A mechanic says his boss wanted him to pay out of pocket over one mistake.
Tyler Julian (@menssoberhomemanager) has been on quite a journey in the last year, and this is one issue has the potential to derail it.
Just last year, Julian, a mechanic, was battling addiction to fentanyl and opiates, was in and out of jail, and had no place to live, according to his TikTok account. He’s since turned things around, celebrating nine months of sobriety. He now manages a sober home made up of 15 other men.
He says he’s also been working in a car repair shop as a mechanic for the last 10 months, sometimes doing six- to seven-day workweeks. His $36,000 yearly salary keeps him paycheck to paycheck. “[I] find my self sometimes not even stretching that far between rent, food, insurance, co pays, clothing, etc,” he says. However, he says he was grateful for the stable employment.
That is, until recently.
“Y’all wanna hear some bullshit?” Julian says in a storytime video.
Julian explains that over the course of nearly a year, he’s done 500 to 600 car repair jobs at his job, allegedly bringing in over half-a-million dollars worth of revenue for the company.
Last week, for the first time ever, he says a customer came back to the shop complaining that Julian didn’t fix their car properly. He says the customer had to go to another shop and pay to fix what Julian supposedly messed up.
In this situation, most car repair shops will refund the customer and deduct the hours spent on the job from the mechanic’s paycheck. “Which is understandable,” Julian says.
“Instead of doing that, this company, … they’re gonna deduct the full amount that this gentleman paid at another dealership to have his vehicle fixed,” Julian says.
The mechanic is quitting
“I make shit money as it is. They’re pretty much telling me I won’t even be getting another paycheck,” Julian adds.
To him, it’s about the principle of the matter. After hundreds of solid repair jobs, it’s not right for the company to take this issue, and the steep financial repercussions, out on him, he says.
So he says he’s going to go to work, pack up, and leave.
“This ain’t how you take care of your mechanics that are taking care of you, putting food on your table, paying payroll for the rest of the entire shop,” Julian says. “This ain’t how you do it. So you guys will learn. Treat your employees right. Take care of them. If not, shit will roll downhill very quick.”
Julian’s video was viewed 57,000 times. He never disclosed the company name.
@menssoberhomemanager #boss #trash #wagetheft #fypage #fypシ゚viral ♬ original sound – Mechanic Tyler
Julian now hopes to open up his own car repair shop
Julian has since started a GoFundMe to open up his own car repair shop, with the goal of offering fair wages and discounts for single moms and senior citizen-aged customers.
People in the comments section urged Julian to speak to an employment lawyer about the situation. But Julian said he can’t afford to hire one, though some have pointed out that there are pro-bono lawyers.
“Look in to that little more because according to employment laws the employer has to pay that through their end no one is allowed to keep your money unless a judgment is issued by the judge,” one wrote.
Can an employer withhold your paycheck?
According to Lawyers for Justice, “In most cases, employers are required to pay employees for all hours worked according to the agreed-upon terms of employment, whether through regular paychecks or other agreed-upon payment methods. If an employer withholds an employee’s paycheck unlawfully, the employee may have legal recourse and can file a complaint with the appropriate labor authorities or seek legal advice to recover their unpaid wages.”
“I though when you take a vehicle to another shop it voids warranty,” a person said.
“That is horrible! I’m sorry they did that! I hope you find something that pays better and treats you right!” another added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Julian for comment via TikTok direct message.
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