What should workers in Bedford know about proper pay practices?

Bedford, TX – Employers cannot simply choose how to pay their workers. There are labor laws that determine how a company must pay their employees, and they cannot request work without compensating employees appropriately. Any type of illegal pay practices are technically considered wage theft, and the worker can potentially bring a lawsuit to recover their unpaid wages. Labor attorneys routinely help their clients with unpaid wage cases, as this is a fairly common problem that costs American workers millions annually. Here are a few of the most important aspects of laws related to pay.

Employers need to have records of hours available

All workplaces are required to keep records that identify an employee along with their total amount of hours logged each day. These types of records should be available for inspection, especially if there is an investigation related to a dispute about unpaid wages. An employee who is having issues with their workplace may want to start keeping their own records and check them against the employer’s for accuracy. If there seems to be significant problems with the employer’s recordkeeping, the person may want to notify the Texas Workforce Commission and file an unpaid wage claim.

Asking for extra work without pay is considered wage theft

All tasks completed at an employer’s direction are considered work that must be compensated. While some employers may ask a worker to clock out and then perform extra tasks as a favor, this is technically considered wage theft. Some workers can be asked to work for commission or tips, but this is generally limited to those who are making sales or directly interacting with customers.

Overtime is required by law

Hourly employees are eligible for overtime once they have recorded more than forty hours in a seven day consecutive period. There are some legitimate exemptions for workers who are salaried and others, however it is also common for employers to abuse these categories as a way of not paying overtime at all. The overtime rate also must be set at least at one and one half times the worker’s standard pay rate. Overtime law is one of the more complex aspects of labor regulations, so it is important to get legal advice if unpaid overtime may be an issue.

Labor attorneys in Bedford

Moore and Associates is a law firm that works with employees who are having issues with unpaid wages, overtime, discrimination, or sexual harassment. Their lawyers can meet with anyone who needs additional information.

USAttorneys.com is a service that connects people with lawyers anywhere in the country. People who need a referral to a licensed attorney can call 800-672-3103 to learn more.

Firm contact info:

Moore & Associates

440 Louisiana Street, Suite 675, Houston, TX 77002

713-222-6775