A skilled FLSA lawyer Baltimore, MD residents trust has the answers
FLSA lawyer Baltimore, MD residents count on will tell you that FLSA stands for the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act, created in 1938, establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting all workers in private sectors or in Federal, State, and local governments.
FLSA does not regulate:
- vacation, holiday or sick pay
- meal or break periods, holidays off, or vacations
- Extra pay for weekend or holiday work
- pay raises, employee benefits, a discharge notice, reason for discharge, or immediate payment to terminated employees of final wages.
FLSA regulations
The FLSA has numerous worker protections, however, there are some groups of employees who are excluded from them. Unfortunately, a skilled FLSA lawyer Baltimore, MD will inform you that salaried employees, managers, and independent contractors do not receive benefits under the FLSA. One thing to look out for is employers who incorrectly classify workers as exempt or outright lie about an employee’s FLSA status. Employers can abuse these exclusions of the FLSA for their own benefit which is not legal. For the most part however, many people are covered by FLSA protections and are entitled to overtime pay.
Some employers deny overtime pay by:
- Under paying or not paying at all for prep work, such as setting up a before opening
- Misclassifying employees as independent contractors
- Reporting an incorrect number of hours worked by employees
- Paying per day which doesn’t account for time worked
- Not paying for off the clock required assignments
- Not paying the overtime rate after 40 hours of time and a half pay
If your employer acting upon any these violations or you believe you are not being paid what you deserve, a FLSA lawyer in Baltimore, MD may be able to help you.
Overtime violations and worker rights are taken very seriously by the government. Anyone found in violation of the FLSA can be forced to pay the amount owed plus other costs of damages. Additionally, employers are forbidden from punishing workers who bring these violations to higher authorities attention.
Minimum wage
The FLSA has a set minimum wage at $7.25 an hour however some states have a higher set minimum wage. For example in the state of Maryland the minimum wage is $9.25. In new Jersey the minimum wage is $8.60. States can make their minimum wage higher, however they cannot go below the rate of $7.25 an hour.
Child Labor
A FLSA lawyer in Baltimore, MD may also inform you that the federal child labor provisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act, were enacted to ensure the work young people are doing is safe and does not jeopardize their well-being, health or education. 14 and 15 years old may work outside school hours in only non-hazardous conditions.
Acceptable work hours for 14 and 15 year-olds are:
- 3 hours on a school day
- 18 hours in a school week
- 8 hours on a non-school day
- 40 hours in a non-school week
- between 7am and 7pm, aside from June 1 through Labor Day (work hours are extended to 9 pm)
If you believe work hours or pay is unlawful, call the attorneys today at Cohen & Cohen P.C. to receive the treatment and pay you deserve in the workplace. Call today to set up your free consultation with a FLSA lawyer Baltimore, MD is proud to have in its midsts.