Legal Question in Sexual Harassment in Michigan

My wife started a new job with a "mom and pop" restaurant. They started by not paying her for the first week, saying it was training -- which we ignored, at the time. They then give her hassle about wanting a W2; saying that she should just take payment in cash, and she doesn't need a paycheck. After three weeks, they finally gave her a W2, but said they would only pay her for 20 hours, then the rest in cash. The problem there is she needs to get a loan, but needs to show employment, and can't really do a good job of that if all she's "working" is 20 hours a week.... But, even that we've been trying to work with. But the past few days they've been yelling at her for things like leaving "early" when she stayed well after her shift, and said before the shift that she needed to get off early -- as well as other useless things like that.

There have also been situations where her superior will be talking about what a "good Albanian wife would do" in regards to cleaning and cooking, and the general stereotypical "wife" things to do. He then asked her if she was a "good wife", to which she replied that she and I split the cleaning, and the superior stated "That's why I'm single and not married to a lazy American girl". Which, is something rather simple and easy to shrug off, but when it's every day that she gets this from her superiors, and it's not in a "joking" manor to where she feels like she can say something back; it's a situation where if she "talks back", she'll be yell at again.

But, what broke my wife today was her male superior walked into the female bathroom today while she was in the stall, and yelled at her to come out immediately because they had to yell at her for something else....

So, my question is: is there anything within the law that we can use to "fight back", so to speak? Honestly, she's considering quitting, but right now, she's not even sure she'll get any money at all for the past three weeks, if she leaves.... Is there anything at all that we can do?


Asked on 8/26/10, 2:03 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

William Morrison Action Defense Center

This attorney does not respond to hearsay posts from spouses, friends, relatives, or concerned citizens who are not the individuals with the actual legal problem.

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Answered on 8/31/10, 7:15 pm


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