My internship was cut short and I'm not out thousands of dollars. Can you please help me? I'm desperate!

Question

My internship was cut short and these people are not paying me my money! Can you help me?

I started an internship with a very prestigious software company back in January. The internship was supposed to last 6 months. So, I stated that my end date would be July 3. Come June 1, I come into work and am locked out of the building (my badge wouldn't let me in when it was swiped). I also have no access to any of the programs or systems. My manager told me to go home and not to come back until they have me back in the system, since it was recognizing my end date as June 1. I find that screwy since I never told anybody that would be my last day. Where were they getting this info from?

Well, it's been 2 weeks and I haven't heard a thing from anybody. I'm out a few thousand dollars and am even more PO'd because I couldn't even submit my last pay sheet, since i couldn't get into the system to retrieve my hours. So, they technically still owe me about 1300 bucks from last pay.

Now, I have bills. Should I ask them to compensate me for the time that I've spent home?

Answer 1

Have you contacted the HR department? You have to submit your last timesheet according to the law and they know this. They do not have to pay you for the time you have been at home, but they do have to pay you for the time you worked. Also, your last day would have been listed in your personnel records, so no mystery there.

EDIT:  Haveing been a contractor before I can tell you that 6 months can mean 6 months, it can mean 4 months or it can mean 2 years. (example: Hurricane Katrina contracting) A contract can end at any time, which really stinks, but it is the lack of pay that worries me. You really need to contact their HR department. If they will not deal with you, then tell them that you will contact Labor Relations and that will scare them into doing what is right. Only thing is that you will probably never go back to that company, but with the way they treated you I would not want to go back anyway.