At the labor court hearing, Mr. Siqueira arrived with a lawyer. He claimed Clara was "lazy" and "not a team player." But Clara had her evidence: emails sent at 9:47 PM, WhatsApp messages from him asking for "just one more hour," and the pay stub showing Pedro's higher salary for the same role.
He also stopped signing their timecards. The physical book where they used to record entry and exit times remained blank. "We trust you," he said.
Everyone stayed. Clara worked until 10 PM. She didn't ask about overtime. She was too eager to please. Direito do Trabalho
One Friday, after a 65-hour week (25 hours of unpaid overtime), Clara felt dizzy and exhausted. She made a minor mistake: she posted a client's draft instead of the final version on Instagram. The client was furious. The next Monday, Mr. Siqueira called her into his office.
That night, Clara cried to her older sister, who worked as a paralegal. "That's not 'family,'" her sister said. "That's a violation of almost every article of the CLT. You need to see Dr. Leticia." At the labor court hearing, Mr
Mr. Siqueira panicked. He tried to fire her "for just cause" (insubordination), but Dr. Leticia had already filed a preliminary complaint with the Labor Prosecutor's Office ( Ministério Público do Trabalho ).
When Clara politely asked if they would be paid for the extra hours, Mr. Siqueira laughed. "Clara, we're a family here. Families help each other. Besides, your contract is for a salaried position. You're expected to get the job done, no matter the hours. That's the startup spirit!" He also stopped signing their timecards
The first month was a dream. Clara learned fast, impressed Mr. Siqueira with her social media campaigns, and felt part of a close-knit team.
Dr. Leticia’s office smelled of old books and coffee. After hearing Clara's story, she opened a thick binder.
"Clara, I’m disappointed. You’re not showing commitment. I’m reducing your responsibilities. Effective immediately, you'll be cleaning the database and doing administrative filing. And we need to talk about your attitude."