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Understanding wage and hour disputes

On Behalf of | Mar 24, 2017 | Employee Benefits |

Employees in New York and elsewhere are afforded certain rights and benefits. This not only makes the work experience more enjoyable and safe for these employees but also guarantees that they are treated fairly in the work environment. Arguably, the most important protections are wage and hour protections.

Both federal and state laws have evolved to guarantee that employees are compensated fairly and their employee rights are protected in the process. With regards to wages, federal and state laws outline that every worker is entitled to receive the minimum wage. These laws also detail that workers are entitled to receive overtime pay for working beyond their scheduled hours.

Unfortunately, wage and hour disputes sometimes occur, thus straining the employer-employee relationship. Regardless of whether these are intentional or unintentional acts, when an employer fails to meet the standards regarding wage and hour benefits, this could result in a violation. These commonly occur when an employee is not paid the correct minimum wage, is paid a lower training wage or youth minimum wage than permissible, is not paid overtime, is ordered to work off the clock or has too much deducted for tips or too much deducted for wages paid in goods, such as meals or food.

If an employee believes that an employer is not properly adhering to their wage and hour responsibilities, that employee may have the right to take action against the employer. In these matters, it is important to understand the situation and possible ways to resolve it.

Source: FindLaw, “Wages & Benefits: Overview,” accessed on March 19, 2017