Many
people, especially those in the service industry, are the victim of unfair wage
practices. Federal law requires that all workers are paid at least minimum wage
and are not forced to work more than 40 hours per week without overtime pay.
Unfortunately, employees often do not speak up against unfair salaries for fear
of retaliation from their employers. However, retaliation itself is also
illegal under federal employment laws.
Federal
Wage and Hour Requirements
The
Fair Labor Standards Act requires that employees be paid fairly for the work
they perform. The Act states that:
- Employment
Retaliation Lawyer Texas must
be paid at least the federal minimum wage. The current rate is $7.25 an
hour. (If your state has a higher minimum state-wide salary, your employer
must offer you that wage rather than the lower federal minimum wage.)
- Employees
must be paid one and one-half times their hourly wage for overtime work,
which includes any work past 40 hours per week.
Workers
must be paid for their job-related activities performed before or after a shift
ends, as well as for travel time between job sites.
When
employers fail to pay their workers fairly, workers have a legal right to
report unfair practices. Sadly, sometimes, bringing attention to an employer's
illegal practices causes the employer to retaliate by punishing or firing the
employee. Therefore, many wage and overtime violations go unreported, and
employees are cheated out of the money they have rightfully earned and are
owed.
However,
federal employment law also prohibits employers from taking retaliatory action
against employers who report violations. This means that it is illegal for
employers to fire, demote, or otherwise punish workers for speaking up against
unfair wages and requesting the money they are owed.
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