Rant: Where the fuck is my check?! It's been nearly a month.

[Icen]

So, one of my jobs is life modeling. I do this for both private studios who pay straight up under the table and for schools I have to register with as an independent worker.

Anyway, I had modeled on the 17th last month for about 5 hours at a school. Generally what you do is every time you have a session that isn't private, you fill out a small form to get paid; name, hours worked, if you want the check held at the front desk for you or mailed to you, etc. Anyway, I always have them mail it. The pay is bi-weekly and I usually get these checks within a week, sometimes two.

The first week the check didn't come, I didn't sweat it. "Whatever, it should come next week because the pay period obviously had to restart." Two weeks pass and I'm getting a bit worried. I gave it a couple more days before contacting the school. I spoke with the woman who runs the models' pay roll and told her to check the records to see if the check was cashed. I checked my own records and confirmed that I did not ever get the check.

So, no check in the mail yet. I called them back two days ago and spoke with the woman at the front desk (not the one who runs the payment) and told her about my predicament. I had to leave a message for the first woman, again addressing the fact that I didn't get paid. The front desk woman said that some peoples' checks got backed up...but seriously, it's been nearly a month and I would like that money by now.

The only thing I can think to do at this point is barge into the office and talk to the pay roll woman directly about this. It's pretty ridiculous but I do not work for free. I want my money, and I want them to double check their payroll to make sure that they actually sent the damn thing out to me and no jack ass got a hold of the check in the mail and tried to cash it. It's also highly possible that on the form, I picked the wrong box and had them hold it at the front desk.

Tl;dr: I didn't get paid for a modeling session for almost a month now and I'm pissed off as hell because bad communication is bad.

[Thaily]

You have every right to be pissed, this is bullshit.
Try owing /them/ money for a month, they'll have repo at your door as fast as they can muster it.
Can you complain to the teacher directly? Maybe they can pull some strings, being internal.

[Icen]

You have every right to be pissed, this is bullshit.
Try owing /them/ money for a month, they'll have repo at your door as fast as they can muster it.
Can you complain to the teacher directly? Maybe they can pull some strings, being internal.

I don't think the teacher can really do much. He doesn't control payroll. I could give him a call but I don't think that will amount to anything. The school has always been so good about pay, and I recall very clearly in my head walking to the front desk myself to deliver my payment form.

I'm probably going to go to the school in a couple of hours to try and talk to them. If they can pull up their bank statements to make sure it wasn't cashed then hopefully they will understand because I honestly don't have the envelope or the pay-stub for the check. =/

[Thaily]

He may not control payroll, but he might know the people there and ask them "Hey I have this model and I need her for a class, but she hasn't been paid yet for a class last month, could you look into it?"

[Icen]

He may not control payroll, but he might know the people there and ask them "Hey I have this model and I need her for a class, but she hasn't been paid yet for a class last month, could you look into it?"

The unfortunate thing about that is that teacher and I had arranged a two-day modeling session, but I had to cancel (which meant both days) because of a shitty school project I had to complete. D: I might try talking to him if my journey to the school itself doesn't work.

[Thaily]

The unfortunate thing about that is that teacher and I had arranged a two-day modeling session, but I had to cancel (which meant both days) because of a shitty school project I had to complete. D: I might try talking to him if my journey to the school itself doesn't work.

Ugh, well I wish you all the best.
I've been in this situation and it's super fucking annoying and disrespectful.

[Icen]

Ugh, well I wish you all the best.
I've been in this situation and it's super fucking annoying and disrespectful.

After checking my online bank account and my physical records, I can confirm that I never received the check. (Since I'd had have to manually cash the thing; I can't find any electronic record of it.)

[AGNOSCO]

you should go all joey dias on them. "WHERES MY FUCKIN CHECK YOU COCKSUCKERS!!"

[Zenia]

Ugh. I know how you feel.

At my previous residence, I had the hydro/gas/cable/internet in my name. Everyone was to pay me a certain percentage of the bills on the 15th of each month. I would tell them two weeks in advance what their shares were. Two of the people owe me $50 each for the first two weeks of April (I moved out halfway into the month) and they are refusing to pay it. One of those two people still owes me $95 from the month before. I've emailed about it a couple of times, but all he does is ignore me. I've even said that if they don't want to give me the money for April, then at LEAST give me the money from March. He gets paid today, so I hope he does the right thing.

$200 is a lot of money to me right now... but it isn't a significant enough amount to go to small claims court over, I think.

[subversive-imaginati]

Zenia,

$200 is exactly what small claims court is for, so long as you have proof, you can take them to small claims court.

Icen,

I'd go above the payroll ladies head, there's no reason why you should be still waiting for payment a month later.

[Zenia]

Zenia,
$200 is exactly what small claims court is for, so long as you have proof, you can take them to small claims court.

There was nothing more than a verbal agreement/arrangement of what their responsibilities were. I know now though, that I should make up a little contract. I am pretty sure I can trust my new roommate, but I think I will write up something anyway, since the Internet/Hydro is in my name here.

I can always threaten small claims court though.