If you are a steel mill worker, you have a hard job. When you are hired by your employer, you should maintain all supporting documentation.
You should keep your employee handbook, your employment contract, and any other applicable details that indicate your job, work responsibilities, and your pay rate.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) indicates how much you are paid, and indicates that if you work overtime – which is more than 40 hours per week – you will be paid overtime, which is one and a half times your regular pay rate.
Billions of dollars are taken from millions of American workers each year through wage theft. There are many ways that a steel mill worker can be subjected to wage theft.
It could involve not paying you the agreed wage, not paying you overtime that you were entitled to receive, being forced to work through breaks and not being paid for the time that you worked, or not being paid for all the hours that you worked and the wages that you earned.
You will need to regularly check you pay to make sure you are paid properly. When you suffer wage theft, you have a limited time to pursue a claim against your employer for wage theft.
You have only 180 days to pursue a claim against your employer for your lost earnings and other damages. Maintain thorough documentation, such as paystubs and copies of any time sheets or timecards.
You should also document any breaks you take. Your coworkers should be able to back up your claim and confirm when you worked.
What To Do If Experiencing Wage Theft As A Steel Mill Worker
If you have suffered wage theft as a steel mill worker, you need to gather supporting documentation and evidence for your claim.
This will include your employee handbook, your employment contract, timecards, documentation of breaks, and other documentation to support your claim.
Statements from any witnesses, such as coworkers, could also be helpful throughout the claims process.
Your first step in filing a wage theft claim as a steel mill worker is to notify your employer of the incident.
You should maintain documentation to prove that you filed a claim with your manager or with human resources regarding the situation.
You should also keep any documentation from your employer that shows you file a complaint. You should also keep any proof of how the employer responded to your complaint.
If your employer doesn’t address the matter, or if the problem isn’t resolved, you will need to then advance your claim to process to the Wage and Hour Division.
Provide all your documentation and they will investigate your claim. If they cannot reach an agreement with your employer and get your reimbursed for your lost wages, they will suggest that you file a lawsuit against your employer to get your claim on track.
If you file a lawsuit and the case advances to court, then a judge or a jury will determine the outcome of your wage theft case.
Remember that evidence and documentation are essential to the success of your claim. Without supporting evidence that shows that you suffered wage theft, you will not succeed with your claim.
Odds are that your employer has a track record of this behavior, so that will help you with your case. If this has happened to anyone else while working there are the steel mill, it will be helpful with your claim.
Speak With An Employment Law Attorney
If you have suffered wage theft as a steel mill worker, you should enlist the help of an employment law attorney who handles wage theft claims.
An attorney will be familiar with the state and federal laws that apply to your situation. When you speak with an attorney, he or she will go over their payment plans with you.
Some employment law attorneys require that you pay a retainer up front before they take your case, but other lawyers will take cases on a contingency basis, which means that your lawyer will not be paid until you win your case and recover compensation.
Time is limited, and you only have 180 days to pursue your claim against your employer for wage theft, so you should speak with an attorney as quickly as possible.
Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page to share the details with a lawyer who handles wage theft cases in our area.
