Stewart

How far back does a potential employer look at work history on your resume? I'm 50 years old, stuck in a dead end job and had the opportunity to apply for several much better jobs. I've been on my current job for three years in June:

A couple of previous companies I've worked for have closed, so I'm not sure how they would even contact anyone. I'm even having trouble finding the address for where they used to be because they are no longer listed since they no longer exist. One previous job I checked on doesn't even remember me, they just have a record of my start and end date and my reason for leaving was because the department was discontinued but they said that's the extent of the information they have. The way I got my current job after working through a temp agency was to show my pay stubs because neither the employer or temp agency would give out any info but that was 3 years ago.

I wasn't sure what to do with previous employment that can be difficult to verify

The job I'd really like to show I started in 1994 and ended in 2007. Would they even care about that?

Lately we've had lots of customers try to take advantage of us, outright lie, then pull "the customer is always right" crap on us and the company sticks up for the customer.

I realize customers with corporate accounts are responsible for more revenue for the company in one day than I will make in my lifetime. Basically if I get mad and quit or get fired they can just replace me with another low wage employee, but a contractor comes in here and buys several thousand dollars in supplies, it would cost the company millions to loose them.

So what happens if a customer tells my supervisor I'm completely incompetent and should be fired? Is the customer always right and that's just the way it is? The customer tried to return a defective item he didn't purchase here and claimed he lost the receipt. I said I was sorry we didn't sell that item here and he would have to take it to where he purchased it. He got mad, called me every name under the sun and told me I didn't deserve to be part of the human race. I called my supervisor and my supervisor when ahead and credited the customer for the item because of the amount of money the customer spends here. He told my supervisor I should be fired, he said "the customer is always right" and he would cancel his corporate account if I wasn't fired.

I now have to take mandatory counseling because my supervisor said based on what the customer said, I'm starting to hate people.

When using a cell phone for a part-time sideline business do I need to use the cheapest phone and plan I can possibly use? I had to buy the phone because I did not want to give out my personal number so my business contacts use it to call me. I paid $250 upfront for the phone and $96/mo. I pay for unlimited talk/text/data. I don't have home internet which is required for the business so the cost includes unlimited hotspot for my laptop. Nobody else uses my laptop but me and I had to buy that for the business.

I had a full time job with an employer for the full year of 2015 with in income of $34,700. In 2014 I made a total of $300 from my business. In 2015 I wasn't paid for a bunch of shows I did then in August - November I made a total of $800. In December I received an unexpected check for $3,500 which they said was for several shows I did earlier in the year that I didn't ask money for. I wasn't paid anything for what I did the first 4 months of the year. Is my bill deductible for months I didn't get paid or is it based on the total for the year? Should I have looked for a cheaper cell phone?

I kind of accidentally started a part-time business from what was intended to be a hobby and last year I was paid a total of $1,200. I have a full-time job so I wasn't too concerned about making money. Due to a case of identity theft I learned a couple weeks ago that I was in the chex system because someone opened at least 2 checking accounts in my name and they were both closed by each bank for suspected fraud.

I registered a business name and applied for an EIN but I'm not sure what to do about a business checking account. I've had a personal checking account at a local bank for years and they haven't said a word about me being in the chex system. I really need to keep my checking account because my employer requires direct deposit and the payroll card they issue if you don't have a checking account totally blows.

This year I have someone who wants to work with me, but I'm afraid if I try to open a business account with my current bank it might get my personal account closed when they see I'm in the chex system. Would it work to have checks for payment made out to my name, depositing in my personal account then splitting the money? I've thought about getting an Amex Bluebird and using it like a business credit card and only using it for business expenses.

