New ask Hacker News story: Ask HN: Forced repayment of wages. Just common startup stuff? Ask HN: Forced repayment of wages. Just common startup stuff?

Ask HN: Forced repayment of wages. Just common startup stuff?
3 by w8GHxRLeeJRp9Xc | 3 comments on Hacker News.
Not interested in making this personal, so going to just state facts instead of sharing an interesting story. For 3 months, I worked for free on coding a project for a social scientist academic. I got asked to work "full-time" by the academic. No papers were signed other than an NDA (the company's changed product and names twice since then). I would get a below minimum wage monthly personal check from the academic and told I would not need to pay any taxes on it. One year later, the company gets VC funding from a tech investor who had been giving the academic money to start a company. Fast forward 8 months, even though I was not a cofounder, I am told "we" (academic and I) need to pay back the loan and I need to sign an agreement that I will repay that loan from the company to me (in even more than the amount I had been paid in the previous year). I would have to pay interest on it each year for the next 4 years and then the full amount. Academic tells me that I will get paid the interest amount by the company in the form of a bonus. Also, the loan would be canceled, but they weren't allowed to put that in writing. I ask a senior manager what this is all about, and they say it's just common startup stuff. I left the company (not because of this, but related). Unfortunately, they are still expecting me to pay, and also say they have no way to pay me anymore since I am not on payroll. I obviously don't want to pay back wages I was paid. I also just want to be done with this situation asap and would appreciate any advice that moved me closer to not having anything to do with this company. I also don't want to spend money on a lawyer just to not have to pay back my wages. Please let me know what you think I should do.

Not interested in making this personal, so going to just state facts instead of sharing an interesting story. For 3 months, I worked for free on coding a project for a social scientist academic. I got asked to work "full-time" by the academic. No papers were signed other than an NDA (the company's changed product and names twice since then). I would get a below minimum wage monthly personal check from the academic and told I would not need to pay any taxes on it. One year later, the company gets VC funding from a tech investor who had been giving the academic money to start a company. Fast forward 8 months, even though I was not a cofounder, I am told "we" (academic and I) need to pay back the loan and I need to sign an agreement that I will repay that loan from the company to me (in even more than the amount I had been paid in the previous year). I would have to pay interest on it each year for the next 4 years and then the full amount. Academic tells me that I will get paid the interest amount by the company in the form of a bonus. Also, the loan would be canceled, but they weren't allowed to put that in writing. I ask a senior manager what this is all about, and they say it's just common startup stuff. I left the company (not because of this, but related). Unfortunately, they are still expecting me to pay, and also say they have no way to pay me anymore since I am not on payroll. I obviously don't want to pay back wages I was paid. I also just want to be done with this situation asap and would appreciate any advice that moved me closer to not having anything to do with this company. I also don't want to spend money on a lawyer just to not have to pay back my wages. Please let me know what you think I should do.