Wage theft is the most common form of theft in the United States, which accounts for roughly $15 billion in losses every single year. Unfortunately, state authorities in Ohio have few tools for combating violations of wage and hour law, due to both a lack of funding and a dearth of manpower to investigate discrepancies.
Fortunately, that is where a Sandusky wage and hour lawyer could step in to provide crucial guidance and support. If you had your wages illegally garnished, were not paid appropriately for hours worked, or suffered any other loss as a result of labor law violations, speaking with a seasoned attorney should be your top priority.
The Basics of Wage and Hour Law
The basic framework for all wage and hour laws in the country comes from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. This piece of legislation established numerous minimum requirements that all employers must adhere to, including the national minimum wage, the requirement to pay time-and-a-half for all hours in excess of 40 worked per week, and various additional standards related to record-keeping and hours that minors are allowed to work.
Chapter 4111 of the Ohio Revised Code covers much of the same ground that the FLSA does and adds a few additional protections for workers as well. For example, the hourly minimum wage for workers in Sandusky and throughout the rest of the state supersedes the lower federal minimum. Furthermore, tipped employees—defined as those who receive $30 or more in tips per month—are paid a lower amount, and employers are expected to make up the difference if wages and tips combined do not equal the state minimum hourly wage.
Unfortunately, there are numerous ways in which employers in Ohio flout these regulations, resulting in substantial financial losses for their workers. Anyone who suspects their rights have been violated by their employer with regard to their compensation should get in touch with a wage and hour attorney in Sandusky as soon as possible.
Common Wage and Hour Violations in Sandusky
Certain classes of workers, such as independent contractors, are exempt from both state and federal minimum wage guidelines, while people who work in an executive, administrative, or professional capacity are generally immune from FLSA guidelines regarding overtime payment. Accordingly, one of the most common types of wage and hour violations is an employer misclassifying an employee in order to deny them rights that they should be provided under the law.
Illegal wage deductions are also common, particularly in the form of failure to pay for overtime hours worked or insisting that employees work “off the clock” under certain circumstances. In other cases, employers deduct from employee wages to pay for supplies and equipment to such a degree that the worker’s total compensation illegally falls under the state minimum hourly wage. Any of these circumstances could be grounds to retain a wage and hour lawyer and pursue litigation.
Discuss Legal Options with a Sandusky Wage and Hour Attorney
Workers are afforded a number of important rights regarding how promptly they should be paid and the minimum compensation they must receive for different types of work. Unfortunately, these laws do not always stop employers from treating workers unfairly—and effectively stealing thousands of dollars from them in the process.
You should not take any violation of wage and hour law lightly, especially if it results in you missing out on compensation you rightfully earned. If you want to take action and seek the back pay you are owed, as well as potentially additional damages, get in touch with a Sandusky wage and hour lawyer at Tittle & Perlmuter today.