‘You can’t do this': Manager cuts 3 hours out of senior employee's wages after employee's 13.5-hour shift ‘didn’t meet his standards', then backpedals when employee turns to HR

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Dec 27, 2023 12:00 PM EST

New management just always seems to mess up the thriving environment they arrive in, taking senior employees for granted and playing with their wages as if salaries are part of a game.

This manager was only two weeks into his new job, and already wreaked the type of havoc that can result in mass resignations… He told one of the senior employees, OP, that he was cutting three hours of work out of a shift because he had looked at the cameras and seen that OP wasn't 'working' to his standard. OP had been working at the movie theatre for five years, and wasn't about to be bossed around by a newbie, so first, he did what many employees do… turn to Reddit. Then, he wrote his boss some long messages explaining that he was technically not allowed to cut his employee's wages on a whim, and finally, he decided enough was enough and went to HR.

That's when things went really haywire, and his boss did everything in his power to get OP to stop… Scroll down to read how they both dealt with the situation. Then, check out this manager who canceled a project, leaving his freelance employee in the dust, and refusing to pay him for the work he'd done.

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  • 01
    My boss won't be paying me for 3 hours of a shift I worked because it wasn't up to his "standard"
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 02
    I am furious. Context: This happened the day before Christmas eve and I had worked a 13.5 hour long shift. I work at a movie theatre, and have for over 5 years. I know the inner workings of this building like the back of my hand. The job requires late nights because you can't leave until the final film has
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 03
    finished showing, but because we where doing some special screenings, the final film finished at 1am (which is over an hour past usual time.) The expectation is each day I am given a list of tasks to complete after we close, and once I am done I need to stay on site to be with the manager for safety reasons (evacuations, robberies, ect) (I also heard it has
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 04
    something todo with ensuring that the manager isn't stealing from the safe, but have no way of fact checking this). I have worked here for 5 years and the standard is, once you complete you're tasks, being on site is mandatory and I must finish my shift to it's rostered time.
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 05
    The manager checked my standard of close, and concluded that all tasks where finished to a good standard for the evening and I was welcome to sit with her while she finished her close. Although I may not of been actively been moving around, all the work required of me was done. I also still consider myself working. I was prepared to talk and handle any
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 06
    customer enquiries, and was prepared to handle any situations that my of popped up, again like an evacuation. I was on the site till 1am, as this was my rostered hours, and I have always been expected to stay after all tasks are completed. The next day (Christmas eve) our new boss, (who's been on site for less then 2 weeks) called me into his office for
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 07
    an 80 MINUTE meeting. He said he checked the security cameras and saw that I didn't do any work after I had finished my close, even though I was not instructed todo anything else with permission of my manager who has authority over me. I asked him what I was supposed todo, considering I was never given additional jobs todo, and my manager had said it was okay to have a rest (again, 13.5 hour shift till
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 08
    1am) He says I have worked here long enough that I should of been able to identify extra jobs todo, and that he will not be paying me for hours I did not work. (again, I feel as though I was definitely working). He was punishing me for working to efficiently. This also expectation was never verbally explained to neither me nor the manager on duty. She was not told that additional tasks need to be
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 09
    given out, and I was not told I need to find additional jobs for myself todo REGARDLESS of what my manager tells me. The manager also finished her close early too, but she was aloud to be paid for the entire shift even though she did not do additional jobs. The contract tells me that my shift can not be cut without 4 hours notice or my consent, which I feel this a violation of. Not to mention he NEVER
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 10
    TOLD ME he cut my hours. I had a feeling he may have after my meeting, so I asked another manager to check and sure enough. He wants to meet with me ON CHRISTMAS to talk further about it. Again, there has never been a culture at my work that additional tasks need to be carried out once the set list of jobs have been completed. I have worked with at least 7 location managers at my time
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 11
    here, and this has always been the standard. I feel as though he can't just expect me to know what his standard of practises are without being vocal or setting expectations first.
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 12

    Update

    Update: I sent a series of messages to him explaining he has broken the law, and that I felt uncomfortable speaking to him directly without going to HR first. Unfortunately he dropped by on my Christmas shift and hit me with the "I know something you don't know" and said If I have time after my close I might want to hear him out. I had only 20 minutes left so the meeting wasn't very thorough. He told me that he had no
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 13
    intentions of not paying me for a shift that I had worked even though I have CLEAR AS DAY, BLACK AND WHITE, NO DEBATE PROOF IN WRITING (screen shotted of course) saying "The adjustment made to your pay accurately reflects the work completed towards close after the last film on Saturday. I've paid until 11:10pm which is 30 minutes
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 14
    after you sat down in case you hadn't taken a second break." (reminder I was WORKING till 1am) So he lied to my face directly and contradicted his own words from only several hours ago. He then said he only changed my pay "to have a look at something" which is the biggest load of a human has ever said to me
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 15
    (You don't just play with timesheets because you have to look at something). But after saying I am going to HR, MY PAY HAS BEEN REINSTATED (although I understand why it's important I go to HR regardless, so this never happens again or something similar)
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 16
    but not after he told me "I can't of done anything wrong as payroll is processed on a Wednesday so I haven't not paid you for anything yet" Biggest back petal I could image BUT HERE IS THE KICKER: Man, said he reviewed the footage (and for privacy reasons I won't say what but saw an incredibly minor rule break happen by the
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 17
    manager) in the security footage and told me that "HR will look through the footage to prove you worked the shift and see Manager doing X" "And you don't want her to get in trouble do you, cause she will"
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 18
    He also said something to the effect of you will go down with me because "I signed a contract that I wouldn't be in the office" (I have read the contract many times and don't know about this, but for sake of argument assume he is right) But it is hilarious he thinks I give a about a slap on the wrist when dude is actually breaking the law
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 19
    This feels like he is blackmailing me from going to HR. He also had the audacity to ask if I could "meet in the middle" and remove 2 hours from my shift this morning. I told him "under no circumstances will I consent to this"
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 20
    I told him my final day will be on the third, and bro took it like a shu un blast to the gut. He raised his voice saying it was an overreaction I have spoken to the 4 managers who report to him and an intervention will be taking place tomorrow
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 21
    If anyone has advice, please let me know I will say, seeing almost 200 comments saying my boss is an my Christmas :) did help save
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 22
    taylor914 49 min. ago If the rule breaking was minor, HR won't give two about it because they'll be too busy making sure he doesn't get them sued and a hefty fine from the feds. At most, they might slap the manager on the wrist and tell them not to do it again so they look like they're being fair and then can come down on boss. Vote Reply Share
    via u/taylor914
  • 23
    WeebingDaddu OP · 48 min. ago I agree, although the manager is scared because they have a new job in a month and need to declare any run ins with HR, getting in trouble, rule breaking ect. Although I assured her she will be okay, for her safety I wanted to evaluate all my options first. He also talked the issue up like it wasn't minor, but I am convinced he is using scare tactics
    via u/WeebingDaddu
  • 24
    sevbenup - 21 min. ago yeah! you handled that well it seems. Oh and your boss is an Vote Reply Share
    via u/sevbenup
  • 25
    LordMarcusrax 12 min. ago Can you smell this? It's fear! Also Vote but fear, more relevantly. Reply Share
    via u/LordMarcusrax

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salary boss micromanager manager shifts new management upper management movie theater underpaid employees overworked-employees payment work shift senior employee
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