Wage theft is when an employer does not pay you the money
that you have earned. It's more common than you may think, and it can happen in
different ways. For example, your boss might not pay you for overtime. Or, you
might work for more than 40 hours in a week but not get paid for all the time.
You may also be paid less than the minimum wage. It's
important to know about wage theft so you can take steps to help with workplace legal disputes. If
you know what to look for, you can catch wage theft and take steps to get the
money you've earned. In this article, we will go over some of the things you
can do before you call a lawyer.
1 - Approach your employer
If you think your boss has not paid you the money you've
earned, the first thing you can do is talk to them. This might feel hard, but
it's an important step. You might find out that your boss simply made a
mistake, and they can fix it.
When you talk to your boss, try to stay calm. Tell them
about the problem and ask for their help to fix it. It's a good idea to have
this talk in a place where you both feel comfortable. This could be in your
boss's office, or in a quiet place at work.
Another important thing to do is write down what you and
your boss talk about. After the talk, take a few minutes to write down what was
said. This could be helpful later if you need to remember what happened.
If your boss agrees that there was a mistake and they will
fix it, write that down too. If your boss doesn't think there's a problem, make
a note of that as well.
2 - Go to the HR department
If talking to your boss doesn't solve the problem, you might
need to file an internal complaint. Many companies have a process for this. You
can find out about the process by looking at your employee handbook or asking
someone in Human Resources.
When you file an internal complaint, you'll need to give
details about the problem. You should say what type of wage theft you think is
happening. You should also say how much money you think you are owed.
3 - Seek outside help
If your boss or company doesn't fix the problem after you
file a complaint, you might need to get help from outside the company. There
are people and groups who can help you. This includes lawyers and workers' rights organizations.
A lawyer can help you understand your rights and what to do
next. They can help you file a claim to get the money you are owed. This might
be a claim with your state's labor department or a federal claim with the
Department of Labor. A lawyer can also help you if you decide to start a
lawsuit against your employer.
