Employee pressured to keep working after not receiving compensation for 2 pay cycles, maliciously complies with boss's orders: 'The work I perform reflects the pay you provide'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Oct 17, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Imagine having the audacity to compel your already overworked employee to apply himself after he hadn't received compensation for two pay cycles.

First of all, it's a huge red flag when a business owner cannot pay their employees on time. There better be a valid reason for it to happen once. If it happens twice, you should know that it's already time to start looking for better opportunities elsewhere.

Let's be real: paying your employees is literally the most important part of a business owner's responsibilities as an employer of others. Not everyone can afford to miss multiple pay cycles and trust that the money is on its way. People have families to feed and rent to pay. Part of being an employer is understanding the plight of the people who work for you, and yes, that does mean their basic responsibilities outside of the workplace as well. 

This employee decided he wasn't going to apply himself when his boss was not doing his own part as a responsible manager. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from members of this online community.

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  • 01
    A boss checks plans while standing over his desk.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • What's remarkable is that this boss actually expected his team of employees to take him seriously after he clearly messed up the billing process two times in a row. That is either a sign of gross incompetence or extreme financial instability, which of course, is even worse. 

    Hopefully, several other team members are following in the author's footsteps and are using their company time to apply for other jobs. It's what this business deserves at the end of the day.

  • 02

    "Company wants me to keep working despite not paying me for a month?"

    I worked for a small business. They didn't pay me for 2 pay cycles. I gave them the benefit of doubt since they always paid me on time for the past year.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 03
    But after a month of no pay, I just couldn't take it anymore. I told them that I was going to quit and they said that they would seek statutory damages if I quit without a weeks notice.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 04
    I laughed in their face but after contacting FairWork (government labour department) I was told that I had to legally work the one week notice period despite them not paying me.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 05
    So I did work a week there. But I logged into my mobile hotspot and spent the week searching for jobs (the company blocked job websites on their internet).
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 06
    I quickly switched tabs if my boss walked past. They didn't get any productivity from me. Luckily for me (especially in this job market), I got a part time gig from one of the jobs I applied for.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 07
    A tired businessman checks his watch while sitting at his desk.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    Dot_Infamous • 54m ago Why even switch tabs at that point? "The work I perform reflect the pay you provide. Problem?"
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 09
    AeonFinance · 56m ago Lol f that. Small claims and find a new job. You are volunteering
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 10
    Stat damages !? Let's see the judges face when you talk about that. Emotional damages and metal distress. Punitive damages for being a jerk. Stick it to the boss' unpaid payroll invoice and add another 100k on top
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 11
    Signal_Strawber... Report them to the . 47m ago Department of Labor. Also take them to small claims.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 12
    F_H_B⚫ 54m ago It is an exchange of your time and talent for their money, if one side does not keep their part, the other shouldn't keep going.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 13
    B. 48m ago Edited 46m ago • • In the US, most people are "at will" employees, meaning they can choose to show up for work or not, just as their employers can terminate their jobs at any time.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 14
    For your employer, payment of salary is not optional. Their failure to do so exposes them to all kinds of serious legal consequences at a company and personal
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 15
    level because in addition to non-payment of your salary, they are witholding taxes and contributing to unemployment insurance, etc...
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 16
    Even if a company can get away with not paying employees, they can't get away from not paying what they owe the government.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922
  • 17
    PAUL_DNAP • 45m ago If that were me and they went on about "statutory damages" then I would have politely informed then that they could take the one week's pay out of the two months that they owe me and let's call it even.
    via Clean_Flamingo_6922

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workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job malicious compliance work underpaid overworked-employees Horrible Bosses payment company money workplace malicious compliance toxic-work-environment
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