Typically classified as a union job, a pipefitter installs, fabricates, and repairs a wide variety of mechanical piping systems. The important role on many construction projects can place a pipefitter in harm’s way.
From suffering deep lacerations to emergency room warranted burns, pipefitters earn every penny of their pay. Depending on where they work in the United States, pipefitters can generate an income that exceeds six figures.
However, some pipefitters have to deal with unethical employers that pilfer wages.
Although not common in most industries, wage theft is a significant issue for professionals that work in a trade, such as pipefitting.
Some employers underreport hours to prevent pipefitters from earning federally mandated overtime. Other employers intentionally under count hours worked to cheat pipefitters out of their hard earned cash.
If you work as a pipefitter, and your employer has cost you money through wage theft, then you might have a powerful case to file a lawsuit in a civil court.
State Wage Theft Laws
In August of 2019, New Jersey became the fourth state to pass a wage theft law for wage and hour reporting violations.
As the toughest wage theft law in the United States, the New Jersey wage theft law includes a punitive clause that makes one or more members of management spend between 10 and 90 days in jail for stealing wages.
New Jersey also broadened the reasons why an employee can take his or her employer to court for wage theft. Since August of 2019, the trend set by New Jersey has moved to other states.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled much of the legislation passing through state legislatures, which includes wage theft law proposals.
Pipefitters work a considerable amount of overtime. Some construction jobs have tight deadlines, while other types of projects are considered highly labor intensive.
Federal law stipulates that American workers receive 1.5 times their regular pay for every hour worked over 40 hours per week.
Many states have made overtime pay not a weekly mandate, but a daily mandate that requires employers to pay overtime on any day a worker clocks in for more than eight hours. Alaska, California, and Colorado all have daily overtime laws on the books.
How to Handle Wage Theft
Accurate record keeping forms the foundation of any persuasive wage theft claim. Pipefitters should save every clock in and clock out receipt that comes from the company time recording system.
Most time tracking systems generate weekly summaries of the hours worked and the total wages earned by employees.
Save and organize the paperwork, as well as maintain an accurate account of the hours you worked every week by using a simple accounting software program. Evidence is the key to convince your employer to pay you for the wages lost because of wage theft.
If your employer insists on not paying you what you deserve, the next step in the process to recover wage theft money is a bit different than the step other professional use in wage theft cases.
As a member of a union, you should contact your representative to determine whether the union can argue your case. A union representative is paid to advocate for members on cases that include wage theft allegations.
If your union representative cannot get your wage theft claim approved by your employer, the next step is to contact your state Department of Labor.
Most states take a dim view of wage theft, and the state attorney general in conjunction the Department of Labor can make your employer pay for wage theft.
Get a Free Evaluation
It is essential to work with an experienced employment attorney as soon as you discover your employer has violated one or more labor laws.
Referred to as a retainer, the legal relationship between you and your lawyer starts off as more of a consulting role for the attorney.
He or she analyzes your case to determine whether your employer violated statutes written into the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FSLA contains overtime and minimum wage standards that employers must follow.
The retainer agreement transitions into a contingency fee arrangement between you and your attorney when the time comes to file a lawsuit against your employer.
Contingency fee arrangements mean lawyers get paid only when they achieve favorable outcomes for their clients. Your attorney examines the evidence to determine whether you should file a claim in civil court, or pursue another legal option to make wage theft stop.
Complete the free case evaluation today to see where your wage theft claim stands.
