Hilltop Hostel, Hostel Scam Owners getting away with deceptive business practices takoma, District of Columbia
I am an employee at the Hilltop Hostel in Washington dc, for those of you who may not know what a hostel is it is a place for international travelers mainly. This place is a serious scam, the owners of this place are getting away with murder. Violating just about every law possible in regards to business and building codes.
They hire people with no written agreement, and do not pay any of their employees. They require you to live on the premises since you barter they give you a bed in a room with 6-10 people. There is no ac in the summer and is freezing in the winter. They do not pay taxes on any of their employees myself included, they do not accept credit cards its a cash only business. They are way over max occupancy, and have three bathrooms with at times 40 people in one house. They settled with an ex employee for thousands of dollars out of court so he wouldn't go to the proper authorities. We receive no sick pay medical 401k or any cash compensation
One of the ex employees stopped working completely and is living at the hostel free because the owners cant get rid of him because of the tenant laws in dc which state he is a legal resident. They have no security at this place the beds are old and ragged the sheets are even older.
The police have been at this place atleast ten times because of problems with guests and employees in the last few months. The owners apparently have been paying off employees who have threated to report their deceptive business practices. They probably owe the irs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Im sort of stuck here because of a financial hardship and Im definately being taken advantage of. If someone can please help me It would be greatly appreciated