Wage and Hour Attorney in Columbus, Ohio
The Columbus-based wage and hour lawyers at The Friedmann Firm are dedicated to ensuring all workers in Ohio get paid at least the minimum wage. We also do our best to force employers to pay overtime to eligible employees, and we stand up for victims of wage theft.
Enforcing the Minimum Wage
Throughout 2020, the standard minimum wage for most people who work in Ohio will be $8.70/hour. That is a slight increase from the previous minimum wage of $8.55/hour.
State law also sets a lower minimum wage for people who regularly receive tips, such as servers and bartenders. The tipped wage will increase to $4.35/hour during 2020, increasing from $4.30/hour. Importantly, employers must make up the difference between the tipped wage and the standard minimum wage when tips do not bring an employee’s average earnings to $8.70/hour.
As Columbus wage and hour attorneys, we often see employers who fail to pay the minimum wage to groups of employees. When we are notified from one worker about a problem with their minimum wage or overtime pay, we explore the possibility of filing a collective action lawsuit to secure back pay for as many people as possible.
Securing Unpaid Overtime
Most employees who get paid by the hour are eligible to earn overtime pay after they work 40 hours during a 7-day workweek. Complicated exemptions related to job titles and job duties apply to the overtime eligibility rules, however. Workers who suspect they should be earning overtime can consult with a knowledgeable Columbus wage and hour lawyer to learn if their employer is, in fact, cheating them out of overtime pay that they deserve.
By law, the overtime rate is at least one-and-a-half times an eligible employee’s regular hourly rate. Tipped employees are eligible to earn overtime, and employers must comply with strict rules regarding how to count tips when calculating overtime pay. Partnering with an experienced Columbus wage and hour attorney can make it easier to discover the illegal practices an employer has used to deny overtime to a tipped employee.
Holding Employers Accountable for Wage Theft
Employers commit wage theft in many ways. All are illegal.
Just a few of the things that employers do to cheat workers out of earning the minimum wage and overtime pay are:
- Failing to record and report all the hours people work,
- Misclassifying workers as contractors instead of employees,
- Taking away tips,
- Requiring work off the clock,
- Deducting pay without proper consent,
- Telling tipped employees that they are not eligible to earn overtime, and
- Misclassifying employees as exempt from overtime when they are actually non-exempt employees, eligible to receive overtime pay.
An employee who is denied fair pay and earned overtime has the undeniable right to partner with a Columbus wage theft attorney and demand back pay and other monetary damages. Laws also protect employees from retaliation for filing complaints over unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, or wage theft.
Contact our Top-Rated Wage and Hour Attorney in Columbus, Ohio
At The Friedmann Firm, our Columbus wage and hour attorneys stand ready to advise and represent employees in and near Columbus. We offer free, confidential consultations on all types of employment law cases, and you can schedule an appointment online. To speak with a lawyer directly, call 614.610.9755.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
FREE CONSULTATION
