Orlando Wage & Hour Lawyer

Although many people derive personal pleasure from their jobs, there is one specific reason why everybody who has a job continues to go to work: financial compensation. At the federal and state levels, there are laws in place to protect employee rights in the workplace, making it possible for employees to earn fair wages without being exploited by their employers. When an employer violates these laws, affected employees can pursue compensation for their resulting damages through wage and hour claims. Our Orlando wage & hour lawyers are here to help you with your case.

Your Wage Rights

If you work, you deserve to be compensated for your labor. In fact, it is illegal for an employer to not pay you for your labor, even if you performed the work poorly or you were terminated for a legitimate reason after performing the work. Your right to compensation for your labor does not end here – you have the right to be paid at least $8.25 per hour, Florida’s minimum wage, for every hour you work up to 40 hours per week.

For employees who qualify for overtime pay, every hour worked beyond 40 hours in a workweek must be compensated at one and one half times the employee’s regular wage. So an employee earning $8.25 per hour must earn $12.37 per hour for every overtime hour worked.

Employee Hour Rights

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the standard workweek in the United States is 40 hours. An employer may require an employee to work more than that, but must provide overtime compensation if the employee qualifies.

In Florida, employees over age 18 are not entitled to meal or rest breaks. Minors must be given meal breaks of at least 30 minutes for every four hours worked. Employers are not required to compensate employees for meal breaks that last 30 minutes or longer, provided they place no restrictions on employees’ actions during these breaks. When employees take shorter breaks, 20 minutes or less, these are usually paid.

Wage and Hour Violations

There are many different ways an employer can violate an employee’s wage and hour rights in order to avoid properly compensating him or her. These include:

• Requiring the employee to work before he or she has punched in or after he or she has punched out;
• Failing to pay an employee the overtime rate for overtime hours;
• Paying an employee less than the state minimum wage;
• Classifying an employee as an independent contractor and failing to pay him or her the proper wage; and
• Requiring an employee to work through his or her unpaid meal break.

Work with an Experienced Orlando Employment Lawyer

A wage or hour violation can hit you and your family emotionally, physically, and psychologically as well as financially. When you are subjected to this type of violation at work, work with an experienced employment lawyer to correct the issue and pursue the compensation you need to cover your damages. Contact DSK Law today to set up your initial consultation in one of our offices.