I have had a rash of calls lately about people working who are not getting paid. It is a sad state of affairs, but in today's economy, it is not uncommon. So, what do you do?
The easiest thing to do is to file a claim with the California Department of Labor. This does not require an attorney and is a free service. You may be entitled to back wages, interest and penalties. Of course, you may also get fired, but then you have a good claim for wrongful termination.
In this economy, everyone is struggling. But you have a right to be paid for the work you do. If you are not paid, you cannot pay your bills. This is leading to people being foreclosed on and receiving calls from debt collectors. It is important that if your employer does not pay you, then file a claim with the Department of Labor.
Good Call Jonathan! Unfortunately, my office in Seattle is getting an increase in these calls. This is a situation where your options vary greatly depending on what state you are in, but wherever you may live it is illegal for an employer not to pay.
As for Washington state law, I recently posted this on the topic: http://djillpugh.typepad.com/employment_law_blog/2008/12/my-employer-cant-afford-to-pay-me-right-now.html
Posted by: Jill Pugh | December 12, 2008 at 08:27 AM