Stupid Fucks who get paid under-the table

The BBQ Pit
1

My son-in law, Dave, fell from the roof of a building he was working on this past Monday. He crushed his wrist sockets, which in turn mashed the median nerve in his right hand. He required emergency surgery at the University of Virginia Medical Center (U.Va).

The outlook is bleak, at best it will be a year and 5-6 operations before he can think about picking up a hammer again …at worst he could lose his hand (a good possibility at this point).

He made good money for this area ($15 an hour, “under the table”). Which means a personal check from the boss each week.

It also means he has no savings, no insurance and is not “in the system” since he has never paid a penny to SS and is not covered by workmans comp.

If I could cry, I would, but I quit crying a long time ago. Now all I can do is cuss. Damn it to hell, I just finished paying off my mortgage two months ago and was finally looking forward to getting a little ahead in life, now I have a daughter and two grandsons to worry about.

Why in hell do people who work under-the-table think they are pulling one over on the system. The only people they’re fucking are themselves and their familys. They are going to lose everything they have and I am not in the financial situation right now to take on a family of four.

I won’t let them live in a car or a shelter, but at the same time, I can’t share a house with them (been there, it doesn’t work), I am too set in my ways and after all, I am a hermit. The only alternative is to let them have my house since it’s paid off and move to a small apartment.

People, GET REAL, you might make a lot of money working under-the table, but these days that just doesn’t cut it. Sooner or later it’s going to catch up with you and you’re going to be out on your ass in the street. Get a real fucking job with some fucking benefits!!!

Thanks for listening, wish I could say I feel better, but it still sucks.

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Many hermits made saints didnt they?

Youre on your way.

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Just to clarify that there was no sarcasm in that last post: I meant that I admire what you are considering doing for your family.

4

Wow hermit I just wanna say that what you’re doing is truly admirable.

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Thanks, but I’m not a saint. My Daughter and son-in law do have some assets, some equity in their home, three nice vechicles. etc.

It will probably be a month or two down the road before the big strap hits them, but it will.

The reason for my OP was to hopefully warn others, I have preached this message to my son-in-law for the last five years, but he wouldn’t listen. I don’t think (if it comes down to the worst), that I’m doing any more than any parent would. How many of us could enjoy having money in the bank if our children and grandchildren were going without dinner?

6

Hey,
I’m with you on this one. I’ve seen it all–men who won’t pay for their family to be on heath insurance and send them to the charity hospital. People with adequate (even good) incomes who get WIC benefits and/or send their kids to head start. People who don’t pay taxes for most of their working life and then all of a sudden start paying taxes so they can up their social security just before they retire. The vet who drank for 4 days before his physical and got alcohol poisioning so he could keep on getting a disability check. Jerks, fools, idiots, selfish–all of them!

7

Ouch. Nasty.

My father did something similar while trying to put in an attic ladder about 10 years ago. He has almost full use of his wrist now, just can’t rotate it fully. They didn’t think he would be able to use it much but it healed far better than they originally thought it would. So, hopefully SIL will recover similarly, the wrist can heal rather well.

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VaHermit, find a friend in the UK, fly him over, go with said friend to an A+E pretending not to speak english but purporting to be an EU national, and hey presto, free treatment. Long trip to outpatient appointments, but could be considerably cheaper in the long run. And the health service isn’t that bad…yet.

9

It’s a shame this goes on, I know of it too. And in the construction business it goes on all the time. Not only people often hurt themselves with this, they hurt others. I’ve known of men who worked under the table for years in order to avoid child support payments. The truth is this practice is illegal and often quite beneficial to the employer. He dosen’t have to pay workman’s comp to the state or offer benefits. People like this should be turned in for breaking the law.

Good luck to you and your family. It looks to me like it is now time for your son-in-law to look for other employment. Construction is certainly not the only job this man is capable of doing? My X went from construction to being a delivery driver.

Needs2know

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You’re preachin’ to the choir here.

I’ve been singing that same old song for years.

I keep pointing out that in addition to all of what you mentioned, the employer is committing a crime. Why do you then, believe that you can trust him/her? You claim you worke 40 hours but were paid 20? well, hell, you’re not even an employee!

And, since I’m usually spinning this out at the county jail, I can do this one: Me (in front of group of 10 guys): How many of you have worked under the table? (at least 7 or 8 will hold their hands up). Now, you ask that question in any jail cell in the country and you’ll get that same response. Ask that same question in front of ANY other group (bowling league, church choir, softball team etc.) and you’ll get 1 or 2 maybe. You think that’s a coincidence???

Sorry for your family’s troubles. and it never DOES feel good to be in the position of “told ya so” , does it?

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VAHermit sed:

Don’t forget that there are a lot of jobs without bennies, even above the table.

More importantly than an above-the-table job (legal aspects aside), people need to learn how to fucking save money. Spending one’s entire paycheck, whether or not it was received legally, is just plain idiotic.

(And before anyone says it, yes, I practice what I preach.)

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andros, honey, when you’re making $400 a month and rent is $250 a month, it’s kind of difficult to avoid.

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Matt, honey (oooh, I get chills just saying that! If I weren’t so taken!), I spent several years living on rice, beans and government cheese to save enough to go to school. It can be done, but not by everyone, and you’re right–it’s hard as hell.

But I’m not disparaging anyone who doesn’t make much money (been there) or has high rent bills (been there). I’m disparaging those who “make good money” (as Hermit put it) and don’t plan for the future, even with a family to take care of.