Employers and companies all too often overlook the rights of their hardworking employees. The right to be paid minimum wage, overtime compensation, the right to take rest periods and tip sharing are just a few examples of the bundle of rights that are covered under the broad scope of employee rights. Even in the face of strict federal and state laws governing employee rights, employers continue to evade their statutory obligations, failing to pay employees millions of dollars every year. In 2007 alone, the U.S. Department of Labor vis-à-vis the Wage and Hour Division collected over $200 million from employers who had wrongfully withheld funds from their employees.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that regulates the relationship between employers and employees, by providing standards for minimum wage, overtime pay, compensable hours, employer recordkeeping and the employment of minors. In addition to federal statutes, state laws also guarantee certain protections for their citizens. The State of California, for example enforces stringent employee rights, including: the right to a paid 10-minute rest break every four hours or more of work; the right to an unpaid, uninterrupted 30-minute meal break every five hours or more of work; the right to a second meal break every 10 hours or more of work; the right to be compensated for work-related expenses, such as vehicle mileage, the cost of uniforms or protective gear and boots, and the cost of tools and equipment; and the right to receive wages on the last day of employment.
When employers fail to meet these standards or do not comply with the state standards (like the statutes in force in California), employees may be able to bring suit against their employers. An experienced wage and hour attorney can inform you of your rights, advise you of the best course of action to take, and help guide you in that direction, ensuring that your situation has been rectified. At Salehi & Associates, P.C., our experienced staff of employees and team of attorneys have your best interests in mind, working with you to bring you results you deserve.
Taking the first steps to pursue legal action may seem intimidating and overwhelming. Often, employees have small claims against their employers that are seemingly not worth the time, expense and hassle of litigation. However, this is where the phenomenon of class action lawsuits allows even the smallest claims to be heard and tried in court. A wage and hour class action allows an individual employee to sue for damages on behalf of themselves and others who have suffered similar financial losses caused by their employer. Class actions ensure that employers are held accountable for their actions, granting protection not only for the present class represented in the suit, but for future generations as well. The success of a class action suit, speared by an experienced attorney will bring you the monetary compensation you deserve.
Don’t let your rights sit idly by. Wage and hour class actions are complex legal endeavors that require the strong skill-set and knowledge of an experienced and aggressive class-action attorney. Allow our team to ease the process for you. Salehi & Associate’s team of attorneys has the fortitude and determination to effectively pursue results.
Your current working status does not matter: whether you are a current employee, you have been laid off or voluntarily left your employment, your current or former employer may still be liable to you for outstanding wages, and other amounts, dating back as long as four years. But don’t sit on your rights! Call Salehi & Associates, P.C., as soon as you believe you are owed money by your employer.
If you believe you may not have received from your employer all of the pay or other benefits to which you are entitled, please call us at 310-430-0900. Let us do the work to get you the compensation you are entitled to.