Dear Leslie,

I left my previous employer in April, 2007. I have a Simple Retirement Account. My employer put in my employee contributions but it never deposited the employer match for 2007 ($200.00). I e-mailed the company and told them they had until April 15, 2008 to make the deposit. They never did.

I called the financial company that handles my account, but they seem to care about my boss’s big pile of money instead of my little one. Also I called the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Law. All of these groups address employee contribution issues and not “employer match” issues. Please advise.

Dear Reader,

You were right to call the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), but you contacted the wrong arm of this octopus-like agency. The division that covers retirement and health benefit plans is the Employee Benefits Security Administration (1-866-444-3272).

This toll-free number will put you through to a regional office where the Participants’ Assistance department answers employees’ questions and attempts to resolve complaints with employers. If the department discovers that an individual’s complaint applies to a large number of employees, the regional office’s enforcement staff may get involved.

Also useful is “Warning Signs That 401(k) Contributions Are Being Misused”, found on the DOL’s Web site: www.dol.gov/ebsa/Publications/10warningsigns.html.

Smile While You Search

Dear Leslie,

I read your article about Walter J. Smith, the man with a heart of gold. I wish I could find a boss like that.

Smith’s employees said he was concerned for their safety and paid them when they were off work, even though he is not wealthy. My boss insists if you are off during the week, unpaid, that you should make it up on the following Saturday. My boss would never think of buying anyone lunch.

My boss also would never consider giving anyone a “mental-health” day off after a hectic week. Sometimes I think there is a camcorder in my office because it seems like the minute I am through with a project, she is in my office asking me about my job duties.

She requires me to email her every morning to advise her of what I will be doing that day. An accountant with a four-year college degree, I have been in the business for over 30 years. Most of my bosses had faith in me to get the job done so they could focus on their own duties. I am not use to working for someone who does not allow me to think, be creative, or do anything without getting approval first.

Mail cannot be disbursed until she has seen it first. Bills cannot be paid until she makes sure we are not paying too much. I cannot understand bosses who have good, hard-working employees but treat them like they cannot do anything without orders.

Do you have any ideas on how to get by until I find another job?

Dear Reader,

Envisioning what you want to do next and taking steps to make that dream a reality is surely the best way to get through this rough period.

Smile often: You have a job at a time when many don’t, and the skills and experience to get even a better one.