Workers in Tacoma have rights when it comes to their pay, hours, overtime, and breaks. If your paycheck seems short or you are working time that does not appear on your pay stub, a Tacoma wage and hour violations lawyer from Moon Law Group can look into what your employer has been doing.
A worker may first notice that something is wrong with their own paycheck. Looking closer at the employer’s pay practices may show that coworkers have lost wages for the same reason. We handle individual and complicated employment cases and have a team of more than 40 attorneys with decades of combined experience.
Our employment lawyers in Tacoma can review your records, explain your rights under Washington law, and determine what options you have. Call Moon Law Group for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Wage and Hour Laws in Washington State
Washington has several laws that protect workers. One is the Washington Minimum Wage Act (RCW 49.46), which sets rules for minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave, and other wage rights. Most covered employees must receive overtime at one and one-half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek under RCW 49.46.130.
For a free legal consultation with a wage and hour violations lawyer serving Tacoma, call 213-232-3128
How Our Tacoma Wage and Hour Violations Lawyers Protect Workers’ Rights
You may know something is wrong with your paycheck without knowing why. Maybe you worked through lunch, stayed late after clocking out, or worked more than 40 hours without receiving overtime pay.
Our lawyers for wage and hour violations in Tacoma can review your hours, pay records, job duties, and workplace policies. We can also calculate unpaid wages and find out whether the same pay practice may be affecting other workers.
Moon Law Group will also:
- Deal directly with the employer and its lawyers.
- Gather records to help establish your claim.
- File a legal claim when appropriate.
- Seek wages and other compensation available under state law.
These steps can help show how much pay you lost and whether your employer followed state law. Moon Law Group can then determine what legal options are available based on what the records show.
Tacoma Wage And Hour Violations Lawyer Near Me 213-232-3128
Common Wage and Hour Violations in Washington
A wage violation can continue for months before a worker realizes that something is wrong. Pay stubs, work schedules, time records, and workplace policies may help show where wages were lost.
Common problems include:
- Unpaid overtime
- Working before or after a shift without pay
- Being asked to clock out and keep working
- Unpaid or interrupted rest breaks
- Missed meal periods
- Pay below the applicable minimum wage
- Illegal deductions from a paycheck
- Unpaid commissions or agreed wages
- Withheld tips or service charges
- Incorrect final pay
- Paid sick leave violations
- Being wrongly treated as exempt from overtime
Employers in Washington generally must pay their workers for all work performed. This can include work the employer requires or allows outside a worker’s scheduled shift.
Being Paid a Salary Does Not Always Mean You Are Exempt From Overtime
A worker may also lose overtime pay because their employer classified them as exempt. Receiving a salary does not automatically make someone exempt from overtime. The worker’s pay and job duties can help determine whether an exemption applies.
Our Tacoma unpaid overtime lawyers will review how your employer classified your position and calculated your pay. If the classification was wrong, you may be able to seek unpaid overtime and other amounts available under state law.
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Washington Law Gives Workers Meal and Rest Break Rights
Most employees must receive a paid rest break of at least 10 minutes for every four hours worked. An employer generally cannot require an employee to work more than three hours without a rest break.
Employees who work more than five hours in a shift must generally receive a meal period of at least 30 minutes. The meal period must start between the second and fifth hours of the shift.
A meal period may need to be paid if the worker remains on duty, stays on call at the worksite for the employer’s benefit, or is called back to work during the break.
Break violations can add up when the same problem happens day after day or affects many employees.
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One Worker’s Pay Problem May Affect Other Employees
A worker may contact an attorney after noticing there is a problem with their paycheck. A review of the records may show that the employer used the same pay practice for coworkers.
For example, a company may have a policy that causes hourly workers to miss overtime pay or work during breaks. A timekeeping system may also leave certain work off employees’ recorded hours.
A problem that affects a group of workers may support a class action. An employment attorney from Moon Law Group will examine the company’s practices and determine the proper way to pursue the case.
The Law Protects Workers Who Speak Up About Wage Violations
Your employer cannot punish you for raising certain concerns about unpaid wages or other protected wage and hour rights. This may include firing you, cutting your hours or pay, demoting you, or taking other action against you because you spoke up.
You may be able to file a complaint with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). A Tacoma workplace retaliation lawyer from Moon Law Group will explain your options if you believe your employer violated your wage rights or retaliated against you for raising a concern.
You May Be Owed More Than Your Unpaid Wages
What you may recover depends on what happened at your job. In some cases involving wages that were willfully withheld, Washington law allows a worker to seek twice the amount of the wages unlawfully withheld, along with attorney’s fees and costs under RCW 49.52.070.
Moon Law Group can review payroll and time records to determine how much pay may be missing. We can also look at how long the problem went on and what compensation may be available under state law.
Deadlines Apply to Washington Wage and Hour Claims
Washington L&I generally requires a worker rights complaint to be filed within three years of the violation. A retaliation complaint filed with L&I generally has a much shorter 180-day deadline.
The deadline for a lawsuit can depend on the legal claim involved. An employment lawyer can identify which deadlines apply and determine what steps may need to be taken.
Keeping pay stubs, schedules, time records, text messages, emails, and workplace policies can also help show what happened.
Call Us for Help With a Tacoma Wage and Hour Violations Claim
If you are facing a wage and hour dispute in Tacoma, Moon Law Group can help you determine what to do next. We have focused on employment law since 2007 and handle complex wage and hour cases, including class actions.
Our results include multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for workers. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Let Us Defend You. There is no attorney’s fee unless we successfully resolve your case.
Contact Moon Law Group for a free, no-obligation consultation today. Our Tacoma wage and hour violations lawyers are ready to listen.
Call or text 213-232-3128 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form