Where Do I Start?
When it comes to recovering your back wages, using a law firm to fight on your behalf can have many benefits. All of the information can sometimes be confusing, and when you have money on your mind, it’s hard to know if you’re making the right choice. We are here to provide you with a guide to help you through the process. When you’re fighting for your wages, you need to know your options. Reclaiming your wages is your right, and you deserve to have all the facts. We have laid out what the process will look like if you partner with a law firm and, and the steps you need to take to recover your wages.Unpaid Wages/Back Wages
According to the WHD, “Covered nonexempt employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 per workweek (any fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours – seven consecutive 24-hour periods) at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay.” Although only nonexempt salaried employees qualify for overtime pay, a lot of times salary exempt employees do too, but have been misclassified. Other reasons you might be owed back wages could be that you were asked to work off the clock, misclassified as a day rate worker or independent contractor, or received straight time for overtime pay. Also according to the WHD “Overtime pay earned in a particular workweek must be paid on the regular pay day for the pay period in which the wages were earned.” If your overtime pay isn’t being paid on time, or within the correct pay period, you may also be entitled to back wages. When you seek out a law firm to help you recover your unpaid wages/back wages, there are a few perks.
Using a Law Firm
The goal of a law firm is to take cases that they believe they can represent well and win for their client. When a lawyer takes on a back wages case, they take the employer to court for the owed back wages. Their goal is to either win the case for their client, or agree on a settlement amount. A settlement is an amount of money agreed upon by both parties and paid out to the victim; in this case, that would be you. Law firms can also sue your employer for damages if they can prove your employer purposely withheld money from you. Although it varies from firm to firm, there is a fee for their services. To start working with a law firm, you would want to research employment lawyers and choose a few to contact. Once you make contact, the firm will take you through their steps to start a case.
