Modified June 22, 2023 | 12:59 p.m
Isn’t it crazy when a vengeful boss thinks he’s getting the upper hand and ends up in a sticky puddle of motor oil?
In a puzzling case last year, an auto parts dealer tried to pay his former employee Andreas Flaten his last salary of $915 with 91,000 oilsoaked pennies.
And if you thought that oily coins topic was settled, brace yourself for more! Along with a pay slip containing an insult and some defamatory statements about Flaten, Miles Walker, the owner of AOK Walker Luxury Autoworks, took workplace meanness to a new level.
Not wanting to outdo themselves in the audacious spectacle, the US Department of Labor took action to investigate the circumstances. They found that the auto parts store was not just about sticky pennies, but also about some thorny labor violations. AND
They found that Walker’s operation defrauded Flaten and other workers by refusing to pay them overtime.
A victory for workers, a lesson for employers
In a courtroom altercation, Walker’s childish exhibitionism became his undoing. The judge fined him $39,934 in back wages and the same amount in damages owed to a group of nine workers.
It appears Walker paid a lump sum instead of paying overtime, which would have cost more. Now he has to shell out not only what he saved, but additional compensation for the inconvenience.
And the drama doesn’t stop there. The court ordered all references and photos related to Flaten to be removed from the store’s website. Any plans to republish content about the former employee have also been blocked.
Tremelle Howard, a regional attorney for the Department of Labor, summed it up when he stated: “The court sent a clear message to employers like Miles Walker who subject their workers to unfair wage practices and direct intimidation and retaliation,” according to Autobild.
So folks, remember, when you get into an argument, you don’t throw away greasy coins. You may end up paying a hefty bill instead!
EditorinChief of Mistérios do Mundo since 2011. I like to travel, enjoy good music and read. It won the Digital Influencer Award in the Oddities category.