Employment disputes come in an array of styles and formats, and one of the most common among them relates to wages and hours. In other words, unpaid wages. Unfortunately, these cases can be difficult for a lot of reasons, and working with specialized wage and hour attorneys is often the only road to success. After all, it could be that your employer is using improper record keeping and this has resulted in unpaid hours or wages. It could be that they’ve misclassified you and this is causing you to fail to be compensated as you should. It is a complex matter, and we’ll need to learn a bit more to understand your best “next steps” if you have a payment issue.
Federal and State Laws
As legal experts would say, the “payment of wages is governed by federal and state laws and regulations. Each of these sets of rules is extensive, and the interplay among them is complicated.” An employer may have failed to pay you fully for the work you have provided, and it could mean they owe you not only the back pay but penalties. The trick, though, is just how to go about collecting it. Again, as experts explain, “you may be entitled to penalties and, in some states, attorney’s fees, in addition to payment of wages owed. And, in certain circumstances, an employer’s failure to pay wages may give you grounds to bring other claims.” Any time you are unpaid is time to speak with a lawyer.
How to Claim Wages
What issues can cause you to have a wage and hours case? There are many, and they include failure to pay minimum wage, failure to give paid breaks (if your state has such laws), demanding unpaid or off the clock work, unpaid time for gearing up for the job, failure to pay overtime (if you have worked more than 40 hours), failure to pay you for unused vacation time, and even failure to pay you for travel time if that is part of the work. Naturally, you might read that and think, “Sure, but how do I prove this?” That is the work of wage and hour attorneys in Western Springs.
Cesario & Walker specialize in employment law and have worked for decades to provide their clients with comprehensive services relating to everything from wage and hour issues to personal injury and more.
