Wage & Hour Claims
What Are Your Rights?
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Philadelphia Wage and Hour Attorney
Understanding Your Wage & Hour Rights in PA
While many companies comply with the wage and overtime laws, others routinely violate laws protecting the wage and overtime rights of hard-working American workers like you. No one should work for free.
Common Wage & Hour Violations in Philadelphia
Some (but not nearly all) of the common violations include: “rounding” employees’ clock-in and clock-out times in a manner that always benefits the company; avoiding overtime pay by splitting the week’s hours into separate paychecks; using a “comp time” system to shift overtime hours from the week worked into a sub-40 hour week; basing time-and-one-half overtime pay on a pay rate that does not include commissions, bonuses, or shift differentials; paying salaried employees “half-time” for their overtime work; calculating time-and-one-half overtime based on the week’s lowest pay rate; failing to combine hours worked at different pay rates in determining whether 40 hours were worked.
Overtime Rights for Non-Hourly Employees
Many workers paid by the job, by the day, or by commission think they are not entitled to overtime pay just because they are not paid on an “hourly” basis. This is wrong. In fact, millions of employees paid on a job-rate, day-rate, or commissioned basis are entitled to extra overtime pay when they work over 40 hours in a week.
Understanding "Off-the-Clock" Work in Philadelphia
Some companies fail to give payroll credit for all the time in which employees are engaged in activities that benefit the company. Such “off-the-clock” work is usually illegal even if the work was “voluntarily.”
Some common examples of illegal “off-the-clock” work include:
- Time spent traveling between clients
- Time spent in training or pre-shift meetings
- Time spent working during lunch or rest breaks
- Time spent “charting” or doing paperwork outside of the workplace
- Time spent gathering gear or equipment at the beginning of the workday
- Time spent setting-up, cleaning, or closing-down at the beginning or end of the workday
Understanding Wage & Hour Law in Philadelphia
Living and working in Philadelphia, you're likely well aware of the unique challenges posed by the city’s vibrant economy and diverse workforce. With a rich history and a strong presence of various industries, from healthcare to technology, Philadelphia offers a dynamic job market. However, along with these opportunities come certain hurdles, particularly concerning wage and hour laws. A prevalent issue for many workers is the miscalculation of work hours and overtime pay.
Protect Your Rights: Know What You Are Entitled To
If you believe your employer is violating wage and hour laws, it’s crucial to take action. Whether you’re a salaried professional navigating the corporate landscape or an hourly worker in a bustling restaurant, you deserve to be rightfully compensated for the work you perform. Understanding your rights not only helps you but also contributes to a fairer workplace for all Philadelphia workers.
The Philadelphia area is home to numerous resources designed to assist workers in understanding their rights. Organizations such as the Philadelphia Department of Labor and Industry provide valuable information about wage and hour laws specific to our city. However, navigating these resources can sometimes be challenging. Luckily, our team at Winebrake & Santillo can help you.
Our firm is dedicated to guiding you through these complexities. We understand the local landscape and can provide guidance tailored to the unique aspects of working in Philadelphia. Remember, it’s illegal for employers to retaliate against you for asserting your rights under labor laws. Don’t hesitate to reach out; you are not alone in this fight for fair treatment.
Employment Lawyers for Salaried Employees in Philadelphia
Many employees mistakenly believe they are not entitled to overtime pay just because they are paid a salary, but this is wrong. In fact, millions of salaried employees are entitled to extra overtime pay when they work over 40 hours per week.
What is a Salaried Employee?
According to the U.S Department of Labor, Employees with salaried jobs regularly receive a set amount of compensation every pay period. The amount cannot be reduced based on the quality or quantity of the work completed by the employee.
What Does Salary Exempt vs. Salary Non-Exempt Mean?
Exempt and non-exempt are terms used to classify employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the United States. The FLSA is a federal law that regulates minimum wage, overtime pay, and other employment standards for both exempt and non-exempt employees.
- Exempt: Exempt employees are typically salaried workers who are exempt from receiving overtime pay, meaning they do not receive additional pay for working more than 40 hours per week. Exempt employees are generally professional, administrative, or executive employees who perform certain types of duties, such as managing other employees, exercising independent judgment, or performing work that requires advanced knowledge or specialized skills. Examples of exempt employees may include doctors, lawyers, managers, and IT professionals.
- Non-Exempt: Non-exempt employees are typically paid an hourly wage and must be paid overtime at a rate of one and a half times their regular pay for any hours worked over 40 hours per week. Non-exempt employees are typically considered to be blue-collar or manual labor workers who perform relatively routine work that is subject to oversight and direction by management. Examples of non-exempt employees may include retail workers, food service employees, and administrative support staff.
It's important for employers to properly classify their employees as exempt or non-exempt, as misclassification can result in legal and financial consequences. If you're unsure about your classification or if you believe you have been misclassified, speak with an employment law attorney for guidance.
Overtime Laws for Salaried Employees
In addition, even when companies pay overtime to salaried employees, they often cheat their employees by miscalculating the amount of overtime owed. In Pennsylvania, salaried employees who are eligible for overtime must receive full “time-and-one-half” pay for every overtime hour. For example, an employee earning a $500 weekly salary should receive an extra $30 [($500 / 40) X 1.5] for every hour worked over 40. Yet, many employers violate the law by using a “half-time” method to calculate the overtime owed to salaried employees.
