Atlanta woman returns to Dunkin’ after two weeks for her final paycheck, then claims someone is holding it hostage: ‘upset I’m bettering myself’

A former Dunkin’ employee in Atlanta says she went back to the store in person to ask about her last paycheck, according to BroBible. She described the dispute across several TikTok videos, and she later posted an update saying the check had arrived. In the first clip, she walked into the shop where she used to work and asked a staff member, “Why are you withholding my paycheck?” She says she called and texted several times without getting an answer, and that roughly two weeks had passed since she left.

“I need my paycheck now,” she said. She says the worker told her the check was not there, and the woman left without it. She claims a person at the shop held the money back because she had taken a new job. “She’s holding it hostage ’cause she’s upset I’m bettering myself,” she claims. In later videos, she made further claims about the store.

She says staff sometimes save wrongly made drinks and hand them out on later orders. “They’re gonna put some new ice in there; they’re gonna mix it up, and they’re gonna give it to you,” she said. She also says bagels and other baked goods were left out for days, and that creamers were often spoiled. These allegations come from her alone. The outlet stated that it emailed her and Dunkin’ for comment.

Final pay rules vary by state

The U.S. Department of Labor says federal law does not require an employer to hand a former worker their last check right away, though some states may. If the regular payday for the final pay period has passed without payment, the agency advises contacting its Wage and Hour Division or the state labor department. The page adds that the department has ways to recover back wages.

Georgia’s labor department addresses a worker who quit and was not paid for her last week. It suggests a wage claim in small claims court, called Magistrate Court, in the county where the employer is located. It says the filing fee can be recovered with the wages if the judge sides with the worker. The page notes that employers and workers often disagree over final amounts, and that federal enforcement may be slow.

Dunkin’ states on its contact page that its restaurants are individually owned and operated. For employment opportunities, it points people to the careers page or the local restaurant. For in-store complaints, the page lists a customer feedback phone line and a mailing address at Inspire Brands’ Boston Support Center in Canton, Massachusetts. The feedback line is open on weekdays from seven in the morning to seven in the evening, Eastern time.

Food complaints can also go to local health officials. In Fulton County, the Board of Health’s environmental health office lists restaurants among the complaints it handles and accepts them by phone or email. The county runs separate offices for Central, North and South Fulton. Which office applies depends on the county where a store sits.