91,500 pennies: the payment to a former employee 2:03
New York, NY (CNN) - There are tough bosses.
Then there are the bosses who dump more than 220 kilos of greasy coins into the driveway of a former employee.
The U.S. Department of Labor filed a lawsuit late last month against a Georgia auto repair shop for violating federal labor law, after its owner retaliated against a former employee who contacted the agency when you did not receive your last paycheck.
Flaten left his job at A OK after an argument with his boss and contacted the Department of Labor last January to say he was owed $ 915. The next day, Walker received a call from the department and said that I wouldn't pay Flaten.
Hours later, he decided to pay her in pennies.
"How can you make this guy realize what a lousy example of a human being he is?" Walker said in the lawsuit.
"I have a lot of pennies; I'll use them."
A boss paid his former employee 91,500 pennies
Walker and Flaten have not responded to CNN's request for comment.
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In March 2021, Walker tossed the coins into Flaten's driveway.
Walker then posted on the store's website.
"What started out as a" getcha "to a small-time former employee surely got a lot of press ... Let's say maybe he stole? Maybe he killed a dog? Maybe he killed a cat? Maybe it was a bum? Maybe he was a butcher? "the lawsuit says.
Flaten's girlfriend posted a video of the pennies on Instagram, sparking both outrage and sympathy from those who have also dealt with defiant bosses.
Flaten told Fox 5 Atlanta that getting the pennies into his garage took hours and he flattened his wheelbarrow tire.
"By law, worker engagement with the United States Department of Labor is a protected activity. Workers have the right to receive information about their rights in the workplace and to obtain the wages they earned without fear of harassment or intimidation. "Atlanta Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division District Director Steven Salazar said in a statement.
The Department of Labor is seeking $ 36,971 in back wages and damages on behalf of several employees, including Flaten.
An investigation found that Walker and the shop retaliated and violated overtime laws by paying employees only a fixed weekly rate.
The lawsuit also alleges that the shop did not keep accurate wage records.
"It doesn't matter. He got paid, that's all that matters," Walker told CBS46.
"It is a pigeon of f ***** for having brought up the subject."
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