I'm still a bit confused on getting paid for something that was supposed to only be a hobby. I bought some professional DJ and Karaoke equipment. Last year I made $32.700 from my full-time job. I spent almost $2,000 on my equipment. I did several shows that weren't paid. I then have several places give me money which totaled $1,200. I purchased a cell phone just so I wouldn't have to give out my personal number which cost $90 per month for a total of $1,080. I purchased a bunch of supplies, paper, pens, binders, computer ink etc., that was used just for the shows. I had to buy a printer to print my song lists. Mileage I wasn't keeping track of because my first few shows weren't paid then they told me to start tracking mileage when I got paid but then I had a show that wasn't paid. I ended up registering a second business name because the first name I registered sounded stupid. I subscribed to an online music service via Karafun for $120 per month for professional KJ's so I could have legal music. I paid for a bunch of expenses with my personal account because I had no business funds and didn't even know I would get paid. I also saved up some money on a prepaid debit card and used 2 personal credit cards to order stuff.

Do I now need to go back and try to figure out all these expenses? Would it be okay to try not to accept money in 2016 or do I need to try to make money now? Is there a way I could just donate what I make to a non-profit?

What is the best way to split the money with someone in a part-time "hobby" business? We both have full-time jobs and just do this a few hours a week. I really don't need the help but he's talked to some people, put some effort into this and came up with some good ideas so I don't want to hurt his feelings. It's been more or less something to do and gets me out of the house after work, something I can just go and have some fun with but now they insist on paying us. Pay is $200/night. I have most of the equipment but he puts lots of effort into it.

Normally when I make money from a part time business thing the guy that does my taxes just adds it onto the income from my full-time job and then just gives me the standard deduction. The last time I was advised to stop doing the business because all it did was jacked me on my taxes.

The guy I'm working with wants the money to go into a "kitty" that we would use for equipment upgrades but how would that work? Who ends up paying income tax on the money they didn't get because it went in the "kitty"? I don't mind splitting any money 50/50 but how would we do that? When we started this we didn't get paid, but now that they are basically forcing us to take money, how do we handle it? Would it be too much to ask to have them make us each out a check for $100 payable to each of us?

I need to know how to handle the business end of a very part-time Karaoke business. I have the equipment but never considered doing it as a business. I offered to help a friend out one night a week and I was just going to be satisfied doing it for tips, but he's insisting on paying me $200 for each night I do it.

I was told now I would need a business name, business plan, EIN and separate business bank account. The business plan is hard because all I want is one night a week - with my full time job it's all I have time for, I don't want customers calling me and bothering me because the answer will always be "NO". I've also found it hard to register a business name as I tried about 50 and they were all taken. I settled for "Voc-Kar Entertainment" (Vocal + Karaoke) but they told me it was a stupid name, nobody would get it and nobody would show up if the bar put that in their ad.

It's hard when you have to change your business name before you ever start and have no funds to work with. I've been taking money from my personal account to get a few funds I need to start, but I'm finding recovering those funds may not be possible. Another friend suggested that I forget about it and sell off what equipment I have in an effort to make part of my money back.

Just so you know, I have professional equipment, 4,000 watt amp, peavey mixer, UHF wireless mics, CD-g multi format player, JBL dual 15" woffer 3-way speakers, and computer interface.

What I'm looking at is two speakers rated at 600 watts peak and 8 ohms. The DJ quality amp is rated @ 4,000 peak watts 2 x 500 watts @ 8 ohms

Does the 2 x 500 mean that I'm only pushing 500 watts to each speaker? I know the amp should have at least twice the rated output as the speaker (I don't want to overwork the amp). I can get a different size amp if necessary. We already have the speakers and amp but I wanted to be sure I wasn't under powering my speakers before I hook them up. I don't want to blow 2 new speakers.

This is going to be used for a public event so I do need to get maximum volume from my speakers with clarity and without harming the speakers.

I know someone who bought a bar and hasn't been doing so well. I had the bright idea to help him out with a karaoke night. I borrowed some professional DJ equipment from a friend as well as a massive music library. I ended up having to spend around $700 of my own money on equipment to make this happen, this was last year. We never set an amount for me to get paid and I wasn't paid anything last year.

