Power plant workers are essential workers as they keep cities and industries supplied with their power needs 24/7. Many power plant workers are paid from $30 per hour, depending on the job they do.
Unfortunately, employers don’t always want to pay their workers what they are owed so they frequently become victims of wage theft.
If you are a power plant worker and haven’t been paid, you may be able to file a wage theft claim to get back the money owed to you.
Payday Requirements for Power Plant Workers
Many states have requirements for paydays which are how often employees need to be paid. These are some states’ rules:
- Louisiana has a law that applies to entities who employ at least 10 employees which is that payment must be made at least in each calendar month;
- Maine’s law for wage payment should not exceed more than 16 days after the work has been completed;
- Minnesota’s statute states that employers must pay their workers for all their wages at least once in 31 days. If commission is earned this should be paid on a regular payday every 3 months.
If a power worker hasn’t been paid within the time frame as required under the employee’s state laws s/he may file a wage theft claim to get the amount owed paid.
What to Do If You Haven’t Been Paid as a Power Plant Worker
If you haven’t been paid your wages entitlements as a power plant worker, such as the minimum wage, the correct overtime rates, or your employer has failed to pay you at all, you should first of all contact your supervisor or power plant manager to discuss the wage discrepancy.
You may be able to resolve the difference by just tactfully explaining the problem. If this doesn’t work, you should contact your states U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) which is responsible for enforcing and administering workers’ protection laws.
The WHD in every state is committed to making sure that the country’s workers are paid properly according to the laws laid out in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and are paid for all the hours they have worked whatever their immigration status.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wages which are currently $7.25 per hour, rules for overtime pay, which are typically at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay after 40 hours has been worked, as well as rules for youth employment in the different sectors.
When you contact the Department of Labor it will want you to provide evidence that proves you have been a victim of wage theft.
This could be records you have kept of hours worked, your pay check stubs, names and contact details of the power plant supervisor and manager and names and contact details of witnesses who are prepared to testify that you have been a victim of wage theft.
An agent from the Department of Labor may contact your employer to try to resolve your wage theft. If it gets no response you may then be given the chance to file a wage theft claim in court.
As well as getting your unpaid wages paid you may also get your attorney’s fees paid and punitive damages if the court believes your power plant employer has deliberately committed wage theft.
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It is never easy to win a wage theft claim without a lawyer working on your behalf to reach the settlement you deserve.
