Employer not paying, what to do?

[FAITHFULRN01]

Hello

I recently lost my job and took up some PRN job for a friend's employer who owns a home health agency. I worked for him for about 3 weeks then stopped. I have not been able to get him to pay me wages for the admissions and other work I did for the agency during that period. Not even a cent. First, he told me he was waiting on his medicare certification. Then he told me he just did not have money to pay me. Mind you, he had not told me all this before I started doing work for him. Had I been made aware of the fact that he was just a start-up agency with no money coming in, I would have concentrated my energies elsewhere. But I used up my money for gas, had my husband even drive me around to patients' homes because I was pregnant, and finally my baby came 2 months early (probably due to all the stress of realizing I had been duped).

Question is: How do I get him to pay since I did not even fill in an application to work there and signed no papers?

Is it ok, out of anger, to put up the name of his agency on the internet (facebook, craigslist, google, allnurses) to warn other nurses to not work for him?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I moved your post to the Home Health forum with the hope that you accrue some helpful responses. Good luck to you!

[maryen]

Hmmm.... It sounds like you may not be able to collect. You could try taking him to small claims court or sending him a registered letter of Demand. Here is a link to help you. http://www.courts.ca.gov/11145.htm

[Isabelle49]

You might also file a complaint with the Labor Board in your area.

[caliotter3]

Go to the Labor Board first. They will inform you about where you stand even under the unusual circumstances.

[systoly]

What will you gain from acting out of anger? - more misery??

Small claims is an option if the amount is more than a few hundred bucks, otherwise it's more hassle than it's worth. Also, if you get a favorable judgement, you still have to collect. I'd call a few collection agencies and get their input.

[KateRN1]

If you didn't fill out an application or sign any papers, how do you have proof that you did any work for him? How would you prove a labor complaint?

[Isabelle49]

If you didn't fill out an application or sign any papers, how do you have proof that you did any work for him? How would you prove a labor complaint?

If she made any visits there will be documentation and the patient/caregiver would have most likely signed same. That would prove visits. She may well also have a schedule with the patient names on it that could be used.