Creative ways to screw over your employees (link within)

[EricKei]

http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/5...ver-employees/

I can personally vouch for the veracity of the temp hires and pay-by-card things, both via GameStore. As for the others...? Perhaps not so far-fetched.

[fireheart17]

There's been a big hoo ha lately in the media down here regarding clothing chains. As most people know, they're "encouraged" to wear the brands clothing to work. Unfortunately for a number of staff, the law states that if this is the case, the employees must be reimbursed for it or the clothing MUST be provided by the store, since its a "special" uniform.

[Tanasi]

A former VP in my company wanted to do the pay card thing and put a lot of pressure on me to institute it across the company. When I was researching it there were only a few companies at the time that offered that service and all were notoriously crooked. He kept pushing, I kept balking until he threatened to report me to the the Pres/CEO. I reported myself and this VP was told to shut up about it, direct deposits fees and check printing fees are just a cost of business. To tell the truth I don't have much faith in direct deposits.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, for the article:

#1: This is obvious to anyone who really does their research. Unfortunately, some people will still get stuck and it sucks to be them. But the ones who thrive are the ones that can sell people on impulse buys.

#2: I'm pretty sure there's a limit on how many employees can be temporary/contract on site versus how many are permanent. Same with part time versus full time. Whether this is for just California (I know CA trends worker-friendly compared to many other states, despite being an at will state) or for the nation, I can't say. Of course, when it's cheaper to pay fines than to actually follow the law, places like Walmart will continue to act like greedy bastards. Because they can.

#3) These things are an out and out ripoff. They're a penalty for people too poor or paranoid to have their own bank account. If it's a choice between this and nothing, look for another job. If it's this and direct deposit, get yourself a bank account; many credit unions will open one for as little as a $5 deposit with no fees.

#4) This was a bunch of shitty people doing shitty things because greed. It's pathetic that 7-11 couldn't manage to spot the issue. But if you're a criminal, you can't expect the people helping (and encouraging) you in your criminal endeavor to not also act like criminals.

#5) Holy crap, how is that law still on the books? They're spending more to work than they're making working.

Terry Farmer, CEO of ACCSES, a trade group that calls itself the "voice of disability service providers," said scrapping the provision could "force [disabled workers] to stay at home," enter rehabilitation, "or otherwise engage in unproductive and unsatisfactory activities."

They'd be better off staying at home. They could stuff envelopes for some rip-off work-at-home place and still be better off. I agree with the assessment that this should have gone the way of the dodo when the ADA was passed.

To tell the truth I don't have much faith in direct deposits.

I've been doing direct deposit for something like a decade, now. Our payroll is handled by ADP, and there's never been a hitch. Plus, I get paid whether I'm at the office or not and it's in my bank account that morning, without me having to wait for a paper check to be handed out.

[Nyoibo]

I don't think there's a company in Australia that hands out manual pay any more, everyone pays by direct deposit.

[Canarr]

I've been doing direct deposit for something like a decade, now. Our payroll is handled by ADP, and there's never been a hitch. Plus, I get paid whether I'm at the office or not and it's in my bank account that morning, without me having to wait for a paper check to be handed out.

Direct deposit is the norm in Germany. Hardly anybody uses checks these days, and companies stopped using them to pay their employees decades ago.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

#1) I think people just need to remember at one time Music Retail actually did have skilled and professional employees. The commissions were the result of enough spread between cost and retail that they were lower middle income jobs given the velocity of product sales. The best salesman were maybe upper middle income.

With the rise of the internet, there is no spread and the commission rates generally didn't change that much with them. You can spend 30 minutes to an hour selling one customer a 3000 dollar piece with a 200 dollar spread and come away with a 40 dollar commission. That's great, but you generally don't count on that many sales a day at those price levels. So when prices dropped, you needed velocity to pick up the slack. Unfortunately salespeople can only work as fast as their customers will allow them to.

It's just not a great system for the musical retail employee unless you want to staff almost exclusively hobbyist part time school kids and retirees. Even with the more reasonable spread in small goods (which are often purchased on the web because of their spread), it requires a velocity which is hard to maintain given that a music store is not WalMart, and even the busy ones have enough employees that you can end up with extended dead periods in your day.

[Panacea]

To tell the truth I don't have much faith in direct deposits.

That's a curious statement. Why?

[Ginger Tea]

Outside of cash in hand under the table wages, I think every employee in the UK receives their money by Direct Debit.
It's also handy when you get paid on a set date that the money would be there on the stroke of midnight (not that I was one to check at that hour) and not a X working days to clear cheque.

