'I made them pay $700 for their greed': Cheap boss refuses to fork out PTO, ends up paying $4,062 on his employee's final paycheck in overtime pay

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Nov 28, 2023 12:00 PM EST

Sometimes companies think they're being smart when they utilize loopholes to rip off their employees. Despite their insistence that every worker is like "family" or that their employees are the heart of the business, most companies will take any opportunity to cut corners on pay, deny raises, and if possible, skimp out on PTO. But when employees are pressed into a corner on the details of their paycheck, perhaps they can find a few loopholes of their own as revenge. 

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  • 01
    "In their effort. to rip me off, I made them pay"
    via u/canva

  • In our next story, one employee does just that, leaning into the fine print on his workplace's PTO policy. After being told that he wouldn't see a scrap of pay for his remaining 55 hours of PTO, u/AnIdeaMan decided to take matters into his own hands and, with managerial approval, stick it to the big man.  

  • Scroll to enjoy this wholehearted tale of detail-oriented payback brought to you by malicious compliance and a fat final paycheck. This proves that when companies try to squeeze their employees for all they're worth, they're left with a sour taste in their mouth and a few less doubloons in their pocket. After this, read more about some more workplace drama with this tale of an employee that got the boot after being promised a promotion. 

  • 02
    Posted by u/AnIdeaMan 17 hours ago "Won't pay out my PTO? Well can I take PTO and work?" S OC At my last job I given them notice, and I had assumed they'd cut me a check for the 55 hours of PTO I had left over.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 03
    But no, they said I would lose it if I don't use it. So I went ahead and used my PTO for the last 55 hours I was scheduled to work because I wasn't about to waste that. But then I remembered a time a few weeks back.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 04
    I had taken PTO, but then I had worked about 30 minutes into my PTO. I ended up earning time and half, as with my PTO + 30 minutes of extra work. I enjoyed my co-workers, I wouldn't working...so I sent an email to my manager
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 05
    "Hey Mark, I know we are a bit understaff and I know I took PTO already, but I wouldn't mind working anyway, is that OK to work?" Mark responds "Yes, we'd be happy to have you"
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 06
    My hourly rate was $25 at that point, time and half puts me at $37.50, which I was fine with earning. So come my second hour of Thursday I will be earning time and half.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 07
    So I worked, had fun, come Monday after my last day my old boss calls me and says "Did you work 135 hours last pay period?" "No, I worked 80 hours, and I used 55 hours of PTO" "Cause, like your overtime pay put us over budget" I said "yea, that ...you did say I was good to work despite the fact I had scheduled PTO right?" Him "Um...I did..." "Yea, thanks" He starts laughing
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 08
    Company now pays out PTO when you quit cause of me. In the end they paid me $2,062 in overtime pay plus the 80 hours I worked earned me $2,000. So typically 80 hours of work would cost them $2,000, but because they wouldn't pay me out my PTO they ended up paying double, when they could have just cut me a check for $1,375 and saved $700.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 09
    Essentially in their effort to rip me off my benefit, I made them pay $700 for their greed. I made sure to get permission to come to work, despite the fact that I had already scheduled my PTO. FYI previously in another interaction I was told once PTO was approved...it can't be canceled.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 10
    • In my state not paying out for PTO is perfectly legal and fine • In my company PTO is treated in terms of pay the same as hours worked. So in a bi-weekly pay period I'm scheduled to work 80 hours (40 hours per week), I noticed if overtime pay went above 40 hours I still got paid time and a half.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 11
    So here is the math, I was supposed to work 80 hours. I had 55 hours of PTO to use. So I took all of that, which mean I was going work 35 hours, and take off 55 hours. Now instead of taking those 55 hours, I worked them.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 12
    But I was still using PTO. So I got my $25 for my 80 hours, and then I got $37.5 per hour for my 55 hours. This resulted in a gross pay of $4,062 Had the company simply wrote me a check for my PTO that would have been $1,375, plus my 80 hours would have been $2,000 for a total of $3,375...So the company basically paid me $700 more then they could have because they were trying to be greedy.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 13
    zorggalacticus. 15 hr. ago Just left my last job. They paid out my pto, but they treated it like a normal check and took out taxes, insurance, 401k, social security, etc. They already took all of that out of my paycheck for the week. Took almost half of my pto. Only thing was supposed to come out of it was taxes. I threatened to get a lawyer, they said go ahead. Nothing you can do. Soon as the lawyer's office sent them a letter I got a deposit for more than what they owed me. The lawyer didn't e
    via u/zorggalacticus
  • 14
    UsernameIsTaken0_o 17 hr. ago How did you get time and a half on your PTO? I've never heard of any job counting PTO towards regular worked hours. Vote Reply Share clarkcox3 16 hr. ago PTO always shows up as regular worked hours on my paystubs. If I take one week off, and work one week, my paystub will show that I have 80 hours. Frankly, calculating taxes would be insane if they didn't treat them the same.
    via u/UsernameIsTakenO_o
  • 15
    Effective-Several 4 hr. ago Ahhh, isn't it wonderful... when a POLICY changes because of you...AND it benefits the employees. Reply Share Vote Wadsworth_McStumpy 3 hr. ago That's great! And you can enjoy the fact that 20 years from now, the employees will be talking about "that guy who got paid for 200+ hours in one week because they wouldn't pay out his PTO." (Trust me, the story will grow.)
    via u/Effective-Serval
  • 16
    AnIdeaMan OP. 3 hr. ago Lol I know, I have another story of me being the reason for a rule, and years later I heard the story (that I was a part) retold to me and it was far greater, and far more wonderful then I could have ever hoped.
    via u/AnIdeaMan
  • 17
    FoolishStone 5 hr. ago That's brilliant! But don't feel like they lost out. They got an extra 55 hours of work from you, for which you were paid the normal rate; then they paid you for your PTO at half your normal hourly rate. Glad you enjoy working and got extra $$$, but you gave value for it.
    via u/FoolishStone
  • 18
    18k_gold 15 hr. ago Nice, well done! I hate when a company tries to screw over an employee. Good to see that they got screwed over instead.
    via u/18k_gold
  • 19
    HolaItsEd 13 hr. ago Good for you if that was company policy (counting PTO towards overtime), but that was dumb on their part and not how it legally has to be paid (in the US). With some exception, overtime is only required after 40 worked hours.
    via u/HolaItsEd

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