Are restaurants (USA) known for not paying employees who quit/walk out?

[EgoDeath]

As someone who has worked in food service (yuck) I know how annoying it is when someone doesn't show up or quits without notice. It sucks! But if you're a good worker and you're used to that fast-paced environment it's something you know how to take in stride. However, I've had multiple friends/acquaintances and so on tell me they've had problems collecting their last check from the restaurant/bar job they quit/walked out on. It seems to be something I've heard A LOT.

I say this because I've never heard of someone quitting a factory or landscaping job and not get their last paycheck. I've never heard of an engineer or an IT specialist not get their last paycheck. But time and time again over the years I've heard of multiple people having difficulty with restaurants in getting their last check when they quit or walk off.

I suppose I can sort of understand an employer being upset with you when you quit without notice but that doesn't warrant not paying someone or delaying their last check unnecessarily. What do you guys think? Anyone ever had this experience with this in restaurants or bars?

[Fireball]

It's news to me. The only experience I have in that line is when I worked at a gas station back in the early '70s. Someone was pinching money out of the till, and I had to empty my pockets for the manager. I informed him that that I don't work with thieves and gave two weeks notice. Two weeks later I was out of work, and couldn't get my last paycheck. It took going to the labor board to do it, but I got my pay. Tell your friends to use the labor board. That's what they are there for.

[EgoDeath]

It's news to me. The only experience I have in that line is when I worked at a gas station back in the early '70s. Someone was pinching money out of the till, and I had to empty my pockets for the manager. I informed him that that I don't work with thieves and gave two weeks notice. Two weeks later I was out of work, and couldn't get my last paycheck. It took going to the labor board to do it, but I got my pay. Tell your friends to use the labor board. That's what they are there for.

Yea it's not just personal friends of mine it's friends of friends and stories I've heard through the grapevine.

Also, why did you quit the gas station place? Was it about legitimately not wanting to work with a thief or were you appalled that the manager would accuse you? You do understand that it sort of makes it look like you were the one stealing lol

Regardless, I wonder if it's one of those things where people are not going to get into a some huge thing over a 20 hour paycheck or something (though I probably would) and the restaurants/bars assume this so they think they can get away with it.

One story involved a friend of a friend where the restaurant had two different locations and they made him go back and forth between the locations two or three times before finally giving him his last check... they kept saying "It's at the other building" to him until he finally put his foot down and said, basically, " give me my check now or else"

[outtathereligioncloset]

I haven't heard anything that makes me think restaurants are any worse than any other business. But of course some restaurants issue uniforms, so maybe it's a matter of holding out for the return of uniforms.

[brewer]

I have no clue, but I want fries with that.

[Fireball]

It's news to me. The only experience I have in that line is when I worked at a gas station back in the early '70s. Someone was pinching money out of the till, and I had to empty my pockets for the manager. I informed him that that I don't work with thieves and gave two weeks notice. Two weeks later I was out of work, and couldn't get my last paycheck. It took going to the labor board to do it, but I got my pay. Tell your friends to use the labor board. That's what they are there for.

Yea it's not just personal friends of mine it's friends of friends and stories I've heard through the grapevine.

Also, why did you quit the gas station place? Was it about legitimately not wanting to work with a thief or were you appalled that the manager would accuse you? You do understand that it sort of makes it look like you were the one stealing lol

Regardless, I wonder if it's one of those things where people are not going to get into a some huge thing over a 20 hour paycheck or something (though I probably would) and the restaurants/bars assume this so they think they can get away with it.

One story involved a friend of a friend where the restaurant had two different locations and they made him go back and forth between the locations two or three times before finally giving him his last check... they kept saying "It's at the other building" to him until he finally put his foot down and said, basically, " give me my check now or else"

Both reasons. It is unlawful for your employer to make you empty your pockets for a search (of course there are conditions on that, but in this case it was unlawful- though I didn't know it at the time- I just didn't like it). And I don't like working with people who cause problems in the work place. One of the other guys wanted to fight me because of the money disappearing. I suspect that he was the culprit, because I knew I wasn't. I checked back periodically, getting gas at that station, and the shortages were still going on. And I don't think that my saying that I don't want to work with thieves throws any shade on me. I guess other people see it differently.

[EgoDeath]

Yea it's not just personal friends of mine it's friends of friends and stories I've heard through the grapevine.

Also, why did you quit the gas station place? Was it about legitimately not wanting to work with a thief or were you appalled that the manager would accuse you? You do understand that it sort of makes it look like you were the one stealing lol

Regardless, I wonder if it's one of those things where people are not going to get into a some huge thing over a 20 hour paycheck or something (though I probably would) and the restaurants/bars assume this so they think they can get away with it.

One story involved a friend of a friend where the restaurant had two different locations and they made him go back and forth between the locations two or three times before finally giving him his last check... they kept saying "It's at the other building" to him until he finally put his foot down and said, basically, " give me my check now or else"

Both reasons. It is unlawful for your employer to make you empty your pockets for a search (of course there are conditions on that, but in this case it was unlawful- though I didn't know it at the time- I just didn't like it). And I don't like working with people who cause problems in the work place. One of the other guys wanted to fight me because of the money disappearing. I suspect that he was the culprit, because I knew I wasn't. I checked back periodically, getting gas at that station, and the shortages were still going on. And I don't think that my saying that I don't want to work with thieves throws any shade on me. I guess other people see it differently.

Yea like I wouldn't personally think it makes you look guilty but look through the perspective of the employer who is suspecting anyone and everyone it definitely didn't help your case. The the thievery continuing after you left was probably as good a proof of innocence as any.

Maybe it's just the area I'm in with restaurants. I haven't worked in food service since I was a teenager and would never choose to go back into that field unless it was to be a general manager or something higher up but I've just heard so many horror stories. One girl I heard of said her boss made her pay for a $200+ check that a table walked out on... seems to be it would be the owner's responsibility to cover that? Why should a waitress making below minimum wage + tips have to pay for that? That's probably a third of her weeks pay, if not more. Insane.