Help with a Bad Boss in Houston, Texas

[Victoria of Houston]

Hi All,

Are any of you fine gents of the legal professional persuasion here in Houston, TX? If so, would you be willing to meet with me for a pro-bono counselling session?

I'm not looking to take any body to court, but I do have lots of questions I need help with. I basically just need someone willing to give me all the info and steer me in the right direction, so I can do what I need to do.

In a nutshell, I was working a civvy job for the past 2 years and some months, and recently left. There are many reasons I did, things like my boss contacting me 7 days a week to work, not paying for over time hours worked, etc and other issues.

I recently applied for unemployment with the TWC. I talked to someone on the phone there and he told me 2 interesting pieces of advice:

1. That she (the employer) isn't even registered as an LLC as she claims to be, and

2. That she has never reported wages in the over 6 years she has been in business, so they have nothing to go off of to award me unemployment.

I know this is wrong and illegal of her. I don't even care about getting money, I basically just want to understand this and find out how I can report her to whoever I need to report her to, so she can get in trouble for not paying taxes and for not conducting business properly.

I would also love to be able to get those unemployment benefits if any way possible.

If anyone is willing to meet with me in person and help, please let me know. It is greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

[ShysterJon]

Since you want a lawyer to provide you his training, experience, education, knowledge, and time for free, I'm sure you won't mind if lawyers contact you for free massage sessions.

[Victoria of Houston]

I get asked to coffee and dinner all the time, with no mention of compensation, so pretty much the same thing. :P

[Victoria of Houston]

I am also willing to consider trade for services, always, just fyi.

[GoldWing]

Not sure if you want to bring the attention to yourself but your employer is in violation of several regulations concerning employee pay. If you have previous payslips to prove your claim the IRS would be very much interested in his/her lack of payment to them for unemployment benefits. You can make a complaint to the IRS but like I said it would bring attention to yourself. Good luck though.

[Victoria of Houston]

Thank you. I have received advice as well in person, so have a better idea of what I can do in terms of getting her into trouble.

You are right in that it will bring attention to me, and I know she will know it is I who has reported her. I am fine with that, so onwards I shall proceed.

Thank you though, as well, for the kind advice.

[Flirtatousfemalefan]

Dear Victoria,
i am wondering what kind of records have you been keeping and do you have them organized and dated? This is critical because you will need a body of evidence. Also have the pay stubs from when you worked so they can be submitted into evidence as well. Also show the difference in what you got paid and what hours you actually worked. Also does this employer have any significant influence in the political community at large? At this point do you think that she has the ability to blackball you from future mainstream employment as well? I noticed that you said that she never reported wages for six years. I am wondering if she never paid taxes on your earnings. Also I am wondering were you paid with a check at this time or were you paid in cash so that she can get around taxes as well? Finally would you be able to get her tax ID so that you can see the activity that has gone on during the statutory time period or would you know someone who would be able to obtain that?

[DSK]

Originally Posted by Victoria of Houston

Hi All,

Are any of you fine gents of the legal professional persuasion here in Houston, TX? If so, would you be willing to meet with me for a pro-bono counselling session?

I'm not looking to take any body to court, but I do have lots of questions I need help with. I basically just need someone willing to give me all the info and steer me in the right direction, so I can do what I need to do.

In a nutshell, I was working a civvy job for the past 2 years and some months, and recently left. There are many reasons I did, things like my boss contacting me 7 days a week to work, not paying for over time hours worked, etc and other issues.

I recently applied for unemployment with the TWC. I talked to someone on the phone there and he told me 2 interesting pieces of advice:

1. That she (the employer) isn't even registered as an LLC as she claims to be, and

2. That she has never reported wages in the over 6 years she has been in business, so they have nothing to go off of to award me unemployment.

I know this is wrong and illegal of her. I don't even care about getting money, I basically just want to understand this and find out how I can report her to whoever I need to report her to, so she can get in trouble for not paying taxes and for not conducting business properly.

I would also love to be able to get those unemployment benefits if any way possible.

If anyone is willing to meet with me in person and help, please let me know. It is greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

Did she take taxes out of your check, or were you "contract labor"?

You may actually owe taxes yourself, be careful!!

[SkylerScarlett]

Originally Posted by DSK

Did she take taxes out of your check, or were you "contract labor"?

You may actually owe taxes yourself, be careful!!

Generally if this is the case you are better off going to a tax expert first and getting help. Not sure what they have in Houston but in Denver they have a firm called Advanced Tax Soutions and they have literally gone back like 7 years for some people, filed everything and in many cases the people were in fact owed refunds.