time subs to be paid: first your hire paperwork has to be processed, then your termination paperwork has to be processed and the your check can be cut. I have had short term employees wait for up to 3 months for their checks, usually because a minor detail in their hire paperwork was missing. Again if this is a public school just contact the district's payroll office and inquire, if you keep calling it will eventually get resolved.
Good luck.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease. It sounds like they are dragging their feet. I suggest going to the HR offices in person and requesting your check. If they say "It's in the mail", demand some kind of physical confirmation that it's been submitted, get names, phone numbers, and an exact date it should arrive. Then, tell them you'll call the labor bureau if it doesn't arrive.

That $50 is yours, not theirs. I consider that theft.

Why don't you just go into the office.
I work in HR and when someone leaves, for whatever reason, their paycheck is made ready for them basically immediately.
We have them come in and sign a change in employment status form. In your case, you left voluntarily. We have you sign for your final paycheck and initial the form saying that we provided you with information about unemployment, etc.

We don't mail final paychecks as a matter of course. We document our attempts to contact the employee and then we go through the process of trying to mail. However, that is never the first step.

We had an employee who was caught clocking in and out on her cell phone and never going to her shifts. She had the nerve to call wanting more hours and the boss talked to her and told her to come in as her final paycheck was waiting for her. She got busted getting paid for shifts she wasn't there for and we had to let her go. She hung up on my boss and has yet to come and get her check. In that instance, she likely never will because she knows she got caught and she isn't going to face us.
We can't legally withhold her check, but she's not returning our phone calls either. It's our policy that one signs for their final paycheck.

We did have an employee who went out of state to care for a family member and realized she couldn't come back. We dealt with that through the mail, but typically, there's not a reason you can't go in and pick up your check.

If I were you, I would forego the e-mailing and just go in.
Document the time, the date, the person you speak with and ask for a date that your check will be ready. It could be sitting there in the office for all you know. They may just need for you to actually sign for it and close out your file.

That's how we do it in California. I've never worked anywhere that just typically mails final paychecks.

Just my opinion.

Hi T.-

I sub regularly in my rural school district. Even a few years ago, when I signed on...everything was handled 'on line'...from direct deposits...to a virtual window where I can 'see' my deposits...with holding info etc.

Maybe you neglected to do the 'online' stuff? Or failed to check your account that it may have been deposited in?

Just a thought.
Best Luck!
michele/cat

***ETA

It did take several weeks to get that first check BTW****

No, don't let it go. You earned the money and they need to pay it.

You should speak to someone in the accounting or business office. Ask them if there is a problem. If there aren't any problems, then tell them they have 5 business days to get a check to you or you will turn them in to the Labor Board. Hopefully you have something like that in your state.

I would then follow-up with a confirmatory letter confirming what you've told them and what they've told you and that if you are not paid, you will file a complaint with the proper authorities/agency.

I think it may depend on if all the paperwork was completed ahead of time and at least here anyway you have have to do direct deposit. Also it depends on when their pay periods are (here is is the 15 & 31 so it would seem normal to expect to wait up to four weeks if you worked just after the cut off for one period). Six weeks does seem a bit long...

You said you have been emailing back and forth...what did the emails actually say? Can you check w/ the HR office?

Hmmm. Yes $50 is not a ton, but shoot, it's $50!! If you feel like you can have a professional relationship and attitude (it sounds like maybe things weren't great when you left???) then I would probably just go up there and ask to speak with the HR person. It's not right for them not to pay you, regardless of the situation. If you think it would help, I would email the principal one last time and say something like hey, it's no problem if you can't mail it, I will be there in person on such and such day to pick it up. Either she'll get it in the mail ASAP or you can deal with the issue in person!

It's probably a huge papertrail thing goin on....
Print out all of your emails and send them to the school as a physical reminder that they still owe you some cash.

I used to sub, they were close to 6 weeks behind on the checks. Not that they ran behind, but thats how long it normally took to get the checks out. Call HR or.administration if I doesnt come soon.

NO, do not "chalk it up to experience". You are entitled to your check.

It was right to start with the principal as he was your boss, but he has nothing to do with your paycheck. You need to check with the Board of Ed. If you're not working, print out those e-mails and go make a personal visit.

I would call the school admin office and ask them what is going on. The principle doesn't write the checks does she? I would think a school district would have a central payroll office. I would not even think the principal was the one to contact but then I really don't know.

contact the district office, then the school board, then a newspaper (What's Your Problem in the trib). It may only be one day, but they owe you that pay.

It's illegal for them not to pay you in a timely fashion. Ask who is in charge of payroll at the school. Let them know that they have had more than enough time to sort through this, and if you don't have your paycheck in hand by the end of the day tomorrow, you'll contact the state's labor board. At least in California, there are severe penalties to employers for withholding pay from an employee (even if it's only a few hours' pay). Google the employment laws for your state so you are informed before you call the school. Good luck.