As a steel worker, if you work a fair day’s work, you should get the pay you deserve for your skills, effort and time. However, unfortunately this is not always the case.
Many steel workers don’t not get paid the right wages at all. This is called wage theft and it normally takes place when a steel worker doesn’t get paid the legal minimum wage, isn’t paid time and a half for overtime and in some cases doesn’t get paid at all.
If you are a steel worker and haven’t been paid, you may be able to file a wage theft claim to get those unpaid wages paid.
Payday Requirements for Steel Workers
Most states have laws which decide how often steel workers should be paid. For example, in Vermont, employers may enforce bi-weekly and semi-monthly paydays with written notice.
Rhode Island as from January 2014, employers that meet specific requirements described in Rhode Island General Law Section 28-14-2.2 can petition Rhode Island’s Department of Labor and Training to get permission to pay steel workers less often than weekly, but are required to pay wages at least twice in each month.
In Louisiana, any business employing 10 or more steel workers in a variety of industry settings wage payments are required at least two times in every calendar month.
What to Do If You Haven’t Been Paid as a Steel Worker
If your employer has failed to pay your wages as a steel worker at the correct time, then s/he may have committed wage theft. Whatever state you are employed in your employer is required to pay you at least the minimum wage at regular times after you have completed the work.
If your employer hasn’t kept up with its obligations you may be entitled to file a wage theft claim with your state’s Department of Labor.
This is the agency which has been given the responsibility in your state for enforcing Wages and Hours Laws. As soon as you realize you have been a victim of wage theft you should speak to your employer directly and try to resolve the wage theft.
Contact the Department of Labor
If your employer doesn’t respond to your wage theft claim, you can now file a complaint with your state’s normally find Department of Labor.
Normally this is done by completing a wage theft claim form which you should be able to access online at your state’s Department of Labor website.
When you complete this form you must add adequate evidence that offers support to your wage theft claim. This evidence should include:
- a record of all the hours you have worked;
- stubs from your pay check stubs;
- contact details of eye witnesses who are prepared to testify that you are a victim of wage theft;
- your supervisor and employer’s contact details.
\When the Department of Labor gets your wage theft claim form usually an investigator will be assigned to your case. He or she will immediately determine if your wage theft claim is valid.
Next, the investigator will probably make contact with your employer to see if a resolution can be attained without taking the matter to court.
If the investigator doesn’t receive a satisfactory response he or she may suggest you and your employer go through the process of mediation.
If mediation isn’t successful you may be entitled to file a lawsuit in court to get your wage theft repaid. If you win your wage theft claim and depending on which state the wage theft occurred you could win more in compensation than the value of your wage theft. Your attorney’s fees should be paid too.
Complete the Free Case Evaluation
If you decide to file a wage theft claim in court, you might require assistance from an employment lawyer who will work on your behalf to get your wage theft claim paid.
