Wait…there are more days?

If you follow me on Twitter you already know what’s happening. If not, here’s a run down. My store, Border #556 at 4th Street Live! in Louisville, Ky officially closed Monday April 4th. Sunday April 3rd was the start of the new pay period, which yeah, awkward, but consider that the managers also were in the store cleaning up for at least another day.

I should have received my second to last check (which should have been a full check) Friday April 8th. (And I should receive my final check, with no hours on it, April 22nd.) That’s a lot of should though because in my mail Friday…and Saturday? Nada.

At this point I suspect the paper pay checks were sent to the store, as per usual, despite there being no one there. But being a weekend my calls to payroll are going unanswered. I called customer service and they gave me the number to the message line about the bankruptcy, which was the best they could do. I ended up getting contact info for payroll off that famous Borders employee vent site (which is exactly what that kind of thing is for seeing as Borders is doing their damnedest to keep all that contact information unavailable.)

Again, I think it’s a flub up, not a purposeful thing. But I HIGHLY advise Borders employees to keep track of your hours so you know right away if anything is wrong, and have a list of contact numbers written down somewhere at your home in case you need it later.

Understandably I’m pissed because I have bills that need to be paid and I need gas money to, you know, look for a new job. The rub is that I went for the day job path because I was tired of having to badger publishers to get my pay, a fact of publishing that isn’t absolute but is common. I didn’t want to have to constantly worry about when I was going to get money due to me to make bills and mistakenly thought a “day job” would make sure I had at least some regular income.

And instead I have to spend tomorrow tracking down monies due for a story and for two full weeks of Borders employment. Thanks corporate America!

P.S. By the way the number I have for Borders’ Payroll Department is 800-331-9036 just in case you, too, find yourself in need of it.

Update 4/11/11 3:14 pm– Despite calling several times today I’ve gotten no response from HR. Left multiple messages now and an email to payroll bounced. I got the number to the corporate offices (734-477-1100) and was forwarded to payroll through them, so I know I’ve been calling the right number. Also I spoke with coworkers and I know others who get paper checks haven’t gotten theirs either, which just makes me believe stronger that the checks were sent to the store.

The only contact I have gotten from Borders at this time is from whoever is running the Borders Twitter feed, who is trying to get this issue in front of the right people. I really appreciate that, and sympathize because once again it’s a person who has no control of these things who is being squished in between the upset consumer (me) and the practically mythical corporate critters who are actually responsible for the f-up.

And just in case it comes to this for anyone else here’s a link to the contact info for the U.S. Department of Labor.

Update 6:53 pm – I have confirmation that others at the store have gotten their checks today. Here’s hoping mine gets here tomorrow.