Hardware store employee refuses to cash his paychecks for 'religious reasons,' company threatens to take legal action: 'I'm wondering how he pays his bills'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 31, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Even after all this time, we still have the ability to surprise each other as humans. Even when we think we've seen it all… we haven't. People are usually so predictable. We have a general idea of what they're going to say, how they're going to act, and how they're going to dress. Sure, a few people may buck that system and do something totally unexpected, but not most of us, and not most of the time. We follow patterns and routines to the ground. We manage things on an even keel and keep the shock value to a minimum. 

But that doesn't stop someone from throwing convention right out the window when you least expect it. Like one person's coworker at their hardware store job. When they noticed a pile of envelopes in the break room, they couldn't help but start to ask some questions. But what followed was totally unexpected.

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  • 01

    Co worker refuses to accept paychecks. What's going to happen?

    So I work at a hardware store you have probably seen the commercials for, and I met this guy who has worked there for 10 weeks now and has refused to accept his paycheck. Let's call him Sheldon. Sheldon has a few envelopes on the desk in the
    via u/Veneer47
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10511254272
    via Alexey Demidov

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

  • Even more interestingly than someone refusing to cash their paychecks, though, was the company's response to it. One might think that they'd be happy to keep a few extra bucks, but that wasn't the case. For a variety of reasons, they were pretty upset. Read on to see what happened in this story. 

  • 03
    break room addressed to him that I guess he hasn't touched. Everyone is talking about this right now. Sheldon seems like a nice quiet, if a bit stand off ish at times kind of guy. The other day while he was restocking items I asked him why he never took home his checks. Sheldon told
    via u/Veneer47
  • 04
    me it was for "religious reasons". I smiled and told him sure, but you sighed a contract when you work here setting up how you wish to be paid. Sheldon said his reasons to the manager and I guess they thought he was joking. I heard through the grapevine that the upper managers are p ed this is
    via u/Veneer47
  • 05
    happening, and are thinking about taking him to court if this continues past his next paycheck. Sheldon works full time and works his a off when he's there, and I've been wondering how this is going to end. I asked him if they could pay him in anything else besides money and he told me no they can't, and he said that "it's not the point".
    via u/Veneer47
  • 06
    Has anyone ever heard of something like this happening before? I know they may just terminate him from the company, he's such a good but worker.
    via u/Veneer47
  • 07

    Commenters gave some ideas on what they thought was going on here.

    mildOrWILD65 • 3d ago Legally, he has to paid. He has no obligation to accept that pay. That's on him.
    via u/mildOrWILD65
  • 08
    Bellypats 3d ago . He is also legally required to pay taxes on those checks he isn't cashing.
    via u/Bellypats
  • 09
    theskillr 2d ago . its not that simple. say he saves up 52 paychecks and cashes all at once. Suddenly payroll is out 40k and cant make that weeks payroll. Or say he never cashes the checks, and later gets a change of heart, and trys to cash them and they are expired. Its a headache all round for everyone involved.
    via u/theskillr
  • 10
    nancylyn 3d ago Take him to court for what? It's not illegal to not cash your paycheck. The boss could tell him he's not allowed to leave the checks at work. That should take care of it. He can throw them away if he doesn't want the money.
    via u/nancylyn
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10511254784
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • 12
    TheFoxsWedding T... • 3d ago I worked with someone in 1998 at a tech company who would cash their checks and save the cash somewhere in their house because they were afraid of banks. It was impressive because this person made a decent amount of money. When 2008 rolled in I briefly thought "maybe they're on to something."
    via u/TheFoxsWedding
  • 13
    Professional_Ad_6....2d ago He's lying to you and gets direct deposits
    via u/Professional_Ad_6299
  • 14
    foodguyDoodguy • 2d ago Sheldon may have direct deposit and is messing with you.
    via u/foodguyDoodguy
  • 15
    • Intrepid_Bicycle78... 2d ago The helpful hardware man is also a bit of a malcontent. Those are direct deposit advice slips. Y'all are getting played
    via u/Intrepid_Bicycle7818
  • 16
    Nelyahin 3d ago Honestly, this is nuts. He can just donate that money. I'm baffled honestly
    via u/Nelyahin
  • 17
    MellyMJ72.2d ago I had a coworker who stopped depositing her paychecks as she lived with her dad who paid for everything. She has been putting them in savings, but received a tax form for the interest on the savings.
    via u/MellyMJ72
  • 18
    I explained that she was still coming out ahead, as interest less taxes on them was better than no interest. But she just kept repeating that she was losing money by saving.
    via u/MellyMJ72
  • 19
    She just saved the checks up at home but then they started expiring and HR said they'd let her go if she didn't accept her pay as they were concerned they'd get in trouble for allowing it to continue.
    via u/MellyMJ72
  • 20
    RustBucket59 · 3d ago I'm wondering how he pays his bills if he refuses his pay checks.
    via u/RustBucket59
  • 21
    Starbuck522 • 2d ago Ya... this doesn't work out if generations of people follow this same belief. This individual may have money from prior work or inheritance or parents, etc etc etc. But... someone worked for money at some point!
    via u/Starbuck522
  • 22
    windowschick • 3d ago Oh my god. I worked with a guy like this about 15 years ago. Deeply suspicious of financial institutions, despite being left a decent inheritance from an aged relative, he refused to deposit paychecks.
    via u/windowschick
  • 23
    IDK why the business didn't insist on direct deposit, but yeah. He'd just let paychecks expire. Like dude. You worked for that money. At least cash the check and IDK, bury it in a hole somewhere. Or stuff a mattress with it. But
    via u/windowschick
  • 24
    don't let your employer just keep it. First, you earned that money. Second, if it is a "live" check (and really? REALLY? just do direct deposit FFS), then the business needs to balance the books eventually.
    via u/windowschick
  • 25
    soopirV 2d ago • I had a pathologist I supported who would forget to collect his checks for weeks. He had ADHD like nobodies business, but between the lab secretary and I we'd just hand the checks off to my dudes wife every couple months (back in the 90s)
    via u/soopirV
  • 26
    Aware-Influence-8... 2d ago Ace is the place for check denial man...
    via u/Aware-Influence-8622
  • 27
    Dragline96 3d ago I very rarely side with an employer, but in this case. they have done everything correctly. If he doesn't want their money he is under no obligation whatsoever to accept it. I'm pretty sure they have no grounds for termination either.
    via u/Dragline96

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss workplace paycheck reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
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