The problem was there are too many well known names in the DJ business around here and nobody ever heard of me so nobody came to karaoke and on a good night it was the same 3 people singing. We even tried several different nights......and nothing. Yesterday I was given a check for $1,000 and told thanks but it wasn't bringing in any business so they decided to try a better known DJ. This was a weekly thing we did for about 5 or 6 months and it appears they paid me $50 for each night

Now it's confusing because the expenses were last year, the pay was this year, but the pay was really intended to just cover my expenses. I was thinking I shouldn't have even tried it because I'm not a business, I have a full-time job for an income so I just considered this to be a favor for someone. What I can't decide is if I should cash the check or give it back. Also the bar owner told some people about me and I've had several calls from people looking for a cheap DJ. Unless someone is willing to pay me at least $300 a night, I'm not interested in continuing in the business.

I hate going to these places because I feel they are overpriced then the wait staff expects a tip on top of that, but sometimes when I'm in a group and everyone else wants to go, I get stuck going. Last night a group I was with insisted we go to a restaurant I swore I'd never go back to for the all-you-can-eat spaghetti special which is advertised to run from 4-8pm. After finishing my first plate the waiter informs us around 6pm the kitchen ran out of spaghetti so sorry, no seconds. They still charged us all the all-you-can-eat price of $12.95 normally I just ask for water, this time in a stupid moment I ordered ice tea which was almost $3. He offered drink refills but on my ticket I was charged $1 for the refill. The total bill came out to $18.60 (tax included). I didn't feel like the meal was worth the price and we should have got a discount, but my friends all thought we should each tip the waiter at least $3 because we only had a few minutes wait time will they got our table ready. They did do a good job setting us up in a good location and each of us had plenty of room, the waiter promptly took our order and our food came out quickly. My only complaint was I didn't get the all-you-can-eat that I paid for because the kitchen ran out but they said that wasn't the waiter's fault. They thought I was just joking, but I said next time they wanted to go there, I was bringing a sandwich and eating in the car while they go inside.

I was informed by a potential employer that they were unable to hire me because my name was on a local "do not hire" list. I always thought these lists were only a rumor, but this potential employer said they really do exist. I've seen co-workers get fired for everything from drug use to theft and they found other jobs. Of course that only proves not all employers participate so not all employers will add your name to the list and not all employers have access to the list. Leave a low paying job without giving 2 weeks notice and you'll never work in this town again. Could an employer legally add your name to such a list? Would they need a good reason to add your name or could they add it just because you pissed them off when you left?

Is it ever acceptable not to leave the waitress a tip? The place wasn't that busy but the waitress kept taking orders from tables that were seated after me, finally when she walked by I said "excuse me, I'm ready to order." She said I would just have to be patient because she was the only server because 2 others had called in sick and the dish washer was a no call no show. Finally she came back to take me order and I ordered the hot roast beef special, then after about 15 minutes she came back and informed me they were out of specials and asked if I would like to order something else. I ordered the fried chicken and after what seemed like forever the table next to me called the waitress over a guy said this isn't what he ordered, she picked up the plate and sat it in front of me. After being in there for what seemed like an hour, she wanted to put a cold meal in front of me some else had picked at. I called her back over and said this was unacceptable and she said there was nothing she could do, I would have to take it up with the manager. It took about 15 minutes for the manager to come out, I explained the situation and he said he would get me a new meal. Finally the new meal came and the chicken was so greasy I felt sick after I ate it. They charged me $14.95 for the chicken and $1 for a glass of water with lemon which the waitress failed to refill even after I asked several times. I didn't feel like she earned a tip so I didn't leave one. was I wrong?

Back in November I was mopping a floor at my place of employment when someone fell on it. I was just notified I'm being sued personally. It was in a high traffic area where everyone is in a big hurry either doesn't pay attention or just doesn't care. We always use 3' tall yellow signs where we are mopping and I've had people walk right into the signs. Nobody said anything at the time but the person took a picture and I used a "restroom closed" sign by accident instead of a "wet floor" sign. I'm always so careful, I just don't see how it could have happened but he has the picture for evidence. In his statement he said the floor was excessively slick, I knew that people would be walking on the wet floor and I should have known better than to wet mop a floor with people around. Company policy is the floor must be mopped on every shift, so I had to get it finished before my shift was over.

