Getting What He Deserved
No matter how calm you are, it won’t make a difference. It is necessary to take revenge in some situations. In particular, employers tend to abuse their employees when trying to gain an edge over them.
Lance would never have dreamed of seeing something like that.
His only option to avoid losing the things he had worked so hard for was to act when the opportunity arose.
A Sign
Lance was jobless in the early 2000s. After multiple interviews and getting his hopes up on several occasions, he was disappointed.
After reading through the paper one day, Lance spotted an incredible opportunity.
Despite the fact that he had no experience in the field, it was his dream job.
His Dreams Were Coming True
It wasn’t long after Lance applied for the position that he found himself sitting in the human resources office for an interview.
As she explained the position as well as its disadvantages, the lady doing the interview appeared pleased with his experience.
Lance had no idea that he was being lured into signing up for a scam.
Explaining The Situation
He was told the company wasn’t paying overtime yet since it was still new. It was also not a particularly great salary.
In any other company, he would have been paid much more for the same position.
In addition, if he passed the quarterly evaluation, he would undergo annual evaluations.
Nothing Out Of The Ordinary
Initially, Lance was enthusiastic about the offer and didn’t realize its pitfalls. Initially, it seemed like any other offer.
In other interviews, his interviewers said similar things.
Lance did not realize, despite hearing it multiple times, that what he had been told was illegal.
Excitement
In a state of relief, Lance accepted the offer to do the work he loved.
The choice might seem silly to some people, especially those who know the law.
It was not just a stable income that motivated Lance to accept the job offer. He had many reasons for doing so.
Baby Steps
Lance lacked either the education or experience necessary for a job like this.
It was through accepting the offer that he was able to gain the experience that he needed.
He could use the experience he gained from hard work and minimal wages at other companies if he could persevere for a few years. At least, that’s what he told himself.
He Loved It
Even three years after joining the company, Lance remained with it and loved it.
As the company grew over those three years, he felt he had contributed to its success.
After all the hard work he put in, he felt only fair that he be compensated for his efforts now that the company was profitable.
Gathering His Strength
Lance gathered his strength and walked into his boss’ office to ask for his overtime owed over the last few years.
He was amazed to learn that his boss seemed to agree with his request.
His boss’ reaction wouldn’t have led him to believe that his simple request would be so costly.
A Discretionary Bonus
Previously, Lance and his boss had discussed his back pay and overtime, but there was an issue to consider.
Consequently, he cannot declare it since his contract states he is not entitled.
Instead of paying him overtime and back pay, his boss suggested a discretionary bonus. Lance was fine with it. His only request was to receive the $50,000 owed to him.
Alternative Arrangements
But a bonus of $50,000 didn’t seem that logical though, and it was bound to raise some issues, so Lance and his boss came up with an alternative arrangement.
Lance would accept some of the money in cash, and the rest would be given in equity.
To Lance, that seemed logical as the company had only so much cash flow, and he would be happy with shares.
Willing To Make Arrangements
Lance was even willing to accept less cash and more shares as it seemed like a very good investment at the time.
The company had only been growing, which meant that in a few years, those shares would be worth a fortune.
But things were not nearly as simple as they seemed, as Lance’s boss didn’t plan on giving away his shares or his cash.
The Final Offer
Over the next few days, the talks about his funds were starting to dwindle, and Lance started getting upset with that.
It had been over a week, and Lance was about to barge into his boss’ office, but the secretary stopped him by handing him the offer.
The offer was that the full $50,000 would be paid in equity, and it turned out to be much less than Lance had hoped for.
Extremely Unhappy
Lance stared at the shares he was offered, and the blood boiled in his veins. Less than 0.01% that’s what he was offered.
It was a minuscule amount compared to what the company was actually worth.
To Lance, it was an insult, not compensation for all his hard work. He felt as if the company was trying to cheat him out of his hard-earned money, and that infuriated him.
Resignation
On that very day, Lance handed in his resignation. He would not be standing for such blatant disregard for his work, and he would not be letting the company get away with what it did, either.
Lance could see the panic in the CTO’s eyes as he handed him the letter.
Since the CEO refused to update his contract, he was technically still on probation and had a ton of sick leave. He would stop working immediately.
Registered Letter
But Lance’s plan for revenge didn’t end there. Early the next morning, he headed to the post office with a special letter.
