DEAR CARRIE: My daughter worked for a company soliciting potential customers for its products. After being dropped off, she would go door to door until she was picked up late at night. One day she was caught in a cold rain and developed a cough, chills and a headache. She called in sick so she could go to the doctor. When she returned to work the next day, she was informed that she was not getting paid for the whole week. Subsequently, she was fired, and the company hasn't paid her for the partial week she worked. She has called the company, but no one has returned her calls or sent her a check. How do we go about solving this unfortunate matter?
_ No Pay Day
DEAR NO PAY: She has to be paid for the time she worked. That is the law. The company doesn't have to pay her for the day she missed. But the law requires her to be paid for the time she worked.
It is unfortunate when any worker is taken advantage of, but it's especially so when the illegal behavior affects young workers. They learn that dishonesty is what some employers resort to and that hard work won't always be rewarded.
Tell her to call the U.S. Labor Department for more information.
DEAR CARRIE: Our employer changed the vacation policy and some of us lost some days. Is this legal?
_ PTO Bandit
DEAR PTO: Once employees accrue paid time off, by law they are entitled to it. And while companies are free to change their benefits policies _ unless a union or other contract comes into play _ they cannot legally make changes that would take away paid time off already earned.
Some companies have policies that prohibit employees from carrying over vacation days from one year to the next. That's a legal use-it-or-lose-it policy. But that at least gives workers a choice about what to do with their earned time _in advance.
