Tensions are mounting at a North Carolina landscaping company after an employer allegedly refused to pay a worker for four hours of labor. The dispute reportedly began after the employee made several mistakes while spraying herbicide on weeds at multiple clients’ properties. Posting under the Reddit username aspec84, the worker shared his frustration on r/mildlyinfuriating, where the situation has sparked widespread debate and drawn responses from more than 15,000 people.
In aspec84’s post, a screenshot of the boss’s text message that reads, “Are you expecting me to pay you for your mistakes?” OP explains that they’ve been working at the company for 2 years and have known their employer for 15 years, but now they’re considering quitting after this interaction. “I always go above and beyond what is expected, even getting praise for my work, but now this? This seems like a severe power trip and manipulation,” they concluded.
Support for the Worker Was Overwhelmingly Positive, Many Agreeing the Boss Was Wrong
In the comments, almost everyone was on the workers’ side, encouraging them to put their foot down against their boss’s response. “The only reply you need to give is ‘Yes, I do expect to be paid for work,’” suggests a commenter. “At least then if he fires you you are eligible for unemployment.”
Another person added that the employer should have just fired aspec84 when he found out about the mistakes, but doesn’t have the right to enforce free, unpaid labor over it. OP shared in the comments how they made sure to speak with each of the five clients whose properties were affected, explaining how they could care for the damaged spots on their grass. “So there is also proof that I was there if he tried to deny it,” they wrote.
Many commenters added that mistakes are part of being human and should be expected in any workplace, given that every employee is ultimately human. “Frankly, it’s a miracle if things are done 100% correctly the first time around,” remarked one person who claimed to be a software engineer.
Although the boss is allegedly considering the unlawful act of refusing to pay their worker, the employee remains determined to take the moral high ground. When asked why they didn’t simply use the company’s credit card to recover four hours’ worth of pay, they responded, “That is illegal and I have better moral standards than that.”
