We are Springfield Missouri overtime lawyers. We represent employees who have been denied overtime pay or have been forced to work “off the clock.” The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and Missouri law require that hourly employees be paid time and one half for all hours in excess of forty (40) hours in a week. This information can be found in Title 29 of the United States Code at §§206-207, 2007. Employers can violate the law in a variety of ways: improperly classifying employees as “exempt” when they are really “non-exempt”; failing to properly calculate overtime hours; simply refusing to pay overtime; or making employees work overtime and then forcing them to take time off later to “make-up” for overtime. These actions are not legal, and if your employer has improperly denied overtime pay from you, you should contact an attorney immediately.
Generally, employees can only go back two (2) years for any overtime claims, so you should act quickly if you believe you have been improperly denied pay. See State ex rel. Laszewski v. R.L. Persons Const., Inc., 136 S.W.3d 863, 872 (Mo. App. 2004); §290.527 RSMo 2000. If an employer willfully violates the Fair Labor Standards Act for overtime claims, an employee may be able to go back as long as three (3) years. See State ex rel. Griffin v. R.L. Persons Const., Inc., 193 S.W.3d 424, 427 (Mo. Ct. App. 2006); §516.400 RSMo 2000. We strongly encourage you not to wait as you may lose some or all of your overtime claim. Employees are entitled to their overtime pay, and liquidated damages, usually double the amount of overtime owed. See 29 U.S.C. §216, 2008; §290.300 RSMo 2000. Further, a successful employee is entitled to have his or her attorney’s fees paid by the employer. If you have been forced to work overtime without pay, or if you just have questions about a potential overtime claim, you should contact Preston Law for a consultation and explanation of your rights. As Springfield Missouri overtime and unpaid wage attorneys, we can help. We represent people all over Missouri on overtime claims in both State and Federal Court.
If you feel that you may have a claim for overtime or unpaid wages, please contact Preston Law for an appointment with one of our experienced attorneys. Our office phone number is (417) 616-5000 or you can reach us toll-free at (866) 953-6736. You can also contact us online with the form provided on the sidebar of this page.
