Glenn Whiting v. City of Athens, Tenn.

**Court Rules in Favor of Worker in Payment Dispute** This case involved a payment dispute between a worker named Jordan and their employer, P.M. MacKay & Sons, Inc. Jordan had been working under a subcontract arrangement but wasn't getting paid on time. MacKay consistently made late payments and eventually stopped paying Jordan altogether for work that had already been completed. The federal appeals court sided with Jordan, ruling that MacKay had broken their contract by failing to make payments as agreed. The court awarded Jordan $62,393.90 to cover the unpaid work. The judge found that MacKay's failure to pay was so serious that it completely violated the contract, which meant Jordan was no longer required to continue working for the company. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This ruling reinforces that employers must honor their payment agreements. When employers consistently pay late or stop paying altogether, workers have legal options to recover their unpaid wages. The court's decision shows that serious payment violations can release workers from their obligations to continue working while still allowing them to collect what they're owed. Workers facing similar payment issues should document late or missing payments as potential evidence of contract violations.