Employee Rights and Understanding the FLSA Laws:

Employers and employees share a common goal most of the time. The employees want to work as hard as possible to further the success of any employer, and the employer wants to make sure that its profits are maximized for many reasons, including the stability of the workers it employs. Unfortunately, the issue of profit is where the otherwise-common goal of maximization separates between these two entities.

Specifically, this issue divides the two forces by way of wage and hour issues. This is a growing legal problem in the United States, as more and more workers are claiming that they are not being paid for work performed. If this has happened to you, there very well could be legal rights and options at your disposal. However, in order to find out, you need to contact a wage and hour attorney at Kerry Steigerwalt’s Pacific Law Center as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation.

Below are just a few of the many examples of wage and hour issues that tend to arise.

Unpaid Overtime Law - Attorney Help

If a worker spends more than 40 hours in a week at his or her job, then he or she is generally entitled to overtime pay at a rate of 150% of his or her usual hourly pay rate. Employers have been using different tactics over time to circumvent this requirement, and doing so violates several state and federal statutes. Below are a few examples of how this has been attempted:

“Authorization” – Many companies will only pay overtime if it’s ‘authorized’ before the worker puts in the time. This is generally considered a violation of statutes.

“Exempt” – Companies will also classify an employee as ‘exempt’ or as management, meaning that he or she is paid a salary and not entitled to overtime. The law defines who is exempt; not the employer.

“Short Weeks” – A ‘short week’ is often bestowed upon an employee who has worked more than 40 hours during the previous week. This is done so that at the end of the pay period, records will show that the employee only put in 80 hours of work, thus allowing the employer to avoid paying overtime. This is not legal, as the employee must be paid overtime for the hours worked beyond 40 during that first week.

Your Next Step - Find a Wage and Hour Attorney:

Of course, the three examples above are only three of many tactics used by companies attempting to maximize their profits. If you or someone you love has been short-changed as a result of these or any other tactics, you need to act now to begin the process of evaluating and, if necessary, enforcing your legal rights. It should be noted that your claim is not limited to your current employer – you can also pursue legal remedies against a former employer if you’ve been victimized by this tactic.

However, there is a statute of limitations involved, so regardless of when you think this may have happened, you owe it to yourself to act now and contact a wage and hour attorney at Kerry Steigerwalt’s Pacific Law Center today to schedule an initial consultation.