Overtime pay can be wages that some employees are happy to earn. The extra time put into their duties can often allow them to earn more than their usual hourly rate. However, there are also instances in Florida and across the country where employee rights are violated, and workers are not properly compensated for the time they spend working overtime.
An investigation into a security company recently uncovered several violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. These violations included approximately 30 security guards not being paid for their overtime work or being intimidated into returning overtime pay. An earlier investigation had found similar violations of not paying overtime wages, and this current investigation found that half of those employees who were impacted by that event were asked to return the payment.
At this time, the company is required to pay approximately $5,000 in penalties due to violations. They must also pay $14,760 to the 30 security guards covered in the current case for back wages. The Fair Labor Standards Act is in place in order to protect employees from situations such as this. As this case shows, these situations may arise, but employees have the ability to fight back.
Employee rights should not be violated, especially when it comes to receiving the proper pay. Therefore, parties who find themselves in similar situations where overtime or other pay is not being properly distributed may wish to learn more about their potential legal situation. Information on Florida state employment laws as well as the Fair Labor Standards Act could allow concerned individuals to determine whether pursuing legal action could be right for them.
Source: norwalkreflector.com, "Firm agrees to pay more than $14,000 in back wages to 30 security guards", , April 13, 2014