Barkan Meizlish , January 13, 2020
During the 2019 fiscal year, the federal agency that enforces overtime rules recorded just over 11,000 violations and collected more than $186 million in unpaid wages for nearly 215,300 workers. Ohio employers were as likely as companies and agencies everywhere else to deny overtime to employees who had earned it.
Employee rights attorneys with Barkan Meizlish DeRose Cox, LLP, welcome opportunities to help fellow Ohio residents hold every employer that refuses to pay overtime accountable. Here are four steps workers can take on their own to make that happen.
Rules set by the U.S. government under a law called the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA, say who must be paid overtime. Discussing all those rules in detail would create more confusion than clarity. At a practical level, you need to answer the following questions to know if you should be receiving overtime pay.
The FLSA requires your employer to keep accurate records of the time you spend working and how much you get paid. Companies and agencies that refuse to pay overtime often fail to do that. Sometimes, the problem is just sloppiness, but many employers actually falsify wage and hour records.
If you believe you are being denied overtime pay, you can build your case by keeping your own records. Federal and state investigators, as well as a lawyer you hire to pursue an unpaid overtime claim, can force your employer to hand over its records. Comparing your notes with what the employer reported can reveal FLSA violations.
Employers that refuse to pay overtime to you may be cheating other workers. You have the right to discuss this with your coworkers, and gathering evidence of a pattern of FLSA violations can strengthen your claim for unpaid overtime. A judge may also allow you and your coworkers to sue as a group, which ensures justice for as many people as possible.
You can and should bring your concerns about unpaid overtime directly to managers and supervisors. Meeting with an experienced employee rights attorney before doing so will ensure that you have solid evidence and also help protect you from retaliation. Laws exist to make firing or harassing an employee for complaining about illegal pay practices, but employers break those laws all the time. At Barkan Meizlish DeRose Cox, LLP, we only advise and represent workers. The Paycheck Warriors at Barkan Meizlish DeRose Cox, LLP, will work with you throughout your case and help assure the best possible outcome. Let us know how we can assist you with securing unpaid overtime by calling our Columbus offices at (614) 221-4221 to schedule a free and confidential consultation. We take cases all across Ohio, and we book appointments online.
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