Manager shorts pay and tries to get employee to quit, instead unknowingly saves him $18k and employed for 6 years: ‘I don’t steal from employers, unless they steal from me first.’

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Apr 19, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

Oh if only Reddit were around during the days of Johnny Cash. There would be even MORE work-related drama stories on there that are probably even MORE unbelievable. But, then again, would they be able to get away with as much as they did back then if the internet existed? Probably not. Definitely not. But, for now, we have Reddit and the satisfying stories of employees defying their greedy bosses to keep us happy. Take, for instance, this guy whose manager tried to short his paycheck! He hired him with three weeks paid vacation immediately, which is unheard of in the U.S. (I know, sux). So he was stoked, but it was obvious the boss thought he was just going to quit, or it would be easy to get him to want to quit, after his job was done before ever having to cash out on those paid days off. Oh, boy, was he wrong. He messed with the wrong employee…

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  • When this employee discovered the discrepancy in his paycheck he immediately talked to the professionals about it. Unfortunately,  they said they could get his money back, but it would take weeks and he would most likely be fired directly afterwards. Instead, this guy decided to take the long path of revenge. He spend the next 6 years working on getting his money back, and boy did he! Read the entire lowdown below. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10495578880
    via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    "Wage theft revenge"

    About 17 years ago, I took a job in Springfield MA, as a carpenter to build a rather large convenience store. He wasn't paying quite as much as I wanted, but he really liked my qualifications. So I negotiated for more vacation time. I don't think he originally planned to keep me on that long. He
    via DiverGoesDown
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    allowed me 3 weeks/year, accrued from day 1. Anyway fast forward 8 months, and the project is winding down. He probably wanted me to quit, so he moves me into the shop, helping his mechanic maintain his fleet of Mack trucks used to supply the other 28 stores he owns with fuel.
    via DiverGoesDown
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    Head mechanic and I hit it off well, and I don't mind the work, even tho it's a bit greasy. At the time, I was traveling a lot, my wife was doing well, and we were doing 3 vacations a year in the Caribbean (we are avid scuba divers)
    via DiverGoesDown
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    Fast forward two years. Had been back from my December vacation for about a month, and was getting psyched up for my February trip, when the owner pulls me aside after the morning meeting. He tells me that I have been getting extra vacation time erroneously. He
    via DiverGoesDown
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    tells me that I DO NOT have 6 days banked (like my last paycheck said), but that I was 6 days in the hole. I'm like ???" Anyways, he's all apologetic, says don't worry, it won't effect my upcoming trip, etc, and that eventually I will start accruing time again. Sure enough, next paycheck shows me at -6 days.
    via DiverGoesDown
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    Ped, I call DOL, tell them the company, and the situation. They literally say "Oh (owners name), ya he does this kinda stuff often". They explain how I can file a complaint, and they most likely could get my money back (12 days pay/$2400), but that I would most likely be fired that day). I didn't have anything lined up, so I decided to think about it for a couple days.
    via DiverGoesDown
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    So during my day, I bring trucks in and out of the shop (I grew up on a farm, and also have my CDL), brakejobs, oil change, etc. I decided on how I was going to get my money back. I have two five gallon gas cans and I siphon a couple gallons. out of every truck. Each truck has two 90 gallon tanks, so two gallons is only 1% of that, hardly noticeable. Sure, there's
    via DiverGoesDown
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    cameras in the shop, but if you know where they are, it's not hard to stay out of their sight. I take these two cans home every night and put it in my home heating oil tank. I did this for 6 years. I had a 330 gallon tank, so eventually, especially summer time, it would be full, and I couldn't take anymore. It used to cost
    via DiverGoesDown
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    anywhere from $2500-$4000 per year to heat my house, depending on the price of fuel. One winter, it was $3.89/gal. And I would use about 3 tanks a year.
    via DiverGoesDown
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    I don't steal from employers, unless they steal from me first. I figure I saved about $18,000 over 6 years, and only got screwed out of $2500.
    via DiverGoesDown
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    EAGLE
    via Unsplash+ (and Madelynn Woods)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    More-Jackfruit3010 It's not stealing if it's stealing back, and this is always done with fees & penalties. seriouslythisshit My old boss used to call it the "shole tax"
    via More-Jackfruit3010
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    Chance_Loss_1424 I hope during a particularly hard winter you took your wife in a loving embrace, looked deep into her eyes, and said "baby our house is heated by sholes." I salute your revenge sir.
    via Chance_Loss_1424
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    DiverGoes Down OP Haha, yes! I had to keep reminding her, because like any frugal wife, she wants to keep the house at 68F. Im like no way baby, free fuel = 74F!
    via DiverGoesDown
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    Zealousideal_Fail946 I feel ya'. I submitted a 268 dollar expense report from an offsite training job. They nickel and dimed me one item at a time over a six week period until all I was getting was 83 bucks. Over the next few months I took 90 minute lunches...read the newspaper and read magazines at my desk...used the company van (I was a vanpool
    via Zealousideal_Fail946
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    driver) to drive to the coffee shop for daily after meeting morning coffees...used the van to get me to my part time job...etc. They didn't even notice. I finally picked a moment and decided I got my money back and went back to a normal life. Those few months sure were nice...
    via Zealousideal_Fail946
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    FunHawk4092 My company recently nickel and dimed me for a $2.50 train ticket. Now I do part time hours for them but still get paid full time. If it's my admin day, I sit at home and watch Netflix on their time, whereas before I'd be open to helping out. I leave early. I steal stock, and when I am doing my job, I probably only do it at a 70% effort now.......well FAFO
    via FunHawk4092

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