$20k In Missing Wages. Md

Location: Maryland

I'm a salaried manager for a restaurant making 74k a year with a terribly irresponsible owner, lets call him Bob. Bob used to have a business partner, let's name him Jeff. Jeff was part owner and acting general manager for the restaurant in my time there, but ultimately finances were handled by Bob. Jeff is specifically integral to the business especially because the liquor license is in his name, Bob is only 20 years old.

The restaurant is new, starting in May, and everything was smooth sailing until about the middle of July.. Where the restaurant's payroll service was shorted and consequently suspended. From there on, paychecks were paid in cash or check. Trouble starts here when the same amount of tax withholding is being deducted from the check, despite never actually going towards taxes.

This continues until August, where Jeff and Bob are butting heads about everything. This results in them separating, with Jeff agreeing to hold the liquor license till he finds a replacement to transfer it to. In the meantime, I get promoted to Jeff's general manager position. Bob doesn't find a replacement and in October, Jeff surrenders the liquor license, leaving us dry for the rest of the month. All the while, nobody has received a paycheck since the end of September. I've only had one paid paycheck while I was general manager. Halloween was supposed to be payday for our second missing paycheck at this point.

From there on: Bob decided we should be closed for November 1st, also said that everyone should be paid soon he couldn't make it to the bank.

All of this communication is over text message

I hear nothing back on the 2nd, I tell him I will be around to clean the building. No word back till two days later and he promises all paychecks for the 7th and that we are going to just be closed for the week... No response on the 7th. Eventually reaching out time after time, he responds on that Sunday saying he's sick and couldn't go out and were gonna be closed for a little while so we can figure out the liquor license. Promises again for paychecks in a couple days. I get in contact with someone who can get on the license and work on plans, maintenance, and still working for the business.

From here I'm still trying to get ahold of him but he doesn't reply to anything at all until over a week, stating "he's taking care of everything this week" and asks me to get him all the expenses due for paychecks and everything. I get everything, send it to him and.... no response again until the end of the month. Other employees filed with the DoL and he told me he's dealing with that and promises me AGAIN about paychecks...

And guess what? He go silent again for the longest period yet, doesn't respond to anything until I saw he posted on our Instagram saying were "coming soon" on December 20th. I ask him what's going on and he told me that he doesn't know and sold the business. Which I know is simply not true. The guy I set him up with to try to get a new liquor license called me saying that he texted him to meet up and figure out a new liquor license.

With all the due wages from the end of September to about now, never having been laid off, or fired, or furloughed... I'm short about $20,000, not including the fake tax deductions.

I'm not entirely sure how to handle this, if I should contact Maryland's DoL or a lawyer. What should I be looking for, especially since this is such a large amount of money.