In the letter, he requested his back pay and overtime payments, but the company refused to cooperate.
Not backing down, Lance sent yet another detailed letter demanding the funds be paid to him.
The Response
Once again, the company replied with their refusal, and it was clear that they were under the assumption that Lance had no leg to stand on since his contract clearly stated that he wasn’t entitled to those funds.
They had no idea that Lance had been doing some research and found out that he was actually entitled to every penny they were refusing to give.
So he took the next step.
Getting Legal Advice
Lance contacted a lawyer to find out if there was any way he could force the company to pay the amount they owed him.
And what he learned would create a snowball effect to the likes the company had never seen before.
But why would it come as such a shock to them? Wouldn’t they expect something like that to happen?
Not The Usual Behavior
Well, no. Back in those days, people didn’t usually take the company they worked for to court, so Lance’s approach was very unconventional.
Back then, the companies just assumed they could do whatever they wanted and get away with it.
But Lance was going to teach them a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget. And the most amazing part was that they thought they had gotten off scot-free.
What He Learned
The lawyer informed Lance that he had all the right to sue the company as they had to pay him the back pay and overtime, whether they wanted to or not. But that wasn’t all she told him.
She also informed Lance that if he waited for seven years, they would also have to pay interest for the money they owed him.
His $50,000 would end up doubling in that time. But waiting came with its risks.
A Tough Decision
Lance had to choose whether he wanted to sue them immediately or right before the seven years were up.
And the choice was not an easy one.
Both decisions had their positive and negative sides, and it was up to him to ensure that he got the most out of the opportunity that was handed to him.
The Risks
If he chose to wait, the risks could be major.
What would he do if the company started going downhill and closed down before he could file a lawsuit against them?
But then again, it would mean he could get double the amount of money that he was hoping for, and at that point, he didn’t have any of it, so would he really be losing anything?
The Conclusion
With that thought in mind, Lance decided to go ahead and wait the few years that were left of the seven-year deadline.
He went on with his life as if nothing had happened, but when the time finally came, he was ready to push back with all his might.
And because of that, the wait seemed to be worthwhile. What Lance got out of the case left everyone stunned.
Years Later
The moment those six years and eleven months had passed, Lance got himself a lawyer.
He presented all the evidence he had in the form of company emails and written responses and informed the lawyer of what he had been told.
The lawyer immediately got to work, and before Lance knew what was happening, the company had been served with a summons.
A Solid Case
Even though Lance’s contract stated that he wasn’t entitled to the funds, the lawyer knew they had a solid case.
The contract wasn’t valid as it violated state laws, and Lance had more than enough evidence to prove that the company acknowledged the debt and was willing to pay it in the form of equity.
Because of that, the company didn’t have a foot to stand on.
A Threatening Call
A couple of days later, Lance received a call from the CEO, and it wasn’t a friendly one.
But the CEO didn’t know that Lance and his lawyer expected the call and that Lance was advised to record the discussion.
So all the threats that were made were handed in as evidence when the case finally went to court.
Heading To Court
A few months later, Lance was standing in the courtroom facing off against the CEO in front of a judge.
He was incredibly nervous and hoped that things would go his way.
At this stage, the amount he was owed came to about $135,000, and even though he didn’t have it, he didn’t want to lose it. But at that point, things could go either way.
Unpredictable
The company’s lawyers presented their case, stating that their offer was a gesture of goodwill and that they didn’t have to pay Lance a cent as his contract clearly stated that he wasn’t entitled to it.
And Lance’s lawyers stated their case.
But it seemed like the judge wasn’t leaning in any particular way as both parties had a solid point. However, that all changed when Lance’s lawyer provided the evidence.
Presenting The Evidence
The lawyer gave the judge all of the communication between Lance and the company, as well as the recording of the CEO threatening Lance. That was the moment things changed.
The judge shot a glance at the CEO before calling for a break to go over all the evidence.
Lance was a nervous wreck and could only hope things would work out in his favor.
The Verdict
About two hours later, Lance was back in front of the judge, who had made her decision. She ordered the company to pay the $135,000 they owed Lance as well as his legal costs.
Those amounts were to be paid immediately. The judge also ruled that the company would get a full audit from the labor department to see how many other employees were suffering under the same circumstances. And the CEO lost his driver’s license that same night when he drunkenly crashed into another car.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
