What constitutes a legally binding verbal employment contract in Wisconsin?

Question

Is tentatively planning to work for someone for a vague period of time (until he retires in a little over a year) without him being in business yet, or without knowing details of wages or work requirements (very long hours), considered a legally binding contract? He says because I agreed to it in front of his friends (at a social function while drinking alcohol) it is legally binding. While working for him since Sept of 07, he has offered my job full-time to at least 2 other individuals and has discontinued paying my work-related expenses (as agreed upon previously). He also text messaged me on 2 different occasions to find other employment. He now wants me to pay back $3,000 living expenses which he covered while I was training with the previous owner full time from mid-July to mid-September without pay, which at the time he said he'd cover and that he and the previous owner were covering it with the sale price of the business.

Answer 1

YOU already know the answer.

contracts require, above all, specifics.

LET alone, a "meeting of the minds."

leave him asap or whatever makes you happy

Answer 2

Yakkyone, you've been used and abused, and now he wants you to pay for that privilege.  Did you ever see any paychecks from this slavemaster, or was it all promises that he would pay you later?

Any "verbal contract" entered into while the two of you were drinking at a party will NOT stand up in court.  I hope he's made his demand for the $3,000 in writing.  That can be evidence against him.

Figure out how many hours you worked, including overtime, estimate what a fair wage would have been, and how much he owes you for work related expenses, and contact your state Labor Commission or it's WI equivalent, and nail him to the cross for the back wages and overtime.  Even if the labor commission rules that you have to pay "living expenses" (whatever that means) he's going to owe you a bunch of money, and probably face criminal charges.

Don't say anything to him first, just do it.

Answer 3

Not that. Let him sue you. Even an idiot lawyer could win that case.