Cleveland, TN Wage and Hour Lawyer
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, many employers fail to follow Cleveland wage and hour laws – almost always to the detriment of their employee. Whether an employer is engaging in a brazen violation of the law, such as refusing to pay their employee or contractor for work dutifully performed or if the employer is negligently violating the law, perhaps by misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor, the laws applicable to Cleveland provide a resource for the harm caused to these employees.
If you were the victim of an employer’s violation of these laws, contact an experienced employment attorney. A Cleveland wage and hour lawyer may be able to help you recover the compensation you may have been wrongly denied.
Cleveland Wage and Hour Laws
Cleveland’s labor laws follow the Fair Labor Standards Act, a 1938 federal law that overhauled employer-employee relations by establishing a minimum wage and mandating overtime pay for eligible employees who worked more than 40 hours in a calendar week.
Minimum Wage
Under Section 206 of the United States Code, or the Fair Labor Standards Act, eligible employees cannot receive less than $7.25 per hour. Notably, there are several groups of workers exempt from this minimum wage including most salaried employees, employees who receive their wages through tips, and private contractors. However, even salaried and tipped employees must earn at least as much as the hourly minimum wage.
In addition, employees under the age of 20 have a lower minimum wage under the FLSA. According to the United States Department of Labor, the FLSA applies to more than 130 million American workers. If employees feel that their right to a minimum wage has not been met, they should speak with a Cleveland wage and hour lawyer to get started on building a civil suit.
Rights to Overtime Pay
In addition to receiving a minimum wage for each hour of work, Cleveland employees are also entitled to overtime pay when they work over forty hours a week. With limited exceptions, for every single hour worked after the 40-hour-mark, eligible Cleveland employees are legally entitled to compensation equivalent to time-and-a-half their hourly rate.
For an eligible Cleveland worker making the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, this means they would receive an hourly wage of $10.88 for every hour worked in a calendar week past the 40-hour mark.
Working Off the Clock
Under Cleveland Wage and Hour laws, an employer cannot require an employee to work off-the-clock – a fairly common violation of the FLSA that may include requiring the employee to perform work-related duties before or after their shift.
Other examples of working off the clock can occur when an employee must clock out before running business-related errands, or if the employee is obligated to clean the workplace, repair equipment, answer emails, respond to customer requests, or any other job-related duty while not on the clock.
An employer can also violate Cleveland Wage and Hour law by hiring an unpaid intern, though some exceptions exist where the intern receives academic credit for their work. Contact a Cleveland wage and hour lawyer to learn more.
Consult with a Cleveland Wage and Hour Attorney Today
Employees must be compensated for the work they do. Moreover, there are laws in place to make sure employees are compensated. When employers fail to follow these laws, employees have legal rights.
If you are the victim of a violation of these wage and hour laws, you may need a Cleveland wage and hour lawyer who believes in holding employer’s accountable for the way they treat their employees. To learn more about your legal options, contact one today.
