KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — Several event workers say they are dealing with pay issues after working the Savannah Bananas game in Knoxville over Memorial Day weekend, raising concerns about time tracking and payment accuracy.
Workers say they picked up shifts through the Instawork app, which connects people with short-term jobs in hospitality and event staffing. After the game, some reported problems with clocking in and out, leading to missing or incomplete hours in the system.
Pamela Justice, who traveled from Pigeon Forge to work the event, said she initially saw only two hours logged after working more than 10 hours.
“It was an exciting experience, and I was grateful to be part of it, but now to be unpaid for all that work adds a lot of stress,” Justice said. “A lot of people took these shifts to catch up on bills.”
Justice said workers were told early on they might not be able to clock out through the app and that supervisors would handle check-outs manually. At the end of the shift, she said communication was unclear, and many workers were left unsure if their time had been properly recorded.
Soon after, workers began sharing similar concerns through in-app message boards and reviews, describing missing hours and incomplete pay.
Instawork confirmed that a technical issue affected some workers at the Knoxville event but said the problem has since been resolved.
In a statement, the company said impacted workers will be fully compensated for every hour worked and encouraged anyone with questions to contact support through the app.
The Savannah Bananas organization said it relies on a third-party staffing partner for its touring events and became aware of the issue during the Knoxville stop.
The team said it submitted manually corrected shift reports after the event to ensure workers are paid accurately. However, that process was delayed by the Memorial Day holiday, resulting in some workers receiving partial payments before corrections were finalized.
According to the Bananas, revised payments are now being processed, with remaining compensation expected within 24 to 48 hours.
“We absolutely understand the frustration,” the team said in a statement. “The local workers who support these events are incredibly important, and we appreciate the effort they put into making the Knoxville show possible.”
Justice said she later saw her hours updated in the app to reflect nearly 13 hours worked but is still waiting for the full payment to hit her account.
For now, workers say they are watching their accounts closely, hoping the corrections come through as promised.
