According to the law, workers are entitled to get paid for the extra time they work for their employer in addition to the 40 hours in a regular workweek. Employees are entitled to receive 1½ times of the regular hourly rate in overtime. If your employer denies you overtime then you have legal right to demand your due wages.
However, there are certain records that play an essential role in your claim to obtain overtime wages. Some of these records are mentioned below –
Hours spent working – There should be records of the all the hours employees spend working for their employer whether in a day or in a workweek. It should also include the documentation of workers’ login and logoff to show any extra hours that employees spend working.
Even if an employer tells workers to work before their log in or after their log off, the records of all hours shows the accurate hours that the workers have worked for the employer.
Total wages paid – It is essential to keep the documentation of total wages paid to workers including their regular hourly pay rate, overtime etc. Keeping the records of any deductions or additions in employees’ payments is also necessary along with the payments of wages and overtime whether it is paid weekly, or monthly. If your employer does not provide such documentation, ask them for it.
Contract – If there is a contract between the worker and employer, copies of it should be kept by both parties for records as it clears the terms of employment. It also includes terms regarding overtime, payments, benefits and more.
It is the duty of an employer to maintain these records as they are necessary to know employees’ working hours and fair wages.
If you feel cheated out of your fair payments, then you should raise the issue with your employer. However, it is possible that workers suffer consequences when concerns are raised about wages. These consequences include termination, unfair treatment with workers and more.
In these situations, you should contact an unpaid overtime lawyer, who can help you get fair payments for your hard work and make sure that you obtain your due wages.
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