If you worked overtime for your employer in Houston, Texas, but were not paid time-and-a-half for overtime work, you may have the right to file an unpaid wages claim. Workers who work more than a 40-hour workweek in a given week are generally entitled to receive time-and-a-half for every hour they work overtime. There are few exemptions to this law. There have been cases where workers were owed thousands of dollars from their employer because their employer failed to properly pay them for overtime work. In some cases, workers might be able to resolve unpaid wages disputes themselves with their employers. But sometimes workers might be afraid to speak up about unpaid overtime wages because they might fear retaliation from their employer. In other cases, employees may not always understand the proper procedure for filing an unpaid wages claim. What process can you follow to receive your unpaid wages for backpay in Houston, Texas? Moore & Associates are Houston, Texas unpaid wages attorneys who may be able to assist you with filing your unpaid wages claim. Here are some steps you might take during the process of recovering the overtime pay you may be owed:
- Speak to Human Resources Yourself. If you feel you might be owed overtime pay, you may want to reach out to human resources to ask why you have not been paid overtime. Your company’s human resources department would have to explain why you have not been paid over time. Sometimes employers might claim that you are an exempt worker, or they might claim you are an independent contractor. However, if you are not sure whether you are, in fact, exempt, you may want to speak to an unpaid wages attorney like Moore & Associates in Houston, Texas. Our attorneys can review your situation and the arrangements you have with your employer. If you are owed overtime, our lawyers may be able to fight for your recovery. There have been cases where workers were told they were exempt, but then the workers later learned they were not exempt, and were then owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages. If you are one of these workers, Moore & Associates may be able to help.
- Write a Demand Letter. If speaking to human resources doesn’t get you results, you can write a demand letter to your employer. At the very least, a demand letter is a letter detailing that you believe you are owed unpaid wages, and it should include an estimate of the unpaid wages you feel you are owed. A strong demand letter might also include details about the work relationship you have with your employer and documentation to show this. The demand letter is important because it gives your employer an opportunity to pay you the wages you may be owed without you having to go to court or file a formal complaint with the labor department. The demand letter also protects you should your employer try to retaliate against you for seeking unpaid wages. Some workers might fear that they might be fired, demoted, or otherwise punished for seeking unpaid wages. Properly documenting your demands offers some protection should your employer try to fire you, demote you, pass you up for promotions, or otherwise harm you. Taking any formal legal step against your employer, including writing a demand letter, is a serious action and it can sometimes help to have legal counsel on your side. If you have questions about your rights or the process, Moore & Associates is a Houston, Texas unpaid wages lawyer who may be able to help you.
- Filing a Formal Complaint and Pursue a Lawsuit. If a demand letter doesn’t provide you with results, you may be left with no other option but to file a formal complaint and to pursue a lawsuit. While it is possible for workers to navigate these steps on their own, it can sometimes be helpful to have an unpaid wages lawyer, like Moore & Associates in Houston, Texas on your side. Reach out to our firm today to learn more about your rights and options under the law.
These are just some of the steps that you can take if you believe you might be owed unpaid wages. There might be other steps that may need to be taken, particularly if your employer-employee relationship isn’t documented, or if you are having difficulty accessing the hours you worked and other documentation. Moore & Associates is an unpaid wages law firm in Houston, Texas that works closely with individuals who may not have been paid for the overtime hours they worked. Our firm fights for workers’ rights. Reach out to our law firm today, or contact with USAttorneys.com who can connect you with a lawyer at Moore & Associates today.
