Q: How to address unpaid wages and toxic work environment issues?

A: The Nebraska Wage Payment and Collection Act, starting at Nebraska Revised Statute Section 48-1228 is one way for employees to collect wages that they have a legally earned but have not been paid timely. You can find the language of the statute and some cases that have cited it on the Nebraska Legislature's website starting at:

https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=48-1228

The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission is also a good resource for further information about your rights as an employee and includes an online complaint process if your facts qualify.

https://neoc.nebraska.gov/

Keep in mind that Nebraska is an at-will employment state. Thus, unless you have other terms or a contract, you can generally by fired without a reason (so long as not for discrimination purposes). The law also doesn't require that your job be a pleasant place to work. It is a fairly high bar for a Court to find that there is a hostile work environment for you to have a cause of action. In fact, most of the time that your boss is a jerk or your co-workers are rude, the best course of action is to find a new job with a better atmosphere and not legal action.

A: It’s important to address both the unpaid wages and the toxic work environment. Start by documenting everything related to the unpaid wages and travel expenses, including dates, amounts owed, and any communications you’ve had with HR or your supervisor. If HR is aware of the issue but hasn’t provided a resolution, you may need to follow up with them in writing, requesting a clear timeline for when the unpaid wages will be resolved.

For the toxic work environment, it’s critical to keep a record of specific incidents involving your supervisor and the unsafe food-handling practices. You should also document how these behaviors are impacting your well-being and job performance. If HR hasn’t taken appropriate action or is dismissing your concerns, you may want to escalate the issue by seeking legal advice or filing a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) if you feel the behavior constitutes harassment or creates a hostile work environment.

Moving forward, stay persistent with HR and request written updates on the status of both your wage concerns and the toxic environment. If no resolution comes from internal channels, exploring legal options could help you recover lost wages and address any harmful practices at work.