Benefits of an Atlanta Wage and Hour Attorney

Employment is a contract between an employer and an employee. You complete agreed-upon duties for a fair wage. When you do not receive adequate pay for the work you complete, you may feel helpless and frustrated. After all, your employer has the power to take your job and the income you use to support yourself and your family. Fortunately, when employers engage in unfair pay practices, there is help available.

Federal law protects your right to fair pay and your eligibility for compensation when your employer ignores employment laws. Recovering unpaid wages is one of many benefits of an Atlanta wage and hour attorney. A skilled lawyer will work with you through every step of the legal process to ensure your rights to fair wages are protected.

How the Fair Labor Standards Act Protects Workers’ Rights

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards for employees. FLSA sets the minimum wage requirement for all employees at $7.25 per hour. When states have additional minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher minimum wage. Since the federal minimum wage requirements exceed Georgia’s state requirements of $5.15 per hour, the federal minimum wage applies to Atlanta employees.

FLSA also governs employer requirements for overtime pay. Employers must pay covered nonexempt employees overtime pay for hours worked over 40 hours per workweek at a rate of at least one and a half times the regular rate of pay.

Exemptions to FLSA

FLSA regulations apply to employees in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. Certain workers are exempt from the protections provided by FLSA, including professionals paid on a salary basis and freelance workers hired to complete a job based on a contract. Correct worker classification is vital to maintaining FLSA requirements, and one way employers attempt to justify underpaying workers.

A wage and hour attorney in Atlanta understands FLSA laws and could help an employee secure the compensation they deserve.

The Benefits of Legal Representation from an Experienced Wage and Hour Lawyer

When employees do not receive fair compensation for their work, they can file a wage and hour claim to sue for lost wages. However, proving wage violations can be difficult. Employers may attempt to misclassify employees or falsify records to cut costs. In these cases, assistance from a skilled employment lawyer is usually necessary to gather and present suitable evidence. An experienced wage and hour attorney provides Atlanta workers with the following advantages when pursuing compensation for underpayment.

Knowledge of Employment Laws

Federal wage laws dictate how employers are required to pay their workers. Wage and hour lawyers specialize in cases surrounding these laws and are very familiar with the ways they apply to each unique case.

Trial Experience

An employment lawyer has substantial experience gathering and presenting evidence in various legal situations. If a wage and hour dispute cannot be settled out of court, an attorney will be prepared to present necessary evidence in a court trial to advocate for employee rights.

Understanding of Common Employer Tactics

Wage and hour violations are rarely errors. Most often, they are intentional acts used to help a business save money. To avoid the consequences of breaking the law, employers use various tactics, including misclassification of workers, encouraging employees to work off the clock, and incorrectly calculating hours worked. Experienced legal teams are familiar with these tactics and ways to identify violations that employers have attempted to hide.

Contact a Dedicated Atlanta Wage and Hour Attorney to Learn Your Rights to Fair Pay

The benefits of an Atlanta wage and hour attorney cannot be overstated when employees need an advocate to fight for their legal right to get fair pay for completed labor. The Atlanta employment law attorneys at the Feldman Legal Group have secured millions of dollars in wages for our clients. We will take all the necessary legal actions against reluctant employers to make sure you get the payment you are owed. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.