Working extra hours can be a strain on an employee because it can mean extra stress as well as increased time away from home and family. An incentive that eases the burden for Texas employees is the knowledge that the overtime pay is going to be higher than the regular wage. The extra money is a great motivator for employees to work in excess of their regularly scheduled shifts. It is the responsibility of the company to honor the correct wages and to make sure that the employees are paid appropriately.
A woman is filing a lawsuit against several of her employers for not being paid correctly. For two years she worked as an EKG technician and alleges that she was not paid overtime when she worked in excess of her regular hours. She claims the same thing happened when she worked for an insurance agency and for a classic car dealership. At both of those businesses, she worked off the clock. Her rate of pay for her overtime hours should have been one-and-a-half times her regular rate.
The issue of not being paid correctly is not the only issue she is addressing in her case. According to her lawsuit, she and her father were both the victims of retaliation. She states that because of her overtime claim, they both were intimidated and threatened because of her actions.
The employee is now seeking reimbursement of her overtime pay as well as other damages and legal fees. Workers who put in the extra hours should be paid correctly for their hard work. Texas employees who believe that they have not been paid the correct overtime wages may obtain legal assistance to investigate and file a claim. If the court rules in favor of the worker, he or she could be awarded the unpaid overtime pay and possibly any fees incurred.
Source: setexasrecord.com, Worker sues in unpaid overtime pay dispute, Melody Dareing, Jan. 31, 2014
