This Saturday I ran late for work (setting up and sound checking a band in a front bar, for a flat rate of $40 - aka very very very cheap, incredibly matey mates rates). When I arrived most of the setting up had been done by the musician, however I still completed and did the sound check same as always. When I went to invoice the bar I was told "I've been told not to pay you tonight, you're to call the boss on Monday". When I pressed for further information I was told it was because I had run late and they didn't want to pay me the full fee.
A bit of background. I've worked at this pub for almost 6 years (it's the same venue that gave me grief about looking shabby). In that time I have never previously been financially penalised for running late, I have sometimes had to wait around unspecified amounts for time for Bands that run late and I have consistently gone above and beyond the job description by waiting until the band commences its first set and checking everything is ok before leaving (I suspect the boss does not realise this last fact). In short, for 6 years it has been a well oiled machine (for the first 4 years I was effectively un-managed, I just knew to turn up and the bar knew to pay me)....what I'm trying to say is that to my mind, doing that job for $40, I'm kind of doing them a favour by doing it well and not asking for more pay. (Evidently they do not feel the same way).
My main question is, as a sole contractor, do I have the right to be angry about them withholding pay like this? And waiting until the job was completed to tell me there is an issue?
......I was late because a great chunk of my PA gear was stolen, I'm cut that no one rang me to ask (I tried ringing through the pub several times but no one picked up), they just make this assumption that I'm, I don't know, sitting around my house twiddling my thumbs being late for work out of a sense of contempt for the job or something and should be punished. Unreasonable to want more respect/to be given the benefit of the doubt having been there so long?
(Pretty much psyched up to resign on Monday, it becomes increasingly apparent that I am not and will never be respected there, speaking of which, if anyone has any good scripts for the conversation with the boss, lay them on me.)
A bit of background. I've worked at this pub for almost 6 years (it's the same venue that gave me grief about looking shabby). In that time I have never previously been financially penalised for running late, I have sometimes had to wait around unspecified amounts for time for Bands that run late and I have consistently gone above and beyond the job description by waiting until the band commences its first set and checking everything is ok before leaving (I suspect the boss does not realise this last fact). In short, for 6 years it has been a well oiled machine (for the first 4 years I was effectively un-managed, I just knew to turn up and the bar knew to pay me)....what I'm trying to say is that to my mind, doing that job for $40, I'm kind of doing them a favour by doing it well and not asking for more pay. (Evidently they do not feel the same way).
My main question is, as a sole contractor, do I have the right to be angry about them withholding pay like this? And waiting until the job was completed to tell me there is an issue?
......I was late because a great chunk of my PA gear was stolen, I'm cut that no one rang me to ask (I tried ringing through the pub several times but no one picked up), they just make this assumption that I'm, I don't know, sitting around my house twiddling my thumbs being late for work out of a sense of contempt for the job or something and should be punished. Unreasonable to want more respect/to be given the benefit of the doubt having been there so long?
(Pretty much psyched up to resign on Monday, it becomes increasingly apparent that I am not and will never be respected there, speaking of which, if anyone has any good scripts for the conversation with the boss, lay them on me.)
Last edited: