Employers often make excuses for why you are not getting paid the amount you were promised. It can be difficult to continuously ask about your wage for fear of retribution and your need for the job. However, this is a form of theft, and it is against federal and state law.
The experienced employment attorneys at Feldman Legal Group could speak up for you. In just the past few years, billions in unpaid wages have been recovered nationwide, and our attorneys are part of that recovery. If your paycheck does not add up and your boss will not rectify the shortages, an Atlanta wage theft lawyer is ready to fight for what is rightfully yours.
How Wage Theft Works
Wage disputes favor employers because of the division of power. Few employees are willing to challenge bosses about stealing for fear of getting fired for no reason because Georgia is an at-will employment state. Some tactics that employers use to steal wages include:
Employers also exploit employees when they ask workers to work late without compensation or cut their hours the following week to average out to 40 hours over two weeks, nullifying the overtime that employee worked the first week. Well-practiced unpaid wages lawyer Mitchell Feldman believes all Atlanta employees deserve to be paid fairly for every minute they work. He maintains a proven track record of successfully taking employers to trial and securing substantial compensation for his clients.
Misclassifying Employees
Employers often work around the rules by classifying employees as independent contractors. Independent contractors are not protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) like traditional employees are. Employers do not deduct and match withholding taxes such as Social Security, and they do not pay for benefits like vacation and sick pay, saving considerable money over time. A worker who is classified incorrectly may face reduced Social Security benefits at retirement.
The Code of Federal Regulations § 788.16 requires the scope of the work relationship to be studied to determine status. Independent contractors collaborate with clients but work for themselves, while employees take daily direction from their bosses. A wage theft legal professional in Atlanta could help determine whether an employee has been misclassified.
Minimum Wage
The FLSA maintains a federal minimum wage, while individual states may have their own minimum wage laws, with some exceptions, like for salaried executives, farm workers, and restaurant workers who earn tips. Some employers try to get away with paying their state’s lower wages, but federal law demands that employees be paid the higher of the two.
Along with the current hourly minimum, employers must pay time-and-a-half to employees who work more than 40 hours in a given work week. Employees who believe their employers are cheating them can contact an Atlanta wage theft attorney at Feldman Legal Group. Our lawyers file lawsuits against shady employers and represent employees before the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.
An Atlanta Wage Theft Attorney Can Help Get Justice
Once you suspect your employer is shorting your paycheck, begin keeping a log of your hours and pay, documenting shortages that show a pattern of deceit we can use as leverage to convince your employer to pay what is owed.
We can negotiate with your employer, represent you in an FLSA complaint, and bring your employer to trial to resolve your claim. You may be entitled to withheld wages and overtime pay, liquidated damages for intentional wage violations, and injunctive relief when the court forces your employer to comply with the law. Call an Atlanta wage theft lawyer at our firm and schedule an initial consultation today.
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