Columbia, Missouri, FLSA Attorney

• Are you required to begin work before punching in?
• Have you been wrongly classified as exempt?
• Are you denied required rest breaks while on the job?
• Does your employer refuse to pay overtime?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was enacted to protect workers and ensure they received a fair wage, including overtime pay. Employers, however, may fail to pay required overtime or in some other way fail to meet the standards required by the act. A violation of FLSA requirements may be intentional or due to a misunderstanding. In either case, the employees involved are entitled to back pay and possibly statutory damages.

At Lear & Werts L.L.P., in Columbia, Missouri, FLSA attorneys represent employees who are financially injured by violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If you feel you have not been treated fairly by your employer, and would like to speak with one of the firm's labor lawyers, contact Lear & Werts L.L.P. and schedule a free consultation to discuss your wage and hour dispute.

• An employer cannot require you to be at your workstation to set up, unless you are being paid for that time.
• A common FLSA violation involves the incorrect classification of employees as "exempt" and ineligible for overtime. An assistant manager, if required to do tasks that otherwise would be done by hourly employees, can not be classified as exempt and must be paid overtime.
• Overtime must be paid for more than forty hours a week, unless you are correctly classified as exempt. Compensatory time and bonuses usually cannot be used to replace overtime.

It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you through wrongful termination or other means for filing a complaint about a violation of FLSA regulations. Labor laws are complex, and much depends on your specific circumstances. For more information about steps to take to protect yourself, contact an attorney at Lear & Werts L.L.P.

At Lear & Werts L.L.P., in Columbia, Missouri, FLSA attorneys provide legal services to clients throughout the state, focusing on cases handled in mid-Missouri (central Missouri) and the Columbia area including cities of Jefferson City, Fayette, Booneville, Fulton, and Huntsville, and communities throughout Boone County and Cole, Howard, Cooper, Chariton, Linn, Adair, Macon, Shelby, Randolph, Saline, Pettis, Morgan, Moniteau, Benton, Saint Clair, Cedar, Hickory, Camden, Laclede, Miller, Osage, Callaway, and Montgomery counties.