subject: Hire An Overtime Lawyer For Your Overtime Wage Claims [print this page] If you haven't been paid for overtime, have been made to work off the clock, or are otherwise being cheated out of overtime pay, there is no reason not to call a Boca Raton overtime attorney as soon as possible. Nickel-and-diming employees adds up for employers and in many cases makes it harder for employees to meet their basic needs. When employers do this, they violate Florida and federal laws, and if they are found guilty of overtime violations, they have to pay your attorney fees. In other words, you have nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain by obtaining legal counsel if you are owed overtime pay.
Common Overtime Violations
Employers have many ways of extracting extra work from employees without paying overtime. They may claim that you had enough time to complete your work on your regular shift, or they may use any number of other tactics to avoid paying you overtime. Common overtime violations include:
Making employees work off the clock
Withholding commissions
Improperly classifying employees as independent contractors
Telling salaried employees they're not entitled to overtime
Deleting hours from time sheets
Claiming that overtime was unauthorized
Keep in mind that if your employer is cheating you out of overtime, they're probably cheating others too.
How Long You Have to File a Claim
Under the state of Florida's overtime laws, employees have four years in which to file an overtime wage claim. If the employer was acting willfully, the employee actually has five years in which to file a claim. But there's no reason to wait. If you're being cheated out of overtime, your employer is stealing from you and needs to be made to stop as soon as possible. Your first step toward compensation is getting in touch with a Boca Raton overtime lawyer as soon as possible.
Employer Retaliation is Illegal
Many employees are afraid to file an overtime wage claim because they are afraid they will be fired or otherwise retaliated against. The law in Florida prohibits retaliation toward employees who exercise their rights under Florida law or under the Fair Labor Standards Act. If you file a claim, your employer cannot legally:
Fire you
Demote you
Cut your pay
Fire or otherwise retaliate against your relatives that work for the same employer
You have rights as a worker, and most importantly, you have the right to stand up for yourself when you're being cheated out of overtime pay.
Unpaid Overtime Steals from You and Your Family
If you bring a successful overtime claim, you can be awarded back pay, attorney fees, and damages calculated as twice the back pay you're owed. Employers are also fined $1,000 for each overtime violation. If you're not being paid the overtime you're owed, then your employer is stealing from you, and from your spouse and children. You're protected under the law, and if you prevail in court, you won't even have to pay your attorney fees. Don't let your employer get away with cheating you out of overtime. Call a Boca Raton overtime attorney to discuss your case today.
