My Story - Modern Day Slavery.

I was Sharp Tooth's slave; I was forced to work, unable to refuse to work due to coercion, threats, and deception.

They made me pay them for shares in the company, but when I wanted to leave, they refused to release my money, which forced me to carry on working there.

I was a modern-day slave.

Note: names and genders of the characters in this story have been withheld to protect identities.

Would you work around the clock if you had an employment contract that contained a bonus structure offering you the chance to earn uncapped commissions? A normal employee earns 2.2 times their salary. A great employee 3.2 times. I was offered 1/3 of profits over 3.2 times. Everyone else in the company was comfortable earning around 2.8, 3.0 times their salary. I worked like a machine to create opportunity for my future. I came from Sydenham in Victoria, had hard-working parents who taught me that you can get out what you put in. I put myself through uni whilst working in a call centre. I busted my arse to have a career.

This is my story. A story of modern slavery.

Between 2013 and 2016 my boss, Sharp Tooth, was responsible for slavery.  They forced me into forced Labor, where I was required to work in conditions where I was unable to refuse to work due to coercion, threats and deception contrary to subsection 270 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).  Although I was kept in decent conditions, I was not free to live my life as I wanted due to coercion, threats and deception, making my employment, forced labour. 

Deceptive recruitment for labour services is defined as recruiting someone under false pretences.  Sharp Tooth hired me, yet the actual job scenario was different from what was promised and I was paid far less than what was agreed. I was then kept in the company due to threats, deception and coercion, this also breaches to subsection 270 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).

I was employed on $85k and replaced a girl on $135k. My contract, however, contained a standard bonus agreement that was contractual. It delivered me 1/3 of profits once I generated over 3.2 times my salary. 

In 2013/14 the company delivered $1,485,249 and I was responsible for $652,044. That was 42% of company revenue.  The rest of the employees were required to deliver 7% per person. 

I was entitled to a $125,000 contractually owed bonus.  Sharp Tooth offered me $30k.  Sharp Tooth told me that they would declare a loss and activate a no payment clause in the bonus contract if I didn’t agree to $30k.  Sharp Tooth invited another director into a meeting who referred to me as a Greedy Faggot and told me if I was to leave the company, he would sue any clients that I poached, destroying the relationship and making it impossible for me to succeed. 

I accepted a $50k bonus later that day. This $50k plus my $85k salary brought me to $135k which was the salary of the girl I replaced.  She was responsible for 7% of company revenue, not made to manage 42%.

I was given a letter that stated the company wasn’t in a great financial position and the $50k would be paid in 2 payments. I later found out around $2.4Million was taken in dividends that year. I was promised that I wouldn't have to negotiate the payment again. Sharp Tooth apologised and blamed the company situation. I believed them.

In 2014/15 the company delivered $3,128,178.16 and I delivered $1,528,729.50 profit. I had the help of 1 junior staffer.  My salary was increased to $120k but I was responsible for 51% of company revenue. The rest of the employees were required to deliver 5.1% per person that year.

I was entitled to a $381,576 bonus.  Sharp Tooth reneged on her commitment not to negotiate and offered me $50k. Sharp Tooth provided me with a letter saying the Bonus would be reviewed in February. 

When it was time to pay the $50k and I had already earned the company an additional $1,200,000 in profits to the company told me that there would be no bonus. At this point I was owed $368,000 more.

I wasn't paid anything despite generating record profits for the company. I had built up a strong client base and was promised shares in the company. I was also told I would be given a directorship in the company. Another employee was gifted 20% of company shares in exchange for her bonus deal. I was disappointed, but hopeful. I kept reminding myself that I was on a good wicket despite the failure of the company to honour the contractual agreement. I kept working because of the promise of shares. It was my dream to own shares in an advertising agency.

When it came time to provide me with the directorship and shares in the company, I was told I would have to wait but there would be no Bonus.  An additional $331,576 was contractually owed to me but was not paid.  I wasn't counting on a bonus this time because I was supposed to be a shareholder. That was the deal, shares in exchange for a bonus agreement. I later found out that the directors withdrew a $2.4Million dividend for themselves and shared nothing with me.

When the time for the shares finally arrived, I was hit with a bill for $55k. I had to take out a loan for the shares I was promised for free when my contractual bonus was taken from me.

When it was time to pay dividends, Sharp Tooth changed the company's dividend policy.  Instead of paying out 50% it was changed to 10%. It's illegal to change the dividend policy to disadvantage a minority shareholder.

All the while some client funds were secretly kept off the books. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were kept from the tax man and divvied up amongst the 3 other shareholders. I owned 5% but wasn't given a look in.

To manage my workload, I was required to work significant overtime.  Recorded on company time sheets during the 2014/15 period, I recorded 31 hours in August, 29.5 hours is September, 27 hours in November, 47 hours in January, 58 hours in March, 83 hours in April. I would work 3 months straight without a day off. Everybody else was out the door at 5pm and strictly 4 or 5 days a week.

I was made to earn 51% of the company revenue and everyone else was good on 5%.

My direct reports were on higher salaries than myself. I was the lowest paid manager in the business.

I claimed to be bullied by Sharp Tooth and another director and tried to sell my shares

according to the contractual sale of share agreement the parties had signed. Sharp Tooth refused to honour the sale agreement and created a new agreement that paid me out over 12 months,

ripping me of the money that was contractually owed to me within 30 days. This financial

situation trapped me in the company, and I was unable to leave.

12 months later, I was still stuck working in the company, none of my money had been released to me as Sharp Tooth refused to release it in line with the contractual sale of share agreement. I was trapped in a job with $140k on the line if I was to leave but in an environment that was destroying everything else in my life.

My mental health was deteriorating, bullying was intensifying, and I was trapped in my

employment because Sharp Tooth wouldn’t pay me back for the shares I had bought and taken out a loan for.

I eventually fell seriously ill from an injury and could no longer work. Regardless, Sharp Tooth refused to pay me anything. I had to walk away from $140k in contractually owed money (that's what my shares were worth) and take Sharp Tooth to court in the hope of seeing any of my investment. I had to keep paying down the loan.

 I was suffering from a mental illness, unemployed, and with no income, to finally receive the money for the shares I purchased.

I was deemed permanently unfit for work by the County Court of Victoria due to bullying at

The company years later. I suffered from Adjustment Disorder. A mental illness that has addiction as a symptom in the DSM5. Later, in 2015 when I was out of work and addiction took hold, they cancelled my income protection policy, telling the insurer that I was HIV positive. I wasn't. They cancelled my policy saying that it wasn't a work-related reason I was claiming. I got it back on, eventually having to hire lawyers and spend $30k, but for a year, I was unable to work with no income. Things got really dark after that.

As a slave, I was then punished for leaving the company. Sharp Tooth tried to shut down my

LinkedIn, they sent aggressive legal letters to a new employer, threatening them should they

move forward in a relationship with me and ruined a serious future opportunity. Sharp Tooth also disparaged me and had me fired from 2 other positions before I even started.

Sharp Tooth was privy to my medical records as part of a Workcover claim. Sharp Tooth shared my private medical information with the entire industry a second time. They also spread word that I was a junkie because she found out I had addiction issues, a symptom of the mental injury the County Court ruled I suffered under their leadership in the company.

I was Sharp Tooth's slave, I was forced to work, unable to refuse to work due to coercion,

threats and deception contrary to subsection 270 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).