The Big Company Rip Off, Part2

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, let me recap..... As you all know, since I'm resigning from Evil Company A less than one year after I took two Red Hat Linux classes, they want me to pay them back for the classes AND the 2 weeks of time I was told to charge to a Training & Education code. They have paperwork signed by me indicating I agreed to the former, but nothing to the latter. Lovely Company B, for whom I'll be working for on November 30th, will be picking up the tab for the cost of the classes.

I went to Evil Company A this afternoon for my out-briefing. Basically they wanted to know why I'm leaving (because you suck), and how they could improve (try not to suck). Last item on the agenda was the pile of money I'm told I owe. Whose combined total is over $6K. Just so you know.

I told the perfectly nice HR girl that Lovely Company B will be covering the cost of the courses I took ($3K), but that no one at Evil Company A could seem to find any signed paperwork where I agreed to pay back the time I charged to the Training & Education code should I resign in less than a year. She seemed to ignore this important paperwork fact, and explained that this is due upon the last day of employment. To which I countered that if I had $6K+ lying around this probably wouldn't be an issue, but I don't, so it is. I also added that if I'm going to be forced to pay this money, some sort of option for payments will have to be worked out.

Poor girl, she's new. This all seemed to get her panties in a wedge. She went looking for my Program Manager.

She was gone a while.

She came back alone, having spoken with the Training and Education Coordinator (the chick I've been arguing with in email; notice that she's in the building but won't come meet with me). She has been sent back with this lovely tid bit of information:

Signed paperwork or not, if the money isn't repaid by the time checks are mailed/direct deposited next Thursday, Evil Company A is going to hold my last paycheck.

THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD MY PAYCHECK!!!???

WTF?!?!?!

Ok really, if I don't have $6K to give them, what makes them think I can spare a whole fucking paycheck?!?!?

I start to flip out a little bit, tell nice HR girl that this is unacceptable, and off she goes again in search of some one, anyone.

She returns again after another longer than usual while, this time with another representative from Training and Education. This one tells me that they have to use leverage such as holding the last paycheck because they've been burned in the past by ex-employees agreeing to repay what they owe in payments, then they don't.

Aw, poor Evil Company A. Sorry, I don't give a fuck.

She also that if the money isn't repaid, they will file a 1099 tax form making me responsible for the taxes on the total amount.

I think that's supposed to scare me, and maybe it should because I'm a math 'tard, but really, how much could that be?

Oh, and they want Lovely Company B to pay them the $3K directly. Seriously, where the hell is the trust?? Lovely Company B has already told me it'll be a part of my second paycheck, which I relay to this T&E rep. Nope, not good enough, because (as stated above), they've been burned by others in the past.

Sounds like they need counseling, and maybe a spa weekend, not my cash.

I leave, agreeing to nothing but to be in touch.

After having a few hours to think (and simmer down), I'm going to place a call/email to my financial management group. Seems to me it would cost me less to let them keep my last paycheck, then in turn take the amount of that last paycheck out of one of my portfolio thingies AND pay the taxes on the $6K+, than it would be to pull the whole $6K+ out of my portfolio thingies and give it to this fucking piece of shit company.

Once again, stay tuned......