It is quite a common saying that hard work pays off. Still, sometimes employees emerge, unfortunate enough, who are not provided with fair pay considering the time and effort invested in a specific work. They fall prey to wage theft by a business organization’s employers, making it difficult for them to secure comfortable daily sustenance. If one believes one is a victim of wage theft, it is essential to consult a Westchester County employment lawyer as early as possible.
However, there are some common forms of wage theft about which everyone must be knowledgeable to ensure that they are not a victim of it. All these common forms are mentioned below.
Employer Offering A Payment Less than The Minimum Wage:
This is the most common form of wage theft, where the employer is reluctant to pay the employees a minimum wage. According to the law, every employee is subject to a minimum wage. But most new employees might be unaware of this and therefore emerge deceived by the employer. Therefore, employees must learn about the pay brackets or the minimum wage bound for a certain position. If the employer pays an employee less than the minimum wage, then one can file a claim with the help of an attorney.
Employer Withholding Overtime Pay:
Several types of financial constraints might compel employees to work overtime simply because they expect one or one-half of their actual wage. Overtime payment is the only thing that influences the worker to invest extra time and effort in the company. But some employers withhold or delay overtime payment which can be identified as a common form of wage theft.
Employer Denying Employee Tips:
Employee tips offer a fair portion of their wages. While some employers might engage in tip pooling and offer a fair portion of the tips to each employee, some might collect tips on behalf of the workers, not providing them with enough. This can be understood as a common form of wage theft.
Employer Misclassifying Worker:
Employee classification makes them entitled to specific pay rates or benefits. However, misclassification will group employees under undeserving payment schemes and reduced benefits. Therefore if an employee is wrongly classified, it will be considered wage theft, as limited wages and benefits will be available to the particular employee.
Final Thoughts:
However, if one has faced any of the forms mentioned above that encompass wage theft, one must seek help from an experienced attorney who will look into the case and provide the victim with all the readily available legal options.
