When an employer fails to pay a non-exempt employee overtime wages the employee is entitled to, the employee may be in need of a FLSA law firm Maryland employees and employees in the surrounding states can count on.
What is the FLSA?
FLSA stands for the Fair Labor Standards Act. It is a law that was enacted in 1938 by the federal government of the United States to protect employees from unfair employer labor practices. The FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping, and youth employment standards, that affect employees in the private sector, and in the public sectors of Federal, state, and local governments.
FLSA Minimum Wage Many states have higher rates of pay than the FSLA’s federal minimum
wage of $7.25 per hour. When an employee is subject to both state and federal minimum wage
laws, the employee is supposed to receive the higher of the two’s minimum wage rate.
FLSA Overtime Non-exempt employees who are covered by the FLSA Overtime Guidelines are
supposed to receive 1.5 times their regular rate of pay when they work more than 40 hours in a
work week. This is considered to be any fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours in
seven consecutive 24-hour periods.
Record Keeping Employers of non-exempt employees are supposed to display an official poster
from the FLSA that outlines their requirements. Employees of hourly wage earners are supposed
to keep employe time and pay records.
Child Labor The FLSA monitors minors who have jobs in order to protect their educational
opportunities and to prohibit their employment in jobs with conditions that could be detrimental to
their health or well-being.
If you are an employee who works for an hourly wage and you are not getting the overtime page you think that you are entitled to, it may be in your best interest to enlist the help of a highly rated FLSA law firm Maryland employees and their families can rely on.
Even though the enactment of the FLSA changed many employees employment terms for the better, there are still many unfair and dishonest employers who break these laws.
What is a Employee FLSA Claim ?
When a non-exempt employee has an employer who is not complying with FLSA laws, he or she may file a civil claim against the employer in order to try to force the employer to pay the wages the employee thinks s/he is entitled to. This is often done for the employee by a lawyer that the employee has retained to represent them in this claim. Sometimes employers are willing to settle the plaintiff’s (employee’s) claim before the claim goes to court. When a claim does not get settled, the plaintiff may choose to pursue this disagreement by disputing it in a trial with a judge, and in some states and situations, in a trial with a judge and a jury.
Common reasons people seek compensation through a FLSA claim include but are not limited to:
- Owed overtime pay
- To ensure proper payment going forward
- Court fees
- Lawyer fees
- Other legal fees and expenses
- Tarnished reputation
- Emotional or mental exhaustion or damage
- Physical exhaustion and damage
The information provided in this article is a general overview of FLSA laws and how they can protect employees from unfair employers in Maryland and many of the surrounding states. It is not intended to be legal advice. To help you determine whether or not you may be entitled to compensation from an employer who has broken the Fair Labor Standards Act, you should discuss your situation with a lawyer who is licensed to practice labor law in the state where you are (or were) employed.
For a highly rated FLSA law firm Maryland employees can depend on, contact Cohen & Cohen for a free case evaluation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