Last week I quit my job, so the company I worked for said I should get a good lawyer. If re-hired within 30 days of leaving I would keep the same status as when I left. The trouble is, if I loose the case and my wages are garnished, I would have to quit my job again because I wouldn't be left with enough to pay rent and expenses. All I have is my car which is basic transportation and I'd be lucky to get enough from selling it to pay a lawyer. If I go back to the job I hate, they said they would help with the lawyer.

I experienced at work what my supervisor called an uncontrolled meltdown. I've felt stuck in a dead end job for the past couple of years. Somehow I've ended up with more custodial duties, kept at a low wage and overlooked for promotions. Others have been hired after me and promoted to far better jobs with way more pay when I felt I was more qualified and my supervisor said it's because I was so good at cleaning restrooms, washing windows and moping floors, that's where they wanted to keep me.

So I was called to mop up a pop spill, simple little job, but people kept stepping in it and tracking all over the place. One person would move then the next person would come stand right in it. Finally I got mad, threw my mop, shouted "if you want to be a bunch of filthy A$$ed pigs, you clean it up!" got on the radio and told the boss he could take his f'd up dead end job and stick it where the sun don't shine alone with some other words I can't repeat on here and walked out. Later my supervisor called me and told me I liked my job so he didn't understand what happened but if I would get mental help, be evaluated and start on medication, I could come back to work. Otherwise he said it would go on my record that I was terminated for having an uncontrolled meltdown. My question is, do I have to give that as my reason for leaving? I don't want anything to do with any meds that make me like a job that treats me like crap.

At an establishment, I have written permission to park my vehicle and verified with their chief of security that I was parked properly. One of their security officers who likes to throw his weight around and make his own rules decided he didn't like where I was parked and had my vehicle towed. When I returned I had no vehicle and I was without my vehicle all weekend as the impound yard is only open for a couple hours several days a week. I incurred considerable expense as I had to pay for rides and miss time from work to get my vehicle, then it cost me $300 to get it back.

The establishment said they had nothing to do with having my vehicle towed and they are not responsible. The contract security department said they are not responsible as the officer in question is retired and volunteers his time to sit at the front desk and direct people. His badge reads "Security Enforcement Officer" and their is nothing on his uniform or name tag to indicate who he works for. Individual security officers are not allowed to have improperly parked vehicles towed without getting approval from the property management.

Is there anything that can be done about this security officer? If you look at him the wrong way, he has your vehicle towed even if it was properly parked and this isn't the first time

At my job we have what is considered to be private property with public access. Other area businesses use our road to access their place of business and nothing is ever said. I've often heard it said nobody outside of our company should be using our 2 mile stretch of road because it's private property but I'm sure lots of people who don't work here have no clue, it's just the short cut they've always taken.

While driving a work truck which was by the way a piece of crap, I put on my turn signal to make a left turn off of this road onto an unmarked dirt maintenance road, which is hard to see unless you are looking for it. As I was making the left turn from the paved surface, someone passed me on the left at a high rate of speed and I struck the vehicle.

Police were called to investigate and the driver of the other vehicle said I was driving very slow, in his way and while he saw my turn signal he didn't think there was any possible place for me to make a left turn. This person works for another company and always thought this was a public road. The officer said he would take a report and an investigation would be conducted but no citations were issued and he didn't say who was at fault. I was driving a work truck that looked like it came from the junk yard and should have been left there that the company failed to maintain. He had a new Chevy Impala. Who should be at fault here and who's insurance should be stuck with the bill?

