Employers have an obligation to pay their workers any wages earned. Surprisingly, countless employers find ways to cheat their workers out of overtime pay and sometimes even the minimum wage. At Grupo Para La Gente, our Bellevue wage & hour disputes lawyers have helped many workers get full compensation for all hours worked. Call us to find out if you have a valid claim and if we can help.
Washington’s Minimum Wage Law
The federal government sets a minimum wage for the entire country, but states and local governments can set a higher minimum. Washington has gone ahead and done that.
For 2024, the state minimum is $16.28 an hour. If you are not receiving at least that, then your employer has engaged in wage theft. The minimum wage will increase each year to keep track with inflation. Some local governments have set an even higher minimum wage.
Overtime Law
Most workers in Bellevue are entitled to overtime pay whenever they work more than 40 hours in a week. Overtime should be paid at 1.5 times the worker’s regular rate of pay.
Employers engage in many tricks to keep from paying overtime:
- Falsely claiming a salaried worker is prohibited from overtime. Actually, some salaried workers can still receive overtime pay if they are not exempt.
- Constantly shifting what qualifies as a workweek to avoid paying any overtime for hours worked over 40.
- Refusing to count certain hours worked, such as time spent at the end of shift restocking shelves or cleaning a workspace.
- Failing to count mandatory training as work, thus excluding it from the overtime calculation.
- Inaccurately calculating your regular rate of pay, which results in underpaid overtime compensation.
Retaliation Protections
Workers who file a complaint about wage are protected from reprisals. Any retaliatory conduct is strictly prohibited, such as wrongful termination, demotion, or cut in pay. Nuestro equipo can help you seek appropriate remedies, such as job reinstatement and/or backpay.
Our Legal Services
Please call our firm today. We can help:
- Identify what evidence to find in support of your claim. Typically, we want to see a pay stub, employment contract, and similar documents. The burden is on the worker to show they have not received all their wages.
- Determine whether to file a complaint under federal or state law.
- Calculate how much you are entitled to in unpaid wages, as well as any penalties owed by your employer.
- File a wage and hour complaint with the appropriate government agency.
- Represent you in a hearing for your unpaid wages.
Reach Out to a Bellevue Wage & Hour Disputes Lawyer Today
Premier Law Group opened our doors to help Washington workers get the respect they deserve at work. Too many employers unfairly withhold wages. Many workers are left in the dark and continue to show up, day after day, performing work for which they are not fully paid. Let us help you fight back. If you call our law firm, we can review whether you have a claim and seek appropriate compensation.