At the federal level, wages, hours, and overtime are governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Workers in California enjoy additional protections under the state’s own wage-and-hour regulations. Non-exempt employees – most employees in California, that is – must be compensated at 1.5 times their hourly salary (or more) for overtime work. If for any reason you aren’t being paid properly, it needs to stop. In central California, get legal help immediately and call an experienced Fresno employment law attorney. If you’re confronting any of these circumstances on the job, you need an attorney advocating for you:
- You’re denied breaks or lunch.
- You’re not paid sufficiently for overtime hours.
- Your time sheet is altered or you’re told to falsify it.
- You’re overtime isn’t paid because it wasn’t “pre-approved.”
- Your breaks and lunches are deducted even if you worked.
Under both state and federal employment laws, employers who knowingly fail to pay sufficient overtime wages may end up paying steep legal penalties instead. Overtime laws are complicated; some professional workers are exempt, and determining precisely who is and isn’t legally an “employee” sometimes isn’t easy. If you believe that an employer isn’t paying you properly, speak to a good employment law attorney who can assess your particular situation and provide the advice – and if needed, the legal services – that you need.
Many wage-and-hour disputes can be settled out of court by lawyers who are skilled negotiators, but a good employment law attorney is also an expert litigator with substantial trial experience and a reputation for tenacity. If you aren’t being paid properly by a central California employer, or if you’re involved in any other type of wage, hour, or overtime dispute, have your questions answered and your concerns addressed by speaking with an experienced Fresno employment law attorney as quickly as possible.
