Wage and Hour Attorneys Near Me

Some of the most common employment disputes involve underpayment. Often, this is the result of a discrepancy in the employee’s hours or wages, and it is important for employees to invoke their right to be fairly paid for all hours that are worked. This helps ensure that other employers will not get away with paying workers less than they are owed. A quick search for wage and hour attorneys near you will show many excellent reviews of the experienced employment lawyers at Minnis & Smallets. We work hard to protect employees’ rights in the workplace. 

Common Wage and Hour Issues

There are many ways that an employer can attempt to get out of paying workers what they are lawfully owed. Some of the most common wage and hour issues involve: 

• Employees being wrongfully classified as independent contractors
• Mandatory work outside of regular hours that is not paid (working from home, training, community events, etc.)
• Overtime disputes
• Minimum wage and tips
• Rest and meal breaks
• Payment of bonuses or commissions
• Deferred income or other benefits (such as stock options) that are part of the employee’s compensation package

How Workers Can Protect Their Legal Right To Be Paid For Their Work

The most important thing a worker can do to protect the right to be paid is to hire their own lawyer. Remember, human resources and legal departments exist to protect the employer’s legal interest – not the employee’s. An experienced employment attorney can help workers develop a strategy to obtain the back pay they are owed and avoid payment disputes in the future. 

The second most important thing an employee can do to protect their legal rights is to carefully document all the hours they work. Documentation will help an attorney identify exactly what wages are owed. An employee’s own records can also be used to challenge the employer’s records if they are inaccurate or outright false. 

In order to resolve payment disputes, a strategic legal plan must address several important points. First, the employer must be notified of the problem to give them an opportunity to correct clerical errors and other simple matters. Second, the employee must determine what back pay is owed and have a plan to actually receive payment from the employer. Finally, a strategic legal plan must ensure that the employee is not denied fair wages in the future. 

Some employers continue to have wage disputes even after a single matter is resolved. Other employers force the employee to litigate wage and hour disputes in court, which is rarely conducive to a healthy working relationship. All of these goals must be considered before an employee puts the employer on notice that they are invoking legal rights. A good employment attorney will help the employee create a strategic legal plan, obtain back pay for all wages owed, and develop an employment plan for the future to ensure the employee is not underpaid again in the future.

Seek Help From Experienced Wage and Hour Attorneys Near You

Seek help from wage and hour attorneys near you to learn more about your rights. At Minnis & Smallets, our experienced labor lawyers work hard to protect California workers’ rights under both state and federal law. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with an experienced Bay Area employment law attorney.