The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets requirements for wages and hours among employers across the country. In addition to establishing the minimum wage, this act outlines penalties for employers who violate workers’ rights.
If you believe you have not been paid what you are owed, a Los Angeles Fair Labor Standards Act lawyer is here to help. Instead of attempting to hold your employer accountable on your own, reach out to Erkel Law, P.C. to speak to a dedicated employment attorney today.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides an array of protections for workers and their wages. To begin with, it provides a minimum wage at the federal level, although the state minimum is typically higher. The FLSA also regulates issues involving overtime, child labor, and lunch breaks.
There are many ways that employers could violate the FLSA. Often, a violation simply involves withholding wages, especially after you leave the company. Other claims might involve refusing to allow a worker to take their legally required breaks.
Misclassification of workers is another major issue that the FLSA deals with. A business can avoid providing certain rights and benefits under the law if it classifies an employee as an independent contractor. Often, these individuals are effectively employees and are treated as contractors in name only.
The specifics of a violation may not always be clear. The good news is that you never have to determine if your FLSA rights were violated on your own, as a Los Angeles attorney can advise you.
For most people, the goal of an FLSA claim is to secure their withheld wages. However, these cases are often about more than just those unpaid wages. To deter this behavior, the statute outlines other consequences that could have a significant impact on a company’s profits.
In addition to unpaid wages, you could also be entitled to liquidated damages. This type of compensation exceeds your wages. Courts use the amount you were owed to determine the total amount of liquidated damages.
The courts will typically double what you have been owed as part of these calculations. For example, if your employer failed to pay you $10,000 in overtime, you could recover an additional $10,000 in liquidated damages. That results in a total award of $20,000.
Liquidated damages might not be available in every case, however. Employers can avoid these consequences if they can show they acted in good faith. This includes having a reasonable belief that they were not required to pay the particular wages. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse; there must have been some reasonable explanation for why they did not pay the money. Given that it is hard to justify these actions, few employers are successful in avoiding liquidated damages.
If you have questions about what your Los Angeles FLSA case is worth, now is the right time to ask a lawyer how these damages work.
If you believe your employment rights have been violated, you must seek help from legal counsel right away. A Los Angeles Fair Labor Standards Act lawyer can review your situation and advise you of your options.
Instead of assuming that your employer cannot be held accountable, contact Erkel Law, P.C., today for help seeking the award you deserve.
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