idk what the employees had with the owner but if they were wage workers, not subcontracted, then there would be some legal expectation to pay them and they would have recourse if they didn’t get paid. if you leave then you can’t claim that they didn’t pay you for work. in new york city if an employer schedules you for the day and sends you home early, most of the time they are expected to pay you for the time simply because you were scheduled for the day.