I never had a late payment, I had a few issues with my wage slip, I was once given someone elses by mistake, same last name and as I used my middle name it didn't seem odd at the time to see that initial instead of my first.
It was only when I opened it and saw how little in hours let alone income it was, that I double checked, the NI number wasn't even close.
Although one of the last pay slips I got was late due to one of the drivers taking mine, we had since gone on to printing full first names, he just saw the first name and walked off with it, mind you he probably didn't know or forgot cos I said it years ago that I didn't go by that name cept for official purposes like wages and banks.
But still TOTALLY different last names. I got it back opened, cue the how do you make that amount? Short answer, a truck tonne of over time, rarely did my basic 37.5 hours a week.

[NorthernZel]

I don't think there's a company in Australia that hands out manual pay any more, everyone pays by direct deposit.

Direct deposit is the norm in Germany. Hardly anybody uses checks these days, and companies stopped using them to pay their employees decades ago.

Same thing in Denmark. I don't even think that retail shops accept checks any more, now that every bank offers debit cards. I don't think I've seen or heard of pay checks being issued since... um... 1995, perhaps even before.

[Ginger Tea]

It's hard to remember a time where I didn't get paid by DD, buy stuff on a debit card and only need cash for beer money* as drinking and pin numbers don't mix, hell the amount of times I've almost and sometimes have entered my shopping total as a pin I would hate to be there drunk as a skunk possibly saying it out loud as I type and then 'loosing' my wallet.

I do still use cash though, but not as much as I used to and for smaller purchases. ! am not convinced of online purchases so would set up a 2nd account with naff all in it bar what I am about to spend.

[Tanasi]

That's a curious statement. Why?

I'm responsible for my companies payroll. I've had the run around from several banks when it comes to DD. One small credit union in St. Louis decided they wanted to do things their way that was very similar to the industry standard but still different. They wouldn't cooperate so I gave up and told the emps too bad you're getting paper checks, these banking institutions in your area work just fine. Then said credit union threatened a law-suit.
I think Am-South and BOA are the worst about changing routing numbers. What works today may or maynot work tomorrow.
Also employee's can't make up their minds. I've made it very clear there's a maximum to two deposits and the whole check must be deposited. All changes must be made in writing accompanied with a deposit slip from the accounts. Changes can only be made once per quarter. Some HR mgrs adhere to this policy very strictly others not so much. One employee tried to get a portion of his rent deposited into his landlords account each pay period so he wouldn't have to actually "pay" his rent. This came to me and I said no, we didn't take him to raise he can pay his own dang bills.
One guy's account seemed to be on permanent pre-note and no matter what we did it wouldn't clear. Turned out he hadn't asked prior permission from his back before trying.
Nope when it comes to DD color me a ludite.

[Nekojin]

I think Am-South and BOA are the worst about changing routing numbers. What works today may or maynot work tomorrow.

I've had direct deposit from a half-dozen employers to my BOA account over the past two decades, and never had a hitch.

Also employee's can't make up their minds. I've made it very clear there's a maximum to two deposits and the whole check must be deposited. All changes must be made in writing accompanied with a deposit slip from the accounts. Changes can only be made once per quarter.

Except for #3, these sound like petty, power-tripping rules from where I sit.

1.) Unless there's something I'm not aware of - fees from the banks, that sort of thing - why should it matter to you how many accounts someone splits their account into? It's a one-time change, and then handled automatically forever after.
2.) Again, why should it matter? You're handing a paycheck stub to each employee regardless, why does it matter if the "check" side has value or not?
3.) Reasonable; all changes should be documented for both the employees' and employer's protection.
4.) Why? I realize that you feel that people shouldn't be bank-hopping, but some people do. I realize that you don't want to have someone changing things every single paycheck; that's a pain in the butt. But sometimes it may become necessary to make a change that is sooner than 13 weeks from your last change.

Some HR mgrs adhere to this policy very strictly others not so much. One employee tried to get a portion of his rent deposited into his landlords account each pay period so he wouldn't have to actually "pay" his rent. This came to me and I said no, we didn't take him to raise he can pay his own dang bills.

Why is this an issue, if you've got the request in writing and the appropriate routing numbers? If both the employee and the landlord are cool with the arrangement and you can prove that it was requested by the employee if challenged, this should be a non-issue.

One guy's account seemed to be on permanent pre-note and no matter what we did it wouldn't clear. Turned out he hadn't asked prior permission from his back before trying.

What banks demand authorization before doing direct deposit? I'd think they'd be leaping to have people streamline the process.

Nope when it comes to DD color me a ludite.

While I think "luddite" might be a bit strong, you do seem to have created more trouble for yourself with regard to direct deposit than strictly necessary.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, the bank doesn't change their routing number. Routing numbers are currently curated by Accuity. If a bank's number has changed, it's most likely due to a branch closure or merger.

It seems rather silly to give up on the entire system over a few bad actors, however.

[HYHYBT]

My bank's routing number has changed twice in the 18 years I've been with them, and both the previous ones still work. At least, the most recent old one does, and the one before that did the last time I found a few old checks.