One of the most important things to employees in Houston is how much they get paid. While many of us want to enjoy or work as well, we all need to support ourselves and our families first. Because your paycheck is so vital, it can be extremely frustrating and maddening to find out that your employer has been failing to pay you your full wages. Unfortunately, this happened recently to more than 100 workers in Houston.
Honghua America, an oil and gas equipment company, was recently ordered to pay 133 workers for back wages related to overtime work that was not paid in full. The issue stemmed from the fact that Honghua America wrongly classified several workers as contractors when they should have been classified as full-time employees.
In Texas, when full-time employees work more than 40 hours in a week, their employer is required by law to pay them time and a half for the extra hours. However, Honghua America continued paying its employees their regular wages, even when they were working overtime. After the Labor Department investigated and discovered the problem, Honghua America was ordered to pay $687,469 to the workers.
Fortunately, the workers in this case received the money they were entitled to, but it is likely that many people in Texas work extra hours without getting paid. Anyone who finds themselves in this situation should know that it is against the law for employers to not pay a person for work they have performed. An attorney can help explain how to go about seeking compensation for unpaid work.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “133 workers win thousands in overtime,” L.M. Sixel, June 3, 2013
