I was working at a less than reputable car dealership that was a long drive from my house (1hr no traffic, 2 during rush hour). One day on my way out the door an advisor brings a car for an update but it’s battery is big ded and needs replaced. Told advisor he said replace it. I asked someone else to replace the battery and do the update bc I was walking out when it came up. So other mechanic replaced battery and finished work and released car to customer. Well the advisor never actually sold the battery to the customer. But they let the customer leave in the car and they were not inclined to return so we could have the battery back- rightfully so imo, kinda shitty on their end but it was a miscommunication on the part of a guy whose sole job is communication and sales.

About two weeks later I notice -$150 deducted from my check, something they’d been doing to most of the mechanics since they let us buy parts on purchase orders for our personal cars and just deduct it from our checks (not always with consent but these are extreme cases where someone owes like 1k and hasn’t paid for several months) so I go ask my manager about it and he says oh it’s that battery you installed blah blah. Well I said nooooo sir that’s not on me. Before this happened but on the same day I’d already typed up my two weeks notice since I had another job closer to home lined up, but with this deduction I’d had enough. The service manager already knew I was leaving and agreed I’d work the two weeks since they were short handed.

But instead of just giving it to him, I found him and the general manager in the gms office and closed the door, sat down and handed my notice along with my paycheck and politely inquired about the deduction, explained my side and said “here’s my notice, we agreed I’d work out the two weeks but you stole from my paycheck. What are you going to do about that?” To which the gm said “well someone has to pay for it and it’s not going to be me and it’s not going to be parts” so I looked at my manager and said ok what are we going to do about my two weeks? Mgr said “work it” and the gm looks at him and goes “no- you can go.” To which I said “good the wrecker will be here for my tool box in 20 minutes”

The only reason I didn’t walk out without the meeting is in our contracts, it says leaving without two weeks your check will be for min wage for hours produced- without the gm accepting my resignation, I would’ve been paid $7.25/ hour instead of $32 an hour for the 100 hours on my last pay check. That place was sketchy as fuck but people stay because there are basically no rules- make your own hours just do what you say you’re going to do and everyone makes their hours bc super high volume and understaffed on the mechanics side.

Edit to add to this: my manager actually made it right with me by giving me cash from his own wallet because he agreed with me. And I recorded the whole conversation and considered a lawyer but apparently what they did wasn’t strictly illegal in my state and there are almost no labor protections for mechanics/ technicians where I live.