Salaried Employee Case Results in Pennsylvania & Nationwide
Our firm has had great success in representing salaried employees who either were treated as “exempt” from the overtime laws or had their overtime pay miscalculated.
- $20.9 million for salaried assistant store managers who were classified as overtime exempt by a national drug store chain
- $11.5 million for salaried assistant branch managers who were classified as overtime exempt by a large retail bank
- $8 million for Pennsylvania and Ohio retail assistant department managers who received half-time pay instead of full time-and-one-half pay
- $4.5 million for salaried department managers employed at a multi-site grocery store chain and paid half-time for their overtime work
- $2.3 million for salaried store managers working at a chain of Colorado discount stores and classified as overtime exempt
- $75,000 for salaried mentors who were classified as overtime exempt by a Philadelphia social services agency
- $627,500 for salaried account managers who worked in Pennsylvania and were classified as overtime exempt by a company that provided custodial services to nursing homes
- $400,000 for salaried field service managers classified as overtime exempt by a national automotive inventory control company
- $500,000 for retail store managers who worked in Pennsylvania and only received half-time pay for their overtime work
- $311,000 for a group of salaried retail employees who held various job titles and only received half-time pay for their overtime work
- $490,000 for salaried service representatives who worked in Pennsylvania for a large lawn care company and only received half-time pay for their overtime work
- $505,000 for assistant branch managers classified as overtime exempt and working for a Pennsylvania bank
- $575,000 for retail assistant managers who worked in Pennsylvania and only received half-time pay for their overtime work
- $110,000 for salaried convenience store managers and assistant store managers who worked in Northeastern Pennsylvania and only received half-time pay for their overtime work
- $87,500 for salaried intensive care managers who worked for a Pennsylvania/Delaware mental health provider and were treated as overtime exempt
- $66,000 to salaried case managers who were treated as overtime exempt by a Philadelphia behavioral health provider
- $489,000 for salaried implementation consultants who were classified as overtime exempt by a New York business software company
- $85,000 to salaried admissions representatives who were treated as overtime exempt by a Southeastern Pennsylvania trade school
- $300,000 for Store managers and assistant store managers employed in Pennsylvania by a chain of discount shoe stores and only paid half-time for their overtime work
To get started on your case with a Philadelphia lawyer for salaried employees, call (215) 866-1551 or fill out our online contact form.
EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS FOR HOURLY EMPLOYEES IN PHILADELPHIA
Many hourly employees do not receive credit for all the time they spend working for their company. Sometimes, this is called working “off the clock.” Working “off the clock” is often illegal. Under federal and state wage laws, employees are entitled to be paid for many pre-shift and post-shift activities, which can include time spent in security screening lines, time spent walking to assigned locations within the plant or job site, time spent gathering work-related gear and equipment, time spent waiting for job assignments, time spent traveling out-of-town, time spent traveling between job sites or clients, time spent by call center employees logging into computer programs, and time spent in breaks of less than 20 minutes.
In addition, employees generally are entitled to be paid for work performed during unpaid lunch or meal breaks. Under the law, employees must be completely relieved of duties when they are on an unpaid lunch or meal break. Companies generally are required to pay employees for all the time they spend performing activities that benefit the company. Our law firm has recovered millions of dollars for hourly employees who perform work “off-the-clock.”
Hourly Employee Case Results in Pennsylvania & Nationwide
Our firm has been involved in some of the nation’s largest settlements on behalf of workers who allege that they were illegally denied payment for time spent at the beginning and end of the shift gathering, including putting on and taking off work-related gear and equipment.
Examples include:
- Nationwide settlements against two of the country’s largest poultry companies, totaling over $46 million
- Over $2.75 million for Mississippi poultry workers
- Over $1.5 million for Bradford and Luzerne County, PA meatpackers
- $1.3 million for workers at a Montgomery County, PA pork plant
- $320,000 for Dauphin County, PA beef processing workers
- Over $300,000 for workers at egg processing plants in Minnesota and Nebraska
- $100,000 for Ohio poultry workers
Our firm has also recovered wages for call center operators who were not paid for all the time spent booting up their computers and logging into computer programs at the beginning of their shifts. For example, we recovered $475,000 for a group of Ohio call center employees and $145,000 for a group of Nashville, TN call center employees.
We also have represented workers who were not paid for time spent attending pre-shift meetings. For example, we recovered $375,000 for prison guards in Norristown, PA; $81,000 for prison guards IN Scranton, PA; and $110,000 for prison guards in Allentown, PA. In all these cases, the guards alleged that they were denied pay for time spent in pre-shift meetings. In a similar case, we recovered $222,000 for a group of Hazleton, PA warehouse workers who were not paid for the time they spent attending pre-shift meetings and gathering inventory control devices.
Other Types of Workers We Represent
Tipped Employees
Many servers, bussers, bartenders, and other restaurant employees are paid through a combination of hourly wages and tips. Restaurants that pay employees in this manner must follow strict rules that apply to "tip- pooling" and "tip-sharing" and that limit the type of work a tipped employee may perform. Restaurants frequently break these rules, so please call if you work in a restaurant and have any questions about your pay. Our firm understands the rules and has recovered millions of dollars for restaurant employees.
Independent Contractors
Some companies deny workers with many legal protections and benefits (including the right to overtime pay) by misclassifying them as “independent contractors” instead of “employees.” But whether a worker truly is an independent contractor depends on the real-life circumstances of his employment. A worker is not an independent contractor just because he signed a contract that labeled him a contractor.