By Peter Friedmann
Anytime your employer does not pay you for all the work you do, they are breaking the law. In addition to demanding your pay, you have the right to hire a wage theft lawyer and file an official complaint. Succeeding with such a claim can result in receiving all the money you are owed with interest, and an award of monetary damages on top of that.
If you suspect managers and supervisors are stealing wages from you and your coworkers, take the following six steps.
As wage theft lawyers practicing in Cleveland, Ohio, we typically advise and represent workers who earn at or close to the minimum wage. As we write this, the state minimum wage is $8.80 per hour for most employees and $4.40 per hour for individuals who regularly accept tips, such as wait staff and bartenders. When tips do not raise a person’s average hourly wage to $8.80, the employer must make up the difference.
With a few exceptions, hourly workers qualify to earn overtime as soon as they put in 40 hours during a seven-day workweek. Tipped employees also qualify to earn overtime.
Each state sets its own minimum wage; some are higher than Ohio’s, and some are lower. If you get paid by the hour, make sure you know the minimum wage for where you work.
Employees who receive a salary instead of an hourly wage can also experience wage theft. Companies are not above breaching contracts, especially when it comes to...
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