Wage and Hour Attorney Cincinnati Ohio
The Friedmann Firm Cincinnati wage theft lawyers are dedicated to making sure that all workers in the state of Ohio get paid at least the minimum wage as mandated by state and federal law. As wage and hour lawyers in Cincinnati, Ohio, we stand up for victims that are or have faced wage theft and we do our utmost to ensure that employers pay overtime to eligible employees.
Ohio Minimum Wage Enforcement
As wage and hour attorneys in Cincinnati, Ohio, we are very familiar with what the state of Ohio’s minimum wage is and what the federal minimum wage is. Throughout the year 2020, the state’s minimum wage was $8.70 an hour for non-tipped employees.
But as of January 1, 2021, the minimum wage increased by 10 cents to $8.80 an hour for non-tipped employees while the minimum wages for tipped employees will change to $4.40 an hour. It is important to note that tipped employees are still entitled to receive minimum wage so their hourly rate plus the tips they receive must equal minimum wage for all hours worked. If it does not, the employer is responsible for making up the difference to ensure the employee is paid minimum wage.
This new minimum wage for Ohio of $8.80 applies to employees of businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $323,000 per year. And in terms of tipped employees, their employers are required to make up the difference between the tipped minimum wage and the standard minimum wage when an employee’s tips do not bring their hourly income up to that minimum of $8.80, as noted above.
Here at The Friedmann Firm, our Cincinnati wage theft lawyers often encounter employers who fail to pay the state’s minimum wage to their employees. An employee might approach us as experienced Cincinnati wage and hour attorneys with a problem tied to their overtime pay or minimum wage.
From there, we can often explore the potential of filing a collective action lawsuit. This is a possible avenue that can secure back pay for other employees that may be in the same position and have also not been paid minimum wage or overtime pay for all hours worked over 40 hours per week.
A Cincinnati Wage and Hour Attorney – Holding Employers Accountable
Wage theft can be committed by employers in a number of ways. Any kind of wage theft is illegal, from stealing employee tips to requiring employees to work off the clock in any way. In 2017, the Economic Policy Institute conducted a survey that assessed the prevalence of one kind of wage theft (minimum wage violations) in 10 U.S. states.
This survey found that 2.4 million workers were losing $8 billion on annual basis due to minimum wage violations. As wage theft attorneys in Cincinnati, Ohio, we are here to help employees hold their employers accountable for acts of wage theft.
Wage theft can occur in some of the following ways:
- Requiring employees to work off the clock
- Auto deducting lunches when the employee does not actually take a lunch or is forced to work through lunch
- Failing to record and report all hours that employee works, which results in non-payment for work performed
- Misclassifying workers as independent contractors, instead of as employees
- Telling tipped employees that they are not eligible for overtime pay or pooling tips with individuals that are not actually eligible for a tip pool.
Most employees who are paid by the hour will be eligible for overtime pay. While there may be exemptions that mean an employee is not entitled to receive overtime pay, they are often complicated to understand. An experienced wage and hour attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio will be able to assist you in navigating the ins and outs of wage theft or overtime pay theft if you believe you should be earning overtime pay or have been cheated out of due wages.
Working with a wage theft attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio can make the process of figuring out if any illegal practices have occurred that much easier.
Contact a Top-Rated Wage and Hour Attorney Near Cincinnati, Ohio
Here at The Friedmann Firm, our wage and hour attorneys near Cincinnati are ready and waiting to both advise and represent employees in the Cincinnati area. Our free, confidential consultations are available on a wide variety of employment law cases, including those tied to wage theft and overtime pay. To speak with an experienced Cincinnati wage and hour attorney, call us at 513-845-7330 today or get in contact with us online.