EMPLOYERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OVERTIME WORK PERFORMED BY EMPLOYEES AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY
Employers are required to pay non-exempt employees overtime pay when they work over 40 hours in a week. Many employers attempt to get around this law by claiming that their employees are paid a salary (instead of hourly), and therefore not entitled to overtime. Just because you are paid a salary does not automatically exempt you from overtime. Likewise, employers will attempt to get around overtime pay requirements by classifying their employees as “contract workers.” Just because your employer has classified you as a “contract worker” does not necessarily mean that you are not their employee or that you are not entitled to overtime pay when you work over 40 hours in a week.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, many construction and relief companies and organizations hired employees to assist in the clean-up and rebuilding after the storm. However, many of these employees were misclassified as “contract workers” or were declared as employees exempt from overtime when no such exemption applies. Although information is provided by the government to assist employers in these classifications, many employers ignore these laws to improve their bottom line.
The Potts Law Firm represents individuals who have been denied their well-earned overtime pay. If you worked for relief companies or organizations, or with contractors doing repair work after Hurricane Harvey, and you have not been paid for your overtime pay, please contact us to schedule your free consultation today.