These are the most important wage laws that workers should know in McAllen

McAllen, TX – Workers receive various protections from the government to ensure that they are paid properly. Among these protections are minimum wage laws, rules against wage theft, frequency of payments, and overtime laws. While these rules exist, the burden of noticing problems with missing wages generally falls onto the individual worker. This means that each person should check their pay statements regularly, keep track of their own time, and ask to see the employer’s pay records if there are any issues.

Minimum wage laws

No employer is allowed to pay less than the federal minimum wage. The state of Texas has a law that applies the federal minimum wage as the state’s minimum wage, so these are always the same amount. Every employee can check their pay statement for their hourly rate to ensure that this is at or above minimum wage, otherwise the employer can be sued for the outstanding amount.

How often should workers be paid?

The state’s laws say that employees need to be paid at least twice a month in time intervals that are close to being equal. If a person receives overtime pay, this can be paid out a minimum of one time per month. However, if a worker is exempt from overtime because they are salaried or an independent contractor, they can be paid less frequently. If a worker was not paid on a scheduled payday for any reason, they are allowed to request the pay on an upcoming business day.

Overtime pay

Overtime laws apply to anyone who is considered a full time, hourly employee. These workers are to be paid at least one and one half their standard pay rate for time above forty hours within a seven day consecutive period. The employer is allowed to start the work week on any day as long as this is applied consistently. There are a few legitimate exceptions to certain types of workers who do not need to be paid overtime. These include certain people in administrative positions, independent contractors, and salaried workers. Each person should be careful to review their status if they work more than forty hours in a week, as the employer may tell them they are not eligible for overtime even if this is untrue.

Labor attorneys are available to provide representation

Moore and Associates is a law firm that handles employment law disputes in McAllen and other parts of Texas. Their attorneys are able to assist with unpaid wages, sexual harassment cases, overtime law violations, and discrimination issues.

USAttorneys.com is a service that helps people find the right lawyers to assist based on their needs and location. People who are looking for an attorney in their area can call 800-672-3103

Firm contact info:

Moore & Associates

440 Louisiana Street, Suite 675, Houston, TX 77002

713-222-6775