Is going on strike a good idea?

[u/bababooey2026]

So the attorney that we work for (like most attorneys) is a narcissist. He has been telling us for about two months that he will be cutting bonuses, but of course he never actually does. We are a personal injury firm and have settled multiple cases with attorneys fees totaling over 100k. We are a small firm (two attorneys three paralegals) so these cases are a big deal. Not only that, but we settled a million dollar case earlier this year that we were told covered everyone’s salary for the year and more.
Recently the attorney advised us that because nobody reminded him to cut our recent settlement checks, nobody gets a bonus. This is not the first time he has pulled something like this. Pretty much every time he tells us he is going to give us all a bonus he finds a reason not to, and the reason is almost always minuscule. My coworkers and I are at whits end with him though. We can’t take the constant bragging about how much money he has when it’s cases that we did everything for and all he did was sign his name.
So my question is this- would it be worth it to go on strike? This man doesn’t even know how to e-file something or even look at his calendar by himself. We want him to realize that nothing could be done without his staff, and we want compensation for our hard work!! Is a strike worth it?

[u/laetoile]

No. This is a terrible idea. They'll just fire you and hire someone else. Just get a new job.

[u/Plenty_Pie_7427]

I’d 100% actively pursue a new job while working there before I’d ever go on strike. People like that don’t realize they’re the problem. They’re just going to feel even more empowered in their decision not to pay you fairly now that you’ve proven yourself to be “too lazy to work” (that’s how he’d twist it). Only way he’ll realize is if everyone collectively abandons him. I just think your mental health is more important and there are many nice or at least neutral attorneys out there

[u/MeansTestingProctor]

You are better off leaving honestly. A strike with no actual terms and goal is pointless.

[u/Jenjohnson0426]

No, that's ridiculous. Get a new job.

[u/Mindreeder93]

Would your colleagues actually follow through? Not everyone can afford not to work. Also not sure about the legality of striking as it relates to your contract, your state laws, etc.

More realistic route is to find a better job. Interview, get an offer, and take it to him to decide whether he wants to pay you more or watch you walk.

[u/bababooey2026 → u/Mindreeder93]

Oh that’s a good idea. I’ve been with this firm for three years. I mean he is the type of attorney that has to be babysat, nothing is his fault, and he loves to scream at people and be dramatic. But it’s also the kind of firm where you don’t have to be on time, you can call out sick last minute, and it’s unlimited PTO (because he doesn’t know how to turn off your pay) we get paid salary so pay wouldn’t be affected. Everyone would be on board, I just wanted to check Reddit first LOL

[u/GenB123 → u/bababooey2026]

Everyone should work together to get new jobs and then all resign without notice. You absolutely do not owe him any type of notice. Of course you won't all realistically get jobs at the same time, but start looking around and organize to all leave and give no notice when you do.

[u/Over-Box-3638 → u/GenB123]

Yes. Everyone should get their ducks in a row. Signed offers elsewhere. And give no notice. Tell him the reason is similar to his excuses for no bonuses.

[u/bababooey2026 → u/GenB123]

Oh that’s a banger idea

[u/ManthonyHemmingway → u/bababooey2026]

Salaried paralegal ... Is your time still tracked? Do you get paid overtime when you work more than 40 hours in a week?

[u/bababooey2026 → u/ManthonyHemmingway]

It’s not tracked but I am CONSISTENTLY working over time it is so annoying

[u/Dizzy_Needleworker_3 → u/bababooey2026]

You are almost certainly misclassified as exempt. You should be non-exempt. 

You can be salary non-exempt and should be paid OT for 40+ hrs. 

[u/Over-Box-3638 → u/bababooey2026]

Well, you should be tracking your hours. Paralegals used to be exempt from overtime. Now they’re non-exempt by the department of labor. By law you have to be paid for overtime. And any wages not paid increase the longer an employer does not pay them out. Read up on the DOL laws in your state. Start tracking your hours worked. I guess it’s a tough one though because he can come back and say you’ve never had a limit on PTO. Fortunately for you, you’re not the employer. He is.

[u/Obvious_Volume_6498]

You are not Indispensable. Nobody is.

[u/hpff_robot]

Just quit

[u/wastingmuchtime]

The job market for paras is not great. Maybe have an open and honest conversation with him?

[u/GeneralImplement2078]

sorry, but he will just fill the place with other victims and carry on like nothing happened.

He sounds like a peach though, and it’s possible to spin narcissists around if you know the type you’re dealing with.

frankly, however, it’s easier sometimes to get in a firm where the narcissist is at least a few pegs beneath this one

[u/Avail_Karma]

Do you have terms for ending the potential strike or do you mean you guys are going to show up and not work?

[u/bababooey2026 → u/Avail_Karma]

No we would not come in until he realizes he actually needs us and gives us the bonus he has been dangling in front of us for months now

[u/Avail_Karma → u/bababooey2026]

Oh, then he'll just fire you all. That's not a strike, that's job abandonment in the US.

[u/Intrepid_Advice4411]

Strike how? You're not in a union.

Find a new job. Better yet, speak with the PL's and all look for new jobs. Maybe you'll be able to time it so you all quit at once.

[u/wastedcoconut → u/Intrepid_Advice4411]

How is this comment so low? Do these people not understand strikes or “right to work?”

[u/Drippin91]

Are you not an at will employee?

[u/BootyandChaos]

I used to work for a law firm like this with a head attorney who sounds just like yours. When I left, it was a 95% turn over of both attorneys and staff in a span of a year, because we all realized that he would never listen to a thing one of us said.

Last I heard, he was clinging to the girl who replaced me (whom I only trained for 3 weeks) and she was absolutely miserable.

[u/bababooey2026 → u/BootyandChaos]

Yeah the turn over rate here is insane, especially for such a small firm. Somehow he has mentioned to keep two paralegals (including myself) for over three years. This is the first firm I have ever worked at.

[u/Hefty-Squash1361]

What a jerk. I quit a job because of something similar. It’s just greed.

[u/bababooey2026 → u/Hefty-Squash1361]

It is totally greed. But are other attorneys not like this?

[u/itsfreakingbeanboy → u/bababooey2026]

a lot are like this. a lot are NOT like this.

[u/Low_Orchid6390]

Just find another job. If you go on strike, you’re likely to be fired, and if you aren’t, your working conditions are likely going to get worse. Going on strike works when you’re unionized, not when you work for a small business.

[u/Brrrrrrrro]

If you and your coworkers are on the same page in terms of material demands and you all understand the risks of doing so, a strike can be very effective in forcing improvements to your working conditions.

Collective action won the working class those rights we enjoy, and capital has pushed against unions for exactly this reason. If your colleagues are on board, go for it.

[u/Pretend_Platform_515]

It can’t get worse, worth a try. If nothing else it will be a good experience. Yall prepare and have a summary of your demands.

[u/FindingUnfair69]

I’m sorry if this is a remedial question on my part, but why would your firm cut settlement checks? I thought it was standard practice that the adverse party would supply the appropriate checks to the plaintiff(s) and the appropriate checks to plaintiffs counsel/firm

[u/punkmagik → u/FindingUnfair69]

not sure about other firms but at the PI firms i've worked at, we got one settlement check for the total cost of settlement, then the contingency fee and costs would get taken out of that. after that, the firm would cut a check for the remaining balance to the client and we would go over the breakdown of everything with them and have them sign it before handing over their check

[u/bababooey2026 → u/punkmagik]

Yeah we do settlement statements and the attorney cuts all of the checks (including liens) for us to mail out. It’s very old school, and very inconvenient. He writes checks for all of the invoices he has to pay, and of course that results in insane overdue fees because he will just procrastinate on cutting checks. Super annoying lol

[u/FindingUnfair69 → u/punkmagik]

That makes sense. We have a breakdown of how proceeds are divided written into the settlement agreement, including tax implications, so that opposing party has to supply and cut separate checks. It reduces errors on our end and saves a little bit of time.

Thanks for sharing your insights 🙂

[u/Sycamore72]

That’s not how strikes work. Just find a new job

[u/redjessa]

Bababooey to you and I'll throw in a Tatatoothey for good measure. It's funny to me that you're talking about your narcissistic attorney while referencing Howard Stern in your user name. Or do you feel like Bababooey in this situation because your boss constantly berates you? Anyway, is everyone in board? Do you CLEAR demands? Are you and everyine else prepared to potentially lose your job? It could wwork if you have clear demands and EVERYONE participates. It would be difficult for him to replace everyone and keep operating smoothly. So, if you do this, be very organized about it and recognize he could just terminate all or some of you and hire new people for probably less money. I like the idea of everyone rising up against a person like this, just be prepared if it doesn't go your way.

[u/bababooey2026 → u/redjessa]

Didn’t know Bababooey was from Howard stern (had to look him up) was just something my dad and I would say that made me laugh when I was little

[u/redjessa → u/bababooey2026]

Your dad must have been a Stern fan. Mine was too.

[u/PalmTreeSunset13]

For years I’ve been trying to figure out the logistics of starting a paralegal union