A Reddit user shared an unusual story from their former workplace. The person was fired on December 2, but the boss of the start-up they worked for refused to pay them their final check before signing the NDA.
Luckily, the Reddit user, who shared their story in the subreddit antiwork, knew their rights. They told their boss that withholding pay violates California labor law, adding that the employee signed an initial NDA in their original contract.
The poster managed to hold its ground, but it was quite a battle.
The Redditor forwarded the emails to every company stakeholder
Before sharing emails with the rest of the community, the original poster said they were "pretty fed up that they haven't paid me in nearly three weeks." They added they "forwarded the emails to every company stakeholder."
The original poster shared six emails, showing how quickly things escalated.
Many comments asked about the update, though the moderators removed the original post, which is view-only now.
The CEO sent an email regarding the NDA
After receiving an email requesting an NDA, the Reddit user replied:
"Asking for me to sign an NDA at this point feels like a gross overstep of our relationship."
He added that he was "uncomfortable signing this NDA, though."
The boss responded by saying the NDA "is totally a normal thing," but the Reddit user knew better.
The original poster added investors and clients to the email exchange
The Redditor requested his paycheck instead, but the boss claimed, "we cannot release your final paycheck until you sign the non-disclosure agreement that has been sent to you."
In the last, sixth email, the Reddit poster wrote:
"I thought long and hard about how to appropriately reply to this. Normally I would CC your manager or the CEO, but seeing as you are the CEO, I've gone ahead, and CC'd our investors, our board of directors, and all of my clients. Kindly go f..... yourself."
Reddit community discussed the legal point of view
The Reddit users shared their legal knowledge and experiences.
Many advised the original poster to take legal action against his former company, adding, "the OP should go to the Department of Labour first. No need to spend money on a lawyer for something like this."
Many were suspicious about the CEO's attentions, as one comment said, "Dollars to donuts, the new NDA contains something that wasn't in the original."
Similarly, people agreed that "NDAs are signed before starting the job, not after you've already exited."
While everyone wanted an update, the thread is now view-only. Others noticed how well the original poster handled themselves, despite the language in the last email.
What would be your reaction in a situation like this?
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Sylvia Silverstone is a passionate writer who loves to share her knowledge and expertise on a wide range of topics, including beauty, life hacks, entertainment, health, news, and money. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for storytelling, Sylvia's engaging writing style keeps readers coming back for more.
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