Fort Oglethorpe Wage Theft Lawyer
If you are working in Fort Oglethorpe, you are likely protected by labor laws against wage theft. You may be a victim of wage theft if you are not being paid for all the hours you have worked, earning less than minimum wage, not earning overtime wages after working over 40 hours in one week or misclassified as exempt from coverage under wage and hour laws.
Getting paid less than you have earned causes undue financial burdens to you and your family. If you have been a victim of wage theft, contact a Fort Oglethorpe wage theft lawyer. An experienced FLSA attorney could help you seek justice for the mistreatment you have endured.
Unpaid Hours
Any time employers do not compensate an employee for their time is a wage theft violation. Wage theft in the form of unpaid hours happens when an employer:
- Does not compensate for “off the clock” hours
- Issues only partial paycheck
- Bounces a paycheck
- Withholds a final paycheck
A Fort Oglethorpe wage theft lawyers may be able to help employees recover unpaid wages in these situations.
Minimum Wage and Overtime Violations
Most employees are entitled to receive minimum wage and overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If an employee is paid less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 or not compensated for overtime hours, their employer may be in violation of the FLSA.
Minimum wage violations often impact tipped workers. Employers should be paying tipped employees an hourly wage of $2.13 per hour. If this wage and their earned tips combined fail to meet minimum wage, the employer must fill the gap. However, it is not uncommon for employers to not fill the gap.
Employee Misclassification
Independent contractors are exempt from wage and hour laws under the FSLA. Often times, employers intentionally misclassify employees as independent contractors to avoid compensating them. If a worker has not been paid because they were misclassified, a Fort Oglethorpe wage theft lawyer could help them file a claim.
How Can One Avoid Wage Theft?
Employers often get away with committing wage theft because employees are unaware of their rights. To avoid becoming a victim of wage theft, Fort Oglethorpe wage theft lawyers recommend that employees maintain thorough records of the hours they have worked and the payment they received in compensation for those hours.
Employees who believe their employers have committed wage theft in violation of the FLSA can file a claim with the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. Most wage theft claims are required to be filed within two years of the alleged violation, so employees should be mindful to file claims in a timely manner. Waiting too long to file a claim can cause an employee to lose their right to file that claim.
Consulting a Fort Oglethorpe Wage Theft Attorney
If your employer is not compensating you for your work, you may be the victim of wage theft. It is important that you contact a Fort Oglethorpe wage theft lawyer to help you defend your case. An experienced attorney could examine your case, help you gather evidence, and file a claim. You deserve to be paid for all of your hard work.
