Albany Wage and Hour Claims Lawyer
At Gattuso & Ciotoli, PLLC, we believe that every employee in New York deserves fair wages for fair work. Since the passage of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, the government offers many protections for workers in the United States. Unfortunately, the federal government is limited in the way it can offer monetary protection for American workers. But in New York State, state laws and regulations provide extended coverage to employees, including rights, privileges, and protections provided under New York’s 2011 Wage Theft Prevention Act.
When an employer uses unethical and unlawful means to withhold any of the wages you’ve earned, they commit a form of theft. The law firm of Gattuso & Ciotoli has over 50 years of combined experience in securing compensation, including backpay with interest, for victims of all forms of employer wage theft in Albany and across New York State. If you aren’t receiving the pay you’re due for your hours worked, including time and a half for overtime, contact our Albany employment lawyers today so we can evaluate your case.
What is Wage Theft?
Wage theft comes in many forms. Some are immediately identifiable but other forms may be subtle and more difficult to recognize. Even subtle wage theft can amount to a great deal of your earned money withheld from you. A report from the Economic Policy Institute shows that employees were able to recover over $3 billion in stolen wages between 2017 and 2020, but that’s only a fraction of the amount owed.
While sometimes honest payroll mistakes occur, in many cases the methods used to minimize the amount of money a company pays out to their employees are intentional, dishonest, and unlawful. Some means that employers may use to avoid paying you what’s is owed include the following:
- Asking you to work off the clock
- Paying you less than the minimum wage
- Paying you a salary that equals less than minimum wage per the number of hours you work
- Misclassifying you as exempt or as an independent contractor to avoid paying overtime rates
- Withholding your tips
- Lowering your pay rate without first notifying you
- Not paying your earned commissions
- Denying you meal breaks or asking you to work through breaks to avoid paying overtime
- Withholding illegal deductions from your paycheck
- Withholding your pay until an invoice comes in or for any other reason
When an employer withholds any of the pay that you’re owed, it’s a form of theft. Far more people lose money due to wage theft each year than from robbery. It’s important to carefully examine your paychecks and to understand your rights under state and federal law. If you believe you’ve been the victim of wage theft, contact our Albany firm so we can evaluate your case.
Why Choose Gattuso & Ciotoli for Your Wage and Hour Claim?
Our Wage and Hour attorneys have decades of experience in securing back pay that was illegally withheld from employees in Albany and Central New York. We know how to use our background, knowledge, and resources to successfully navigate New York Labor Laws to determine how much you are owed. Contact Gattuso & Ciotoli in Albany today for tireless representation by lawyers who feel passionately about your right to fair pay for your labor.