Complaint Review: Public Storage - Pleasanton California

I worked for this horrid company in 2001. They messed up on both my pay check and title, which caused further payment mis-haps. They had me listed as "in training" when I was a relief manager and didn't pay me commissions for selling merchandise. They didn't pay me for overtime and at one point I was intimidated into not charging overtime by managers telling me they wouldn't pay overtime. I worked through lunches and did charge them for overtime when customers kept me over (I was told this was justified). And because my wonderful manager didn't put me in the system at all the properties I worked, I had to go to a property where I was listed and put in my timesheet for the entire time, which I charged them overtime for this as well.

They short paid me the overtime and later did not pay me the commission on merchandise sale. I showed the shortage in pay to my manager in September of that year. His response was okay buddy, I'll take care of it. I finally told him to stop calling me buddy...I am his employee and he needs to do his job. I ended up taking it to the next manager up and was cross-examed about what store was I shorted on. I had to inform him serveral times, I am not in the accounting department, and he needed to talk to them to figure it out. In November, I had to quit in order to get them to pay me the overtime.

Still not paid correctly, I gave one of their HR people the information on the short pays to get them to correct the payment issues. They refused saying they had paid me all they were going to and didn't owe me anything (I kept the emails).

We ended up at the Labor Commissioner's office in Oakland, CA. They did not provide the records on the commissions, they owed, but were charged late charges in paying me the overtime and for the October commissions (they are to pay you all monies once terminated). Six months later they sent me an exit interview. Eventually I won my case against them winning a little over $2000.00. Did they pay the settlement in the time required by the law??? No!!! I had to fill out paperwork for the Labor Commission to garnish their taxes in order to get this company to deal with me equitably. I was not paid until around March of 2004 (my paperwork is filed away so I don't have the exact date).

Interestinly enough, they call you with a "friendly reminder" to pay for your storage space on the day it is due. And they tell their employees to call the customers every day with this reminder. In most places that is called harrassment. And they threaten to sell your stuff if you don't pay. But they can force judgements againt them to go beyond what is right...I feel they should have been penalized even more for not honoring the Labor Commission's judgement and time alottment.

I encourage all former employees who feel they have grievances aganist this "employer" to persue looking into legal ramifications against this company be they with the Labor Commission or in the civil courts. I have found them not to be the formidable foe they think they are...between the phone interview and the "real (?)" person that showed up I found them to be uninfomed on their own policies (so come in with your facts staight and don't let their lies effect you) and stick to the facts. They self-destruct because they don't have a clue.

David

Manteca, California
U.S.A.