Unpaid wages: what are they?

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Unpaid wages can be earned but not paid to employees, who can sue for it. Employees should keep records of hours worked, pay slips, and discuss any discrepancies with their employer. Unpaid wages can be caused by reduced hours, bankruptcy, or mistakes. If an employer doesn’t respond, government representatives or lawyers can be consulted.

Unpaid wages are wages that have been earned through work, but not paid to the employee. Employers may be required by law to pay employees according to a set schedule and to provide wages for all hours worked. Employees who don’t receive pay when they expect it or who are short on salary may be able to sue for unpaid wages. There are a number of options available to people who believe their employers owe them money.

While people may hope to never have to file a claim for unpaid wages, it’s wise to think ahead and keep very good records so that any disputes can be resolved quickly. Employees should keep track of hours worked, including overtime hours, and should retain written authorizations for overtime so that there can be no disputes about overtime pay later. In addition, employees must keep their pay slips so they can be compared with their records and also with the tax documents received at the end of the year. Any discrepancies must be discussed with the employer immediately.

A classic example of unpaid wages can come in the form of reduced hours. An employee may receive a lower paycheck than they should be because the employer has not paid all the hours worked or has not paid overtime. In other cases, employees may not receive wages at all. Bankruptcy is also a situation where unpaid wages can become an issue, with the company failing to provide compensation to its employees due to its financial situation.

Sometimes unpaid wages are a mistake. It is generally recommended that employees bring errors in their payslips, including returned payslips for insufficient funds, to the attention of the employer before taking legal action. An honest mistake may have occurred and can be quickly remedied. For example, an employer may have forgotten to transfer funds to the payroll account at the bank on payday, causing payroll to be returned to people who attempted to deposit them. In this case, the employer would be liable for any expenses incurred when the employee attempted to deposit the check.

If an employer doesn’t respond to a request to address unpaid wages, the situation can be reported to government representatives who work for agencies that protect workers, such as the US Department of Labor. These representatives may be able to help employees recover their wages. Finally, a lawyer can be consulted to take the case to court. It can be costly to sue for unpaid wages and this is something that should be considered before taking legal action.




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