Sharing some of the craziness that is my job……

• My boss has owned this business for 5 years.  During that time, he has paid the WITHHOLDING TAXES from his employees checks about 5 times (all during the time I worked there, which began in January 2009).  The IRS has threatened to seize his assets and have levied the bank accounts numerous times.  Same with EDD.  He hired a tax advocate, who said we had to “no longer pyramid” (aka, pay each payroll cycle the withholding taxes) so that they can negotiate waiving the penalties and interest.  Sigh.  Nope, hasn’t happened.  When I give him a list for THIS YEAR’S amount due (approx. $750,000) and remind him he owes over $1mil for 2007 alone, he tells me the IRS can’t do anything to him.
• The tax advocates recommended that my boss close the corporation that owes the $1+ million and just use the new corporation that he opened this year.  That way, the employer’s portion would go away, which amounts to about $400,000.  They said, to do that, he could NOT merge the companies because the liability would come over.  When I learned of this, I said I needed time to convert the accounting records, the employees, transfer the leases, etc.  I was told I would get that.  Yep, I got 24 hours notice!  And what’s funny…….the two leases that “converted” have been refused by the landlords!  You see, the boss was SURE that they would accept 100% of the same terms and fees for the new company, that there would be no credit check, etc.  That was 7/31 and it’s still not resolved.  Oh, and guess what?  The companies were MERGED…….
• We are being sued by several vendors that want the past due invoices paid.  The boss says they can’t do that because it will mess up our chances of getting the huge loan to consolidate all of the debt that we have not even been making payments on.
• We received a subpoena yesterday, which the boss said we do not have to respond to.
• We have not paid sales tax for four months.  He says that is not really that important.
• Today is payday and we are overdrawn in all bank account by over $10,000
• Even sharing a FEW of the items above, the boss is opening a new location in Las Vegas in about a month.  Not sure where the capital is coming from to do that.  Not sure how the lease he signed is legal since he used a corporation that hasn’t even been formed yet.  Not sure how I will pay the 100+ union employees he will have as I don’t have the info to set up the accounting, bank accounts, order checks, etc.  But I have been told I am “too negative” since I keep asking for these details.  But remember, Gina, the cashflow will be AMAZING and we can pay all of our vendors off!  At that point, I remind the boss that this will be set up under a different corporation and AGAIN, you really can’t pay the bills of one corporation with the money from another……….
• Oh, and don’t forget that I am “the problem” with other employees, especially the one that has been historically written up for anger issues and even was sent to anger management classes.  SHE has the “greatest attitude” of all the employees……..

Yes, this was a vent.   And I am completely hopeless that anything will change.  Because, the biggest lesson I have learned is that the boss doesn’t haven’t to follow IRS/EDD/Labor or any other rules or laws.

Well, it’s not exactly fair to say this is MY fault for not being able to sleep – some crack head person called my home number at like 3:15am!  Of course, that meant I needed to call them back to say, “Hey, do you even know what time it is?”  And that didn’t exactly work out as I think it was a telemarketer and the number doesn’t ring through.  But the activities meant I was wide awake.  THEN, I checked my email on my phone and saw that one of my co-workers added me on Facebook, so I HAD to get online to add him!  Right?

Maybe it IS my fault!

Speaking of work, it sucks.  Now vendors are taking us to small claims court and the boss, well he thinks he can call them and tell them not to.  Of course, the demand he wants to make doesn’t include any payment on the account, but that’s just a small detail.

I am loving the new home, though!  We ride bikes, go to the beach, and have so much fun here!  And the neighborhood is GREAT!  I can’t say enough good about it and – although the circumstances that got us here were not the best – I am glad we are here.

So I had much more to say, but got distracted researching something.  So that’s it for now!

To share some of the craziness that is my work life, here is a snapshot:

• Alarm goes off at 5:30am, snooze until about 6am. Get coffee, pretend I work for a viable firm, and log onto the computer.
• Check FB, email, and pretend I really don’t need to log onto the banks to see that we don’t have enough money.
• Log onto the work bank accounts to move money around to cover payroll and assure there are no bounced checks.
• Notice we have $12k in the general account, but are overdrawn $22k in the payroll account. I also notice my payroll check is one of the checks that is flagged to bounce. I transfer the $12k, knowing we will pay the smallest checks first to avoid nsf fees (which, in itself, is hilarious to me – we pay about $3,000 a month in NSF fees), and think how a bounced payroll check will mess up my budget.
• I log onto the other bank account and see that there is not enough to cover the $10k deficit. I look back at the payroll account and see more checks have been presented. Now reaching a $15k deficit.
• I realize that the owner just paid his buddy for the loan, one that really is “not essential” as he doesn’t report to credit bureaus and, quite frankly, all money needs to really go to payroll or food for business. This payment is for several thousand dollars and hurt us tremendously, but the owner didn’t “want to look bad or admit to his friend that we are having a short financial crunch”. Um, short? Well, I think, he will find out soon enough when his check bounces.
• I write an email to the boss, which I do every morning, listing the expected checks that will bounce as well as the expected COD shipments scheduled for the day. The deficit for the day is around $37k.
• I attached the ongoing list of IRS/EDD/SBOE debt that is past due FOR THIS YEAR ONLY, reminding the owner that any one of these entities can and probably would levy our accounts again (at least) or shut us down (at worst). This amount is over $800k. He says not to worry. I envision IRS officers storming the location where I work and wonder if they will have real bullets in their guns.
• I arrive at the office and already see the war wounds on the AP Bookkeeper, who has to field calls from angry vendors. The latest? One that was promised $17k from the boss and wants to pick up the cashiers check. I take the call, inform the vendor that unfortunately I cannot get the cashier’s check as there are not enough funds in the bank. He asks for a check and I respond, “well, I COULD write you a check, but it will bounce. So I will not be doing that.” “But [the boss] promised!” I hear. I say, “well, I am sorry. The reality of the situation is we cannot act on that promise.”  I think he may have cussed at me at that point…….
• We receive about 20 calls indicating the boss told vendors that he was getting a loan and “would bring their account up-to-date”. Unfortunately, said loan has not appeared, I have no idea if it really will appear, and if it did we would not be able to meet those promises. You see, the loan is for $1mil, of which $100k goes right to the boss. Rumor on the street is that he is also planning to use about $200k to open a new location in Las Vegas. And remember the IRS/EDD/SBOE debt of over $800k? Doesn’t add up.
• On a side note, I remind the boss that he promised me $900k from the loan and I am concerned that several key people have shared about his supposed need for the LV money. He tells me that is not true, he only “needs a little”. I ask for the exact amount I will be getting. He doesn’t answer. I send the IRS/EDD/SBOE list again and tell him what vendors are telling me he is saying and that it will be impossible to pay anything towards their debt and that I am concerned he is setting up expectations with so many and that so many will be very angry when it doesn’t happen. I remind him that we get yelled at all day and that this is like putting gas on a fire. No response.
• I receive a call from our tax advocate, who was hired to negotiate the over million dollar debt we owe IRS/EDD for previous years. (That is for withholding taxes, not income taxes). She reminds me that she can’t negotiate as long as we continue not to pay. I tell her the boss won’t flag it and really, we don’t have the money anyway.
• The boss calls and tells me how sales are up and everything is hunky dory! He has been in the business all his life and we are the best locations in the world. I stare at the ceiling as he continues with his daily pep talk.  The office phone rings and I am being flagged – it’s an angry vendor who wants to talk to me.  I flag them to hold and continue to stare at the ceiling as the boss’s version of things unfolds in my ear.
• I receive another collection letter from an attorney, add it to the stack, and write an email to the boss indicating another lawsuit is in order.
• I print out the new Worker’s Comp policy for the boss to sign, along with the letter declaring we have been in violation of the law since he didn’t think to get coverage for the new locations he opened at the beginning of the year, under his second company name. He said it’s not a big deal.  I write a check for the deposit, knowing it will bounce, and set it aside to mail.
• I go home and the cycle begins the next day.

Sigh. Gina out!