This is the complex he was hired to patrol. Perhaps CB Richard Ellis condones this practice.
Atlanta based Barton Protective Services has taken on a new method of slashing costs. In a decade of shrinking profits and tighter corporate margins, Barton has put themselves ahead of the game by avoiding the scandals of accounting fraud altogether in favor of nailing it straight to the little guy.
Officer White was terminated January 11th and hasn't seen a single cent from his final shift. Preliminary findings by the Washington State Employment Security Department agree the termination was without basis. Human Resource director Sherrie Gietzen notified Mr. White in writing on January 27th that the non-payment was indeed intentional and would not be corrected.
Glossy News has been faithfully reporting satire and entertainment news to its 160,000 monthly readers for almost two years. This article is neither satire nor entertainment. The names and events are real and the matter is very serious. We do not wish to be vindictive nor malicious. Barton Protective Services is chosing to ignore their violations of state and federal laws. We feel this deserves mention.
Mr. White explains, "I got the runaround from Randy Fleutsch [the supervisor and account executive]. After sixteen days I finally got Sherrie to respond. Her reply was quick and dirty. I can't expect to get paid for my last day of work. I'm not surprised though, based their other labor practices."
The other labor practice in question is the fact that employees are expected to work unpaid overtime as a matter of policy. Written reports always show on-duty and off-duty times, but the time cards rarely coincide. Regardless of the number of hours worked, officers are "strongly encouraged" to only report an eight-hour shift.
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The Barton company policy explicitly dictates that there must be overlapping time between officers shifts to discuss site activities and post orders. Three officers working one eight-hour shift would be 24-hours in a day, then add on the overlap time, and yet the day's wages still only add up to 24-hours… That makes for a curious mathematical puzzle. The answer isn't complicated, officers simply work unpaid overtime every day. White estimates his unpaid overtime at just over $200.
"Officer David Kinner at the Northgate North Shopping Center works at least 45 unpaid minutes every time he comes in," explains White. "Not only does he lose out on his paycheck, but for all that free labor his Christmas bonus was still only a ten-ounce jar of hard candy."
Interesting, but I have to ask... how?
A long time friend of White's, an attorney in Everett Washington, told him that based on clocking in, completing his patrols and written reports and not abandoning the post, they are legally obligated to pay him for the time. This is further supported by the determination of eligibility for unemployment benefits. He explained that if Barton has stated in writing their unwillingness to pay these wages, the matter should be pursued by all legal means available. If they get away with this, they will learn they can cheat their employees routinely. For every violation that is reported how many dozens stay silent?
So why risk stealing when it's only about fifty dollars? Easy, it's such a small amount that it's highly unlikely that anyone would be willing to take the issue seriously. Unlikely for sure, but not out of the question.
A formal complaint is expected to be filed with the Washington State Department of Labor on February 2nd demanding investigation into unpaid time, overtime and wages surrounding termination.
Officers go far above and beyond as a matter of pride and survival. How many protection professions will work for free?
Currently, Mr. White is trying to support two children and their mother, who is expecting another boy. He is doing this on his $213 weekly unemployment check. His only recourse against Barton is to file a small claims suit, which will cost around $87. He doesn't even intend to pursue the unpaid overtime, so all that trouble, time and expense will only be exercised for a maximum settlement of $50.
It's unlikely that companies employing Barton condone these practices. Seattle-based Touchstone Corp, Amgen, or famed commercial management conglomorate CB Richard Ellis under the direction of Brad Olson, are likely unaware of how the officers trusted to guard their assets are treated. Perhaps it's time they were made aware since all of their respective, if not respectful, reputations are in this together.
With the obstacles ahead, it hardly seems worth all the hassle to get those last few dollars. That, of course, is the check that Barton has already taken to the bank.
