Owed Back Pay? Take Legal Steps To Get What You Need

Law Blog

If a former or current employer owes you back pay for work completed throughout the year, you may wonder if you'll ever receive your funds. Many employees work extra hours for their employers. Although most of these employees receive their earnings on time, some employees don't. If you take the right legal steps, you may be able to obtain the earnings owed to you.

Keep Track of Your Back Earnings

Every employee should receive the wages they earned from their employers in a timely manner, including back pay. Back pay is money you earned but didn't receive for work completed at your job. You may have received some of the wages you earned, or none at all. Keeping track of the missing earnings can help you obtain the funds later. 

You want to obtain all of your previous pay stubs, tax papers, and other documents that show how much your employer promised to pay you but didn't provide during the year. If your employer offered incentives and bonuses for your missing payments, obtain copies of these documents as well. Some employers list their bonus and incentive pay in flyers and employee newsletters. 

You also want to keep track of any direct payments and paychecks you receive from your boss. You can retrieve this information from your bank or financial institution. Once you have this information and the details above, find labor litigation help. 

Seek Labor Litigation Services

Based on federal laws, you may be able to file a complaint against the employer for your back pay. A labor litigation lawyer can tell you whether or not your complaint is valid in your state. If your complaint is valid, an attorney may do the following:

  • obtain documentation of your missing pay
  • file a complaint with the Department of Labor
  • file a legal suit in court

An attorney may also investigate employer and/or company they represent for fraud and other legal problems. Some employers have long histories of not paying their employees back pay and other legally earned wages. If the employer or company doesn't pay their employees properly, a lawyer can place this information in your case file.

Until your case concludes, avoid communicating with the employer. If the employer wants to negotiate your case, refer them to your attorney right away.

You can take steps to retrieve your back pay and other earnings by contacting your local labor litigation services today.

Share

9 November 2019