If you are an electrician, you have undergone training and you have taken classes to understand the processes and to safely and properly perform the tasks at hand. When you go to work, you expect to earn a living and cover the expenses associated to your family’s basic living needs.
Unfortunately, billions of dollars of wage theft take place every year. If you are an electrician who has suffered from wage theft, you may be able to pursue a claim against your employer to recover your lost earnings and compensation for your other damages. There are many ways in which you could suffer wage theft.
You should be attentive and be aware of when and how your wages could be taken and what to watch for so you can catch any problems early on. If you wait too long to act, you will not be entitled to recover your lost wages and damages. It is your responsibility to be proactive and stay alert so you can notice any stolen wages right away.
How an Electrician Could Suffer Wage Theft
If you are an electrician, your employer must pay you minimum wage. If you are not paid minimum wage, then you are likely the victim of wage theft. If you aren’t paid for all the hours that you worked, or if you aren’t paid overtime and the FLSA applies to your company, then you have likely been the victim of wage theft. If you have deductions that are not allowed or approved, or if you are not paid the agreed wage, then wage theft has occurred.
As an example, you are an electrician with a company that has 25 employees, so the FLSA applies to your employer. That means that if you work more than 40 hours a week, you must be paid overtime.
Overtime wages are one-and-a-half times your regular wage. Because of a major project, you worked 60 hours last week. When you got your paycheck, you were paid 60 hours at the regular hourly wage. You can then file a complaint because 20 hours of overtime should have been paid at 1.5 times that rate.
You should always add up what your total wages should be and then consider your hours worked, so you can determine if you are paid the right wages.
What To Do If Experiencing Wage Theft as an Electrician
You should be very attentive to your time and make sure you are being paid fairly. Often wage theft goes unnoticed for long periods of time. There is a limited time to pursue a claim after wage theft has taken place.
If you wait too long, you cannot recover compensation – including your lost wages. You should always keep track of your time and make copies of your timecards or make a duplicate timesheet. Always check your paystub to see if your hours and wages match your timecard or timesheet.
If you notice a discrepancy, you should talk with your manager, someone in the payroll department, or with human resources. If it is a legitimate mistake, they should correct the error and make sure that you receive the compensation that you are entitled to receive from your hours worked. If they don’t address the matter, then you should talk with an employment law attorney who handles wage theft cases and then pursue a claim against them for their violations of employment laws.
If you are a member of a workers’ union, you should report the wage discrepancy to your union representative who will then take action to resolve the matter and to make sure that you are compensated any wages that you are entitled to receive and that any wage theft issues are resolved. Other employees, who are also union members, may have experienced the same situation and the union could help you all at once.
Enlist the Help of an Employment Law Attorney
If you have been the victim of wage theft as an electrician, you should enlist the help of an employment law attorney who handles wage theft cases. Some wage theft attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that you will not have to pay them anything out of pocket and they are only compensated when you win your claim and recover your losses. Speak with your attorney to find out their expected payments and if they require any upfront costs.
If you are an electrician who has had wages stolen by your employer, complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page and share the details of your situation with an attorney who handles wage theft claims in your area. Remember, time is limited so don’t wait too long to get your claim on track.
