Louisiana does not have a state minimum wage law. Instead, federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guarantees Louisiana workers, like all employees across the United States, a minimum wage. As of 2017, the federal FLSA guarantees a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour to every employee. As far too many Louisiana workers know, however, many employers do not follow the law.
A lot of employers try to get away with underpaying their employees in direct violation of federal law. If your boss is refusing to pay you this legal wage, contact a Houma FLSA lawyer as soon as possible. You can file a lawsuit against your employer with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you seek compensation for the wages you are owed. To learn more about the rights you have under FLSA, read the information below. Then, call Kopfler & Hermann to discuss your claim.
There are few exceptions to the FLSA requirement that employers pay employees $7.25 per hour. One such exception concerns tipped employees. Under FLSA, tipped employees are those who regularly earn more than $30 per month in tips. Examples of tipped employees include waiters, bartenders, busboys, and many other service industry workers.
Under FLSA, tipped employees are only entitled to $2.13 per hour under the assumption that they will earn a total of $7.25 per hour with tips plus the $2.13 guaranteed minimum. However, if a tipped employee does not earn at least $7.25 per hour with this combination of tips and wages, their employer is required to make up the difference.
Regardless of whether a worker is a tipped employee or not, employers have an obligation to pay their employees a legal wage. Underpaid employees can sue their employer in court for their failure to follow the law. Houma FLSA attorneys can help employees get the back wages they are owed.
In addition to guaranteeing a minimum wage, FLSA also guarantees certain workers overtime pay. Workers who are entitled to overtime pay are called non-exempt. These non-exempt workers are entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a single workweek.
If an employee typically earns $10 per hour, they should earn $15 for each hour overtime hour they work. Certain employees are not entitled to overtime pay. These exempt employees include:
In some cases, employers try to misclassify employees as exempt workers when the law says otherwise. In other cases, employers may try to avoid paying overtime wages by forcing employees to work off the clock and therefore without pay. When employers in Houma fails to pay overtime wages, employees can sue for the money they are owed. A Houma FLSA attorney can help employees fight their employer’s unlawful actions in court.
The law requires that employers pay workers 1.5 times their hourly wage for each hour they work over 40. If your boss makes you work off the clock or during breaks, they owe you money for the time you worked. If your employer is refusing to pay you for your labor, now is the time to call a Houma FLSA lawyer. To discuss your unique situation with a dedicated attorney, do not hesitate to contact Kopfler & Hermann today.
