You should take action when your employer is not paying you the wages you have legally earned. The law mandates that employers pay all wages due to employees; employers act illegally when they take steps that result in unpaid wages. Rowdy Meeks Legal Group LLC wants to show you what you can do if you think you’re employer is denying you hard-earned money for illegal reasons.

How to Know If You Are Not Being Paid What the Wages You are Legally Entitled to Receive

There are many ways workers lose the pay they have earned. It’s common for clerical mistakes and poor supervisory oversight to result in payroll errors. Employers though should fix these errors and pay all wages due immediately when employees bring these errors to the employers’ attention.

We also see many disputes that arise from the over-reliance on automated time-keeping systems including time clocks. These are acceptable ways to keep track of employee payroll hours when these systems function properly and the employers follow the rules. However, if employers manipulate the time-keeping systems and/or make employees work off the clock, then employees should take action to obtain the wages they have earned. The employers have committed wage theft and violated the law.

You should also be very wary of any time your boss asks you to work “off the clock” (working while not clocked into the timekeeping system) or doesn’t pay you for meal periods during which you work. Ultimately, employers will do everything they can to reduce their payroll costs, including illegal actions to avoid paying time-and-a-half for overtime hours.

Follow These Steps If You Are Not Being Paid Wages You Are Legally Entitled to From Your Employer

Whenever your employer fails to pay you all wages you have earned, you should try to remember to stay calm and follow these steps to help you gain a resolution.

1. First address any suspected payroll errors with your immediate supervisor. Most of the time, this is as far as you have to go, because (hopefully) the supervisor will recognize the error and fix it promptly. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to contact upper management if you feel comfortable doing so.
2. So, your second step is to either talk to your supervisor’s boss or an HR representative at your job if you believe this will help. The employer’s reaction to your wage problem will tell you if the employer will voluntarily pay you your wages or if you need to take additional steps to get the pay you have earned.
3. Often, your employer will not pay you your wages so you must pursue a wage case. It will help your case to collect all relevant evidence that shows the employer didn’t pay you properly. This includes pay stubs, time sheets, and any other supporting documentation. You do not need any records to file a wage case, but these records do help you establish your case. You can discuss any necessary proof with your employment attorney.

If you’d like further advice on this topic, you can read our previous post on steps to take to pursue unpaid wages.

Don’t Try to Sue Your Employer By Yourself

We always begin by recommending employees try to find an informal resolution with their employer if employees feel comfortable doing so. However, if that fails or is uncomfortable, you clearly need to obtain legal assistance because the dispute could go to court.

You can be certain that your employer will have attorneys and, therefore, employees need attorneys who know wage law to represent them as well. We do not recommend you pursue any wage case without an attorney.

Recover Lost Wages Soon With Rowdy Meeks Legal Group LLC

Rowdy Meeks Legal Group LLC represents employees in courts throughout the United States in wage cases including lost overtime and minimum wage.

So, if you think you’re not being paid what you are legally entitled to receive, then contact us today for a free consultation and discussion about your potential wage case.