Q: I was an independent contractor working for a shipping company, we had a pending damage claim from a customer for $2400. The owner of the company told me that he would take care of it, then arrange a payment plan. But without notification he took $50 a week for a month from my check. Then on Dec 29 after telling the owner of the company that I was looking for other employment, he deposited a check into my account then withdrew all of it out, again without any communication or notification. How would I seek restitution for this issue?

A: You might have some luck by filing with the PA Department of Labor and Industry Wage Collection Bureau in Pittsburgh. If they have jurisdiction over your case, they will go after the employer at no cost to you. They went after my client, a subcontractor, for not paying a dry wall person.