It can be difficult to find a good job with a decent rate of pay. Although there are many employers who say they have plenty of openings and not enough employees to fill them, one of the significant issues for workers is that many companies do not want to offer a fair and decent rate of pay. The Texas Workforce Commission is the state agency that oversees employers and protects workers. If you feel that your employer is not paying you for the work you have performed, an employment lawyer in El Paso, TX can help.
Under Texas law, all workers have fundamental rights. Those rights are protected regardless of the occupation they have, their age, race, gender, or nationality. State labor laws also protect underground workers who are paid off the books and below minimum wage. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous employers who try to protect their profits by undercutting employees’ pay and/or benefits.
Employee Wage Rights
As an El Paso, TX employment lawyer can explain, employers are required to adhere to certain rules to ensure that workers receive at least the minimum of pay under the law.
All employees have the right to the minimum wage: Currently in Texas, the minimum hourly wage that an employer must pay all non-exempt workers is $7.25 per hour. This is the same amount as the current federal minimum wage.
There are some exemptions, such as tipped employees, underage, and student workers. A worker who earns a certain amount of tips every month may be paid lower minimum wage, but they must earn a minimum $7.25 per hour including their tips. An employee who is under the age of 20 may earn a training wage of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment. College students or full-time high school students who work part time may be paid $6.16 per hour for up to 20 hours of work per week.
Overtime rate is for any employee who works more than 40 hours in one week are entitled for a minimum wage of at least 1.5 times the regular applicable minimum wage.
In Texas, employers are not required to allow workers breaks unless the worker is a breastfeeding mother. A worker who is breastfeeding is entitled to take a half-hour unpaid lunch break during their baby’s first year. This law, however, only applies to nonexempt workers and only for companies who have 50 or more employees.
Call Our Office Today
If you feel your employer has failed to pay you the wages you are entitled to under the law, an El Paso employment lawyer such as Davie & Valdez, P.C can help. Schedule a free and confidential consultation and find out what legal recourse you may have to obtain the wages you are owed.