Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers proudly supports Seattle workers who have been robbed of overtime pay. The refusal to pay overtime benefits goes against city, state, and Federal labor laws. If this has happened to you and you want to know how to hold your employer financially accountable, contact us today for a free consultation.

Can an Employment Lawyer Help Me Force My Employer to Provide Overtime?

Yes. A skilled Seattle Unpaid Overtime Claims Lawyer goes to work immediately building a strong case that employers and their shield of corporate lawyers can’t sweep under the rug. You can benefit from a lawyer’s help if your wage loss is substantial and if your case will be complex. If your employer will be fighting the claim, you should consult with a lawyer.

Your loss of income that is rightfully yours may seem unimportant to your employer, but that additional money may mean a great deal to you. We want to make sure your employers, and judges and juries if necessary, understand the hardships you’ve faced after having your income withheld.

A lawyer will have the benefit of experience and legal knowledge to force large and small businesses to accept responsibility for unpaid overtime. A lawyer will also have a good chance of securing more for your claim than you could on your own.

How an Attorney Builds a Stronger Overtime Claims Case for You

These are just a few of the benefits of having a skilled lawyer on your side as you navigate a complex wage theft claim:

  • Mounts a full investigation into your wage loss case and makes sure all evidence, including company documents and emails, is secured.
  • Prepares and files your claim for you, handling all communication with your employers.
  • Demands the maximum in compensation available on your behalf including potential penalties for your employer
  • Protects you from intimidation and threats from your employer. This can include threats of reporting you to ICE if you are an undocumented worker.
  • Protects you if your job is in jeopardy simply because you reported an overtime violation.
  • Takes on corporate lawyers representing your employer.
  • Represents you in court if your employer refuses to accept responsibility for your unpaid overtime. Companies usually want to avoid the cost of a trial and will work harder to make you happy in a settlement under the threat of a lawsuit.

Your attorney can also take legal action if an employer asks you to work off the clock or deducts your overtime from bonuses you were already due to receive. We have taken on some of the largest employers and earned justice for our clients.

Who Receives Overtime Pay in Seattle?

Seattle follows the guidelines set by Washington State when it comes to overtime eligibility and pay rates. That includes overtime usually being defined as anything beyond 40 hours in a 7-day workweek. State labor statutes also grant most hourly workers and some salary workers access to overtime pay.

But Seattle also follows its own Wage Theft Ordinance (WTO) with the guidelines found in Section K:

“The Wage Theft Ordinance requires employers to pay employees “all compensation owed” by reason of employment, including overtime wages. Washington law requires employers to pay employees at least one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate for hours worked over forty in a workweek.”

Seattle’s ordinances and Washinton’s labor laws go into more detail on what workers are owed for their work beyond 40 hours:

  • Employers must pay overtime to eligible workers regardless of the employer’s size.
  • Employers can mandate overtime work, with the exception of certain healthcare facility employees.
  • Collective bargaining agreements and employers can provide overtime pay more generous than Washington law requires.
  • Many Agricultural workers and dairy workers in Washington State now must be paid overtime. Undocumented workers are eligible.
  • Double-time overtime pay is not provided for under Washington State Law, but some companies do offer double overtime in certain situations.
  • From Seattle’s WTO: “Large employers with 501 or more employees must pay one and one-half times the applicable minimum wage. Small employers with 500 or fewer employees must pay one and one-half the minimum compensation. If the minimum compensation includes employee tips and/or payment toward an individual’s medical benefits, the small employer must pay one and one-half the minimum compensation minus the tip and/or medical benefit credit.”

Ferraro Vega Seattle Employment Lawyers also safeguard your rights to overtime compensation with protections provided by Federal Law under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Contact a Seattle Unpaid Overtime Lawyer Today

If your employer isn’t reimbursing you for some or any of your overtime hours, you have legal rights that need to be protected. At Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, we’re here to help you make sure you get paid. We take up the fight until you receive what you are owed. We help all workers in Seattle and King County, regardless of their citizenship status.

At the same time, we safeguard your job security and shield you from any retaliation. Our team works with city, state, and U.S. labor laws every day and we will work hard to hold your employer accountable for every violation. Don’t wait–contact us today for a free consultation.