I currently have an issue with someone who wrote me a bad check for over $5,000. This person was arrested on various other charges and sentenced to 90 days in jail, 250 hours community service, 5 years probation and restitution. The court ordered them to pay me the full $5,000 as a condition of their probation. Less then 30 days after the start of their probation, this person was arrested for drug possession, their probation was revoked and they were sentenced to 2 to 3 years in prison and credit for time served with no possibility for parole. Last month they were released having served all their time, probation was revoked, there was no early release or parole.

So far this person has paid me $0. They said they have no money and no job at this time. Searching for a lawyer to help with this is next to impossible, I talked with 2 lawyers who both declined to take the case because they said the chances of me being able to collect a dime are slim to none.

Just how does this really work, is restitution still enforceable after time has been served in prison? FYI, they purchased a vehicle from me and it was totaled a few days later, then the bank contacted me that the check was ISF while the person was in jail on the first charges. When the case went to court, the judge ordered restitution on my check as well and said probation would be revoked if the person failed to pay.

Is there anything I can do at this point to get my money?

Today it took everything I had to keep from throwing something saying some swear words and walking out. I was told they were going to increase my responsibilities but then I was given "custodial" duties. Now they treat me like crap and when someone went in the men's room and took a dump in a urinal, I was expected to go in there and clean it up while a manager was yelling at me and chewing my butt for not being on "top" of things and finding it myself. I had just cleaned the men's room from top to bottom about 1/2 hour earlier. Today we had a customer take glass bottle of a coffee drink into an area that was clearly posted "no food or drink allowed in this area." He dropped the bottle and the bottle broke resulting in a huge mess on the floor with pieces of glass in it. Now I have people stepping in the mess when I'm trying to clean it up and I was told I need to be really fast because we can't inconvenience customers by asking them to wait a second, so I had to let customers step in it and track it across the floor. Later I'm cleaning the glass doors, there is another set of doors but a lady wasn't paying attention and jerked the door open just as I sprayed the window cleaner and accidentally sprayed her in the face, her husband grabbed the spray bottle from me and sprayed it in my face a bunch of times asking me how I liked it. I got wrote up because they said it was my duty to watch out for customers, not their duty to watch out for me.

Who would get in trouble here? My supervisor wants me to purchase some really cheap BaoFeng model 888S 2-way radios and programming cable/software for the company. I can't find any license information, so I doubt the company has the proper business band license, they just picked a couple frequencies and started using them hoping they won't get caught. Now they came up with the bright idea to make each employee pay $15 for their radio and each employee would have their own radio. Even at $15 each, 20 radios puts us way over budget.

Who gets in trouble here if we get caught? The company for demanding I order and program the radios they want? Me for being stupid enough to do it or all the employees who had to purchase their own radio. I just know when it hits the fan the company will say they don't have any radios, the employees each have their own.

I know these radios aren't certified by the FCC for commercial use and since I can't find any license information for the company I can only assume they don't have one, they said I would be instructed what frequencies to program into the radios when they arrive and that's all I needed to know. I tried to argue with my supervisor that we need reliable radios with the proper license but I was given until Friday. I can either order the radios they want or be replaced with someone who will. We are about 5 miles outside the city limits and there isn't much chance someone would hear us without being on the property.

I found myself in a situation at work. Several people were having issues I was trying to help them with when a someone came up to me, asked me if I worked there like they were the only person on the face of the earth and informed me they found a wallet and asked me what they should do with it. I was busy helping several customers at the time and there was a line at customer service so I told them I would take care of it. After finishing helping my customers I then followed procedure to turn in the found item.

Later in the day I was informed that a lady came to claim the wallet and she filed a complaint with the management as she claimed the wallet contained $2,000 which was missing and she was missing a credit card. She said she is giving us 48 hours to return the missing money and credit card or she said she is calling the police. Later I was informed the credit card was used and the time it was used several times was during the time lapse between the time the wallet was handed to me and the time I turned it in. There was a delay because we were busy and I was helping customers. I regret I do not have a description of the person who handed me the wallet as I had several people around me each trying to ask me questions at the same time.

I don't have the cash or missing credit card. Do I have anything to